Muslim women strongly denounced the growing judicial interference in Shari’ah laws and declared that anything that went against the spirit of Islam was not acceptable. “We want to follow and be governed by the Shari’ah commandments,” they asserted at a seminar on the ‘significance of family law’, held at Hyderabad on 1 December. Through raised hands, the large assemblage of women indicated their acceptance of the Shari’ah principles in their day-to-day life. The seminar was organised by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) to create awareness among Muslim women about the importance of Shari’ah laws.
Girls from 50 colleges and schools, besides women, attended the programme held at the Exhibition Grounds, Nampally. Sameena Tahseen, president, Muslim Women Intellectual Forum, said that the family laws enunciated in Islam were meant to strengthen and stabilise the family. They were based on justice and covered all aspects of marriage, divorce, khula, inheritance and adoption. “The husband and wife are partners in the journey of life and should look for positive things in each other rather than going on a fault-finding mission,” Prof. Tahseen said. Monisa Bushra, member, executive committee, AIMPLB, listed out innumerable rights bestowed on women in Islam. Muslim women, unlike their counterparts in other religions, enjoy the right to inherit property, right to education, social protection, remarriage and khula.