Husna Abdul Latheef, a young multimedia professional trainee from Karuvampoyil, near Koduvally, arguably became the first woman to demand a digital camera as the Mehr (dowry) for her wedding on Saturday.
She married Jawad Hussain, a multimedia software developer from Akkode, near Vazhakkad, by accepting a Sony a7iii mirrorless full-frame camera as her Mehr. “We usually find people asking for gold as Mehr. I wanted something more useful. So I demanded a Sony mirrorless camera, which I had used before,” Ms. Husna said.
It was her passion for photography that made her demand a camera as her Mehr. But she became the latest among Muslim women spinning a silent revolution in the community by being assertive of their rights. Mehr in Islam is the right of a woman when she marries a man.
There were several cases in recent times when women asked for a copy of the Koran as their Mehr. There were also two instances during the pre-lockdown unrest over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) of women demanding copies of the Indian Constitution as Mehr.
“But all of them pointed to a perceptible change in the social status of Muslim women. Their education has empowered them and taught them to be assertive,” said Arif Zain, Arabic scholar from Areekode.
Ms. Husna’s groom Jawad was happy to offer her the ₹1.5 lakh camera she demanded. “In fact, she asked for something simple. And I was particular that I gave her something useful that she wanted. Actually I was thrilled when she specifically demanded a camera,” said Mr. Jawad.
Their marriage took place at Ms. Husna’s house adhering to COVID-19 protocol. Mr. Jawad’s friends defeated his attempts to conceal the photograph of him giving the Mehr. It evoked the curiosity of many as the photo hit the social media.