The All India Muslim Women’s Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) on Thursday welcomed the tabling of Triple Talaq Bill in the Parliament and expressed hope that the proposed law would help put an end to the discriminatory social practice.
Expressing happiness over the Government’s move, AIMWPLB chief Shaista Amber thanked the Supreme Court and Law Commission of India saying that it was a result of their initiative and effort that the Bill could be tabled in the House.
While admitting that she had not read the contents of the proposed Bill, Amber said that she was confident that the Government would have taken into consideration all provisions of the Constitution and the essence of the Holy Quran.
She felt that the proposed law would help strengthen the husband-wife bond.
To those opposed to the Bill, Amber suggested that they should get over their misconceptions and come forward to help Muslim women.
Divorcee Sofia Khan said that she was happy with the move and thanked the Modi Government for tabling the Bill and Congress for supporting the government’s decision.
While pointing out that the agony of divorcees could be understood by divorced women alone, she demanded jail term of seven years, instead of the proposed three years, for men who divorced their wives by uttering talaq three times in one go. Khan said her husband had divorced her through a letter and went for a second marriage even as the case was pending in the Family court.
She demanded a halt to the practice of men divorcing their wives through letter, WhatsApp or SMS. Muslim women right activist Naish Hassan said that Muslim women have long been harassed through Triple Talaq.
“In the Triple Talaq issue, women’s wishes have been trampled by diktats of clerics. This is creating a huge problem. Efforts have been made to abolish the regressive practice since 1971 but nothing concrete happened,” she said.
Another women’s right activist and secretary of social organisation ‘Avam’, Rafat Fatima said that Triple Talaq does not have a place in the modern era. “The AIMPLB should itself abolish it to avoid interference of Islamic Personnel law,” suggested Fatima.