Marmara on Muslim women and the laws related to Talaq and Khula
11th January, 2016
With an introduction about the Marmara, its beginningings and vision, Tabassum, Vimochana set the context for the Marmara on muslim women and the laws related to Talaq and Khula. She said the Marmara provides Muslim women an opportunity to share their stories of abuse and torture that they experience as most times they are silenced and prevented from speaking out.
In the Marmara comprising of over more than one hundred people of which nearly sixty percent of them were men, the role of the Jamaat was discussed where, in cases of domestic violence, the woman is not given a chance to speak and share her experience, instead, the Jamaat asks her to send her brother or father to speak on behalf of her. The Jamaat invariably tells her to reconcile with her husband.
However, it was also felt that the other institutions such as the Vanita Sahayvani is no better which was illustrated with a case example where the counsellor told the woman to resolve issues with her husband and go back to his house for the counsellor’s sake.
The questions that were throw up for discussion was what are the reasons for the victimisation of women? What does the Quran say about Talaq and Khula? How should we engage with the Jammat so that women get justice? What should be the role of the muslim community and particularly the men of the community?
Women belonging to the community and activist members spoke thereafter
Nasreen from the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan shared that in Bellary district where they are working, majority of the women are not even aware of their rights; that the Quran grants women and men equal rights; citing an example where a man gave talaq to his wife because she was watching too much of TV an particularly crime related programmes. She said Muslim women are not aware of the procedures of taking talaq. Most of the women believe that if their husband says Talaq 3 times through a text message or an email, she is divorced.
And the women who want Khula are harassed and the Jamaat scares the women seeking Khula saying that she would have to pay her husband and not the other way round. She mentioned that it was easy to get Talaq but very difficult to get Khula in Bellary district.
As the Jamaat supports only influential people, why should it exist was her question.
Ishrat from Samvaada adding her voice to the criticism of the Jamaat said:nobody in the community knows exactly what is the correct procedure of talaq and khula. Quran and the constitution, both have given equal rights to men and women. When the marriage takes place the whole community and the Jamaat is present but when a women wants khula nobody is there to support her.
Photos of the Marmara on Muslim women and the laws related to Talaq and Khula >>