NEW DELHI: After moving to criminalise instant triple talaq + , the Centre is all set to throw its weight behind a clutch of petitions filed in the Supreme Court to declare “nikah halala” and polygamy “unconstitutional”. Sources said the Centre would extend its support to petitioners when the matter comes up next in the SC, which earlier this year agreed to hear the petitions.
Nikah halala is a controversial practice which forbids a divorced couple from remarrying until the woman marries someone else, consummates her new marriage and gets divorced or widowed. While defended by the clergy, the practice has been slammed by women’s activists who have called it retrograde and anti-women and have petitioned the SC to get it banned.
Having agreed to hear the petitions on the matter, the SC earlier issued notice to the Centre and the law ministry. The SC also directed the Centre to respond to the plea seeking to declare the provisions of Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) which validate the practice of polygamy and nikah halala as unconstitutional. The Centre is gearing up to put forth its stand by backing the petitions challenging the two practices, sources said.
The Centre’s plan comes even as Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), a voluntary organisation which successfully petitioned the SC against instant talaq, has decided to join the petitioners who are seeking an end to nikah halala and polygamy.
Zakia Soman of BMMA told TOI, “We are seeking a comprehensive law regulating all aspects of marriage and family by a Quranic-based law that complies with the Constitution too. We want halala to be a criminal offence and polygamy to be illegal. We believe the Quran doesn’t permit polygamy in today’s context. We are seeking legal protection like that for Hindu and Christian women.”
Source: Ambika Pandit-TOI
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It is important for all the religious heads to understand the Modern life and make changes in their religions to suit present day life style. Follow the good things and get rid of bad things.
Good News! Let us pray success to the gov’t.
jaya sri Krishna!
In many instances we have seen that radical Islam, Wahhabi sect especially is at odds with the 21st century. What’s even more gaoling is for the Labour Party here actually not opposing such age old practices unlike the current BJP Government. Why else would they were pressurised by the MCB to include in their last election manifesto a promise to apply the Sharia Law when this country’s law is adopted world over. There was a C4 documentary showing the plight of well educated Muslim women who couldn’t share the family assets following divorce because they were encouraged not to have a normal Register Wedding. Remember that politics and the law which affect all of us start at local level with Labour’s ghetto mentality who want to see denigration of other religions in the UK and perhaps brave politicians should follow centre’s example
Labour party is run democratically. Whatever majority members in labour party approve that becomes the policy. Therefore people like Bharat Parmar should join Lobour party and contribute in making the policies. Just opposing from outside nothing will change.