Mohd. Naushad khan covers the massive protest of Muslim women against Triple Talaq Bill 2017 staged at Ramlila Ground in the national capital on 4 April.
If democracy is all about numbers then huge protests by Muslim women across India should serve as the valid reason for the bill [The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017] to be withdrawn if we really believe in our democracy and its rule,” said Dr. Asma Zehra, Executive Member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board and Convener of its Women Wing while talking to Radiance during the concluding silent protest by Muslim women against Triple Talaq Bill at Ramlila Ground in the national capital on 4 April.
Earlier, addressing the huge gathering of Muslim women gathered from various parts of Delhi and nearby places, Dr. Zehra said women across India are suffering due to so many other important issues like female feticide, divorces, dowry and bride-burning but surprisingly the focus of the Government is on a non-issue like triple talaq, using it as an instrument to push them further and marginalise the community. The two-month long massive protests concluded in the Capital but the fight to defend personal laws will continue.
Addressing the protesters, Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari, President Jamaat-e- Islami Hind said this is the first time in the history of Independent India that thousands and lakhs of women held silent protests across India and from nowhere any kind of incident, small or big, was reported. It has become possible only because of the teachings of Islam. The Government, even the media, has turned a blind eye and does not want to value these massive protests in various parts of the country against the Bill. JIH president added, supposedly if the bill is passed, what may happen is that for fear of prosecution Muslim men also, like others, may simply abandon their wives instead of divorcing them. It is beyond doubt that this Bill is anti-women and it is likely to create further problems for women instead of helping them.
Almost all speakers termed the Triple Talq Bill as anti-Shari’ah, anti-Constitution, anti-women and anti-children and demanded its withdrawal, keeping in mind that 98 per cent of women have rejected the Bill and have protested against it.
Maulana Abu Talib Rahmani questioned as to why the Prime Minister wants to become brother of few Muslim women who were divorced and why he does not want to become brother of the mother and sister of Mohammed Akhlaq who was killed in Dadri? Why not the brother of the mother of Afrazul Islam who was brutally killed? Why not the brother of the mother and sister of Najeeb?
Maulana Rahmani further argued that as per the present Bill, if a husband pronounces Triple Talaq to his wife, he will land in jail; has anyone thought under these circumstances what would be the status of the wife? Will she remain his wife or become a divorcee? The bill also says that the husband will have to pay maintenance to his wife and children while in jail. The question arises what kind of employment or business the Government would provide for the husband in jail to help him pay maintenance? The jail provision along with maintenance appears like instead of going to jail he is going to some foreign country to earn money. Does it sound logical in any way?
Holding placards with slogans, “Shariah is our Pride”, “Shariah Gives us Dignity and Honour,” “Talaq Bill Wapas Karo”, “Shariat me Mudakhlat Band Karo”, the protestors were trying to prove beyond doubt that that the claim made by the Government that Muslim women were happy with the Bill was totally false and misleading because the huge presence of Muslim women in the scorching heat speaks volumes about Muslim women’s resentment against the Bill. The protesters claimed this Bill is not only anti-women but also aimed at harassing Muslim men and would be used as a weapon to disrupt family life of Muslims. Around 200 rallies or protest marches were organised in the length and breadth of the country during the last two months wherein thousands of thousands of Muslim burqa-clad women wrote history to protect Muslim personal laws.
Another speakerm Atiya Siddiqua, Secretary Women’s Wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, while addressing the gathering, said without any doubt Islam has provided us with a complete code of life and guidance for a socioeconomic system of life which covers our family system also. Muslim women are adequately protected under Shari’ah laws and they are comfortable with their personal laws.
After the programme, a memorandum was also submitted to the President of India. “It is extremely surprising that the Bill was processed without consulting the top religious scholars and intellectuals of the community, etc. Even Muslim women/groups or Women Right activists/groups who were involved in the campaign and struggle in favour of Muslim women rights for several decades were also kept in dark,” said the memorandum.
The memorandum further added, “We further feel that there was no urgency in bringing forth such a Bill as the Supreme Court, by a majority had already held that the practice of Triple Talaq was invalid and it was wrong for the government to cite the minority judgment, which is not binding, to bring forth the legislation.”