Women's groups want Personal Law Board to apologise, withdraw talaq affidavit in SC

ALIGARH: Women’s groups have condemned the propositions put up by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) to the Supreme Court in their affidavit justifying triple talaq and polygamy, calling the arguments “patriarchal, inhuman and unjust”.

The AIMPLB affidavit, submitted in court on Friday said, “If there develops serious discord between the couple, and the husband does not at all want to live with her, time-consuming separation proceedings and expenses may deter him from taking the legal course. He may resort to illegal, criminal ways of murdering her.”

Demanding an apology from the board for stating that “Male sex is stronger and female weaker”, Zakia Soman of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) said, “Their stand that men have greater reasoning power compared to women smacks of a medieval mindset and prejudice against women. To presume that this would take care of murder of women and illicit relationships is a fallacy and the facts do not bear this out. Their justification of polygamy and triple talaq contravenes the Constitution.”

“Triple talaq is unilateral and arbitrary. Nowhere in the Islamic world is it legal,” said a statement signed by Noorjehan Niaz of BMMA, Sahba Farooqui and Maimoona Mollah from All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA).

“We vehemently denounce the views of AIMPLB and expect that they withdraw their affidavit, apologise to all women and ensure that their statements in the future are not derogatory to women,” the statement read.

Farooqui said, “AIMPLB made a foolish presentation by saying triple talaq is the only way to keep women secure. They must apologize to all women. No Muslim country practices divorce in unilateral and oral way. The board is under pressure from the male members of the community.”

AIMPLB member Zafaryab Jilani said, “The affidavit is according to Quran and Shariat. It can be discussed across the table. We have filed our affidavit with the Supreme Court and if anybody is unable to understand it they can ask for an explanation.”