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August 22, 2004 

Muslim women fight instant divorce

For more than a decade Muslim women activists in India have been demanding a ban on what is known as "triple talaq" or instant divorce.

It is a system wherein a Muslim man can divorce his wife in a matter of minutes.

The issue has been highlighted recently after several Indian Muslims have taken to divorcing their wives by mail, over the phone and even through mobile phone text messages.

The practice of instant divorce is banned in several Islamic countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia.

But it continues in India. Islamic scholars say the holy Quran clearly spells out how to issue a divorce.

It has to be spread over three months, which allows a couple times for reconciliation.

But today, many men use the post, the telephone or even the short messaging service (sms) to divorce their wives.

Muslim women's rights activists are outraged by such incidents. They said, there's nothing in the holy Quran that allows triple, verbal, instantaneous talaq (divorce). There's no greater anathema than the kind of talaq (divorce)that has now become the greatest black mark against gender in Islam.

There have been attempts in the past to focus on the ills of instant divorce.

The clamour to ban the practice has forced the All India Muslim Personal Law Board to take up the matter at a recent meeting.

The majority of the ulema [clergy] thinks that it's legal, it's binding. They say it's according to the Sharia [Islamic code].

"Now how can the Muslim Personal Law Board take a unilateral decision? The board cannot go against the Shariat."

Source: BBC NEWS.