Muslim Men for Gender Justice

June 8, 2016

PRESS STATEMENT: In support of the demand for abolition of triple talaq and nikaah-halala as practiced in

We, the undersigned, believe that gender equality and justice are human rights issues which must be as much a matter of concern for men as for women. If anything, it is more so men’s obligation to cry a halt to patriarchy, particularly when it is sought to be perpetuated in the name of God.

We therefore fully support the campaign launched by the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) and other Muslim organisations and individuals for the abolition, and declaration as illegal, of triple talaq (instant divorce) and nikaah- halala as being practiced in India. We salute BMMA for its initiative in collecting 50,000 signatures from across the country in support of their demand, as also the Muslim women victims of instant divorce who are seeking justice from the Supreme Court of India.

While the triple talaq method of instant divorce is today banned in more than 21 Muslim majority countries, including Pakistan, it continues to be justified by the ulema in India as legally valid, even though theologically repugnant.

We categorically reject the false claim of the ulema that what goes in the name of Muslim Personal Law in India is a “God-given” law. As BMMA has rightly pointed out, there is no mention of the inhuman, unjust and anti-women instant talaq practice in the Quran. In fact, the Quran clearly stipulates an obligatory three- month period during which attempts must be made at reconciliation and mediation before severing of the marital bond. Equally, triple talaq violates the Constitutional principles of gender parity and non-discrimination. Thus this obnoxious instant divorce practice is both un- Quranic and un-Constitutional.

The ulema who proudly proclaim that Islam is the first religion to have given rights to women are duty bound to ensure justice to women. We bemoan the fact that instead of doing so they continue to justify the Muslim male’s privilege of unilateral and instant divorce, often on a mere whim or fit of anger.

As for nikaah-halala, the way this Quranic position is misconstrued and misused in India is a shameful practice which is extremely degrading for women. Even if a husband utters the dread words ‘talaq, talaq, talaq’ in a fit of anger but regrets the same immediately thereafter, according to the ulema there is only one way for the couple to resume their relationship. Another man must marry the divorced woman, consummate the marriage and then divorce her so that she may remarry her former husband.

BMMA has even documented some cases where qazis not only justify and legitimise nikaah-halala, but even offer their own “services” as temporary husbands. What could be more disgraceful than this?

The least we expect from the ulema who have proved themselves unwilling and incapable of ending the shameful, anti-women practices of instant divorce and nikaah-halala is to stop perpetuating patriarchy in the name of religion.

The word ulema is supposed to mean a body of Muslim scholars who are recognised as having specialist knowledge of Islamic sacred law and theology. We demand that the ulema in India live up to that definition. They must stop making a mockery of their honorific and demonising Islam in the process.

Signatories in alphabetical order:

1. A. Amiruddin, Retired Professor, Madras Medical College, Chennai 2. A. Fatimi, Professor, University 3. A. Jawad, Advocate, Chennai 4. A. Contractor, Professor and Dean, College of Engineering, Dhofar University, Salalah, Oman 5. Aamil Shaikh, Businessman, Mumbai 6. Abbas Shamael Rizvi, Cinematographer, Photographer, Filmmaker 7. Abde Mannan Yusuf 8. Abdul Azeem, Social activist, Delhi 9. Abdulbhai, Social Activist, Madurai 10. Abdul Mabood, Research scholar, AMU, 11. Abdul Rauf Khan, Retd director, Rajasthan Education Board, Ajmer 12. Abdul Rauf Shaikh, Retired government officer, Mumbai. 13. Abdul Qader Mukadam, Social activist, Commentator, Mumbai 14. Abdul Qadri, Media Professional, Mumbai 15. Abdul Rais Khan , Retired station superintendent, Railways, Aligarh 16. Abu Bakht, Advocate, Allahabad 17. Adil Rauf Khan Software Engineer, TCS, Sydney and AMU alumnus 18. Afaque Azad, Sound Engineer 19. Ajmal Hasan, IT executive, Bengaluru 20. Akbar Joseph, Assistant professor, AMU, Aligarh 21. Akbar Monye, Refrigeration business, Mumbai 22. Akbar Shaikh, Social activist, Sholapur 23. Ali Javed (Dr), Professor, Delhi University 24. Akram Khan, Industrialist, Pune 25. Akram Salmani, Hair stylist, Mumbai 26. Ali, Hardware engineer, Mumbai 27. Ali Asghar, Social activist, Hyderabad 28. Ali Lokhandwala, Builder, Mumbai 29. Amirullah (Dr), Assistant professor AMU, Aligarh 30. Amir Athar, Allahabad 31. Amir Rizvi: Communication designer, Mumbai 32. Amir Sheikh, Social Activist, Pune 33. Anis Shaikh, Automobile engineer, UAE 34. Anjum Rajabali, Screen writer, Mumbai 35. Anvar Rajan, Social activist, Pune 36. Anwar Hussain: Corporate executive, Mumbai 37. Anwar Shaikh, Retired police officer, Pune 38. Anwar Sheikh, Professor, Pune 39. Arif Parvaz, 40. Arif-ul-Islam, Professor, Dept. of Stats. & O.R., AMU, Aligarh 41. Asad Khan, Allahabad 42. Asad ur Rahman Kidwai, Delhi 43. Aseem Hasnain, Professor, USA 44. Asif Rauf Khan Engineer, Wipro, Noida 45. Asim Siddiqui, Professor, AMU, Aligarh 46. Ashraf Syed (Dr), Ayurvedic, Pune 47. Aslam (Dr), Professor, Allahabad University. 48. Aslam Khan, Political activist, Delhi 49. Aslam Khan, Social worker, Mumbai 50. Asrar Boqari, Student, Bengaluru 51. Asshar Farhan, Computer analyst, Hyderabad 52. Ayaz Memon, Senior journalist, Mumbai 53. Azhar Kazi, MBA professional, Mumbai 54. Azhar Khan, Social activist, Jalgaon 55. Bashir Mujawar, Journalist, Pune 56. Basheer Sheikh, Retired govt. servant, Pune 57. Burhaan Basheer, Research scholar, AMU, Aligarh 58. Danish Siddiqui, Research Scholar, AMU, Aligarh 59. Dilawar, Electrical engineer, UAE 60. Dilawar Sheikh, Advocate, Wai, Satara 61. F. M. Shajinde, Publisher, Latur 62. Faiz Ahmad, Education consultant, Chennai 63. Faiz Ahmad, Service, Ghaziabad, UP 64. Faizan Khan, Industrialist, Pune 65. Faraz Ahmad, Freelance journalist, Delhi 66. Farhan Rahman, Research scholar, Ranchi 67. Farouk Mapkar, Social activist, Mumbai 68. Feroze Abbas Khan: Theatre director, Mumbai 69. Feroze Mithiborwala, Social activist, Mumbai 70. Firoz Ashraf, Social activist, journalist, Mumbai 71. Gauhar Raza, Scientist, poet, social activist, film maker, Delhi 72. Ghulam Mohiyuddin Faruki, Physician 73. H. M. Mustafa, Social Activist, Calicut 74. Hamid Ali, Business, Rampur, UP 75. Hamza Safina Taufiq, MBA, Saudi Arabia 76. Hasan Kamaal: Senior journalist, poet, lyricist, Mumbai 77. Hasan Pasha Ibrahim, Writer, journalist, Bengaluru. 78. Hilal Ahmed (Dr), Asst. professor, CSDS, Delhi 79. Hummam, Research Scholar, AMU, Aligarh 80. Hunaid Wajihi, CA student, Pune 81. Husain Ahmed, Businessman, Pune 82. Husain Kanchwala, Engineer, Pune 83. Huzaifa Dilawar, Interior designer, Pune 84. Imran Khan, Assistant general manager, Delhi 85. Imran Sheikh, Computer specialist, Pune 86. Imtiyaz Shaikh, Contractor, Mumbai 87. I.N. Baig, Journalist, Nipani, Karnataka 88. Iqbal Niazi, Playwright, Mumbai 89. Irfan Ahmad, Service, Engineer, Vadodara, Gujrat 90. Irfan Engineer, Social activist, Mumbai 91. Irfan Khan, Web master, Mumbai 92. Irshad Ahmad, Lucknow 93. J. Thajudeen, Entrepreneur, Karaikal, Pondicherry 94. Jafar Mukri, Businessman, Mumbai 95. Jamal Kidwai, Social activist, Delhi 96. Javed Anand: Social activist, journalist, Mumbai 97. Javed Siddiqi: (Screen/dialogue writer, playwright), Mumbai 98. K. Moulasha, Program Manager, Praxis Institute, Chennai 99. K. Mohammed Abdul Kader, Assistant professor, Chennai 100. K. Seyadh Gani – Hotel Manager, Karaikal, Pondicherry 101. K. Sheikh Ismail - Entrepreneur, Karaikal, Pondicherry 102. Kader Qazi: Creati