‘Triple talaq’ not the only issue affecting Muslims: JIH

New Delhi, April 21 (PTI): The government is seemingly focused only on the issue of ‘triple talaq’ when it comes to Muslims, while ignoring their other concerns, the Jamaat-e- Islami Hind (JIH) alleged on Friday.
The JIH also announced a campaign to enlighten Muslims across the country on personal laws, contending that large sections of the community “lack knowledge” about the same.
The religious body said it will hold the campaign from April 23 to May 7, aiming to reach out to five crore Muslims across the country.
“Such an atmosphere has been created as if it (triple talaq) is leading to injustice to women. Such a situation has emerged that it seems the government is focused on only this issue and that there is no other issue troubling Muslims,” JIH chief Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari told reporters here.Umari, also vice president of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), said that no one endorses ‘triple talaq in one sitting’, but stressed that there is no provision in the personal laws which leads to exploitation of women.
“Last year, five crore Muslims, including women mostly, made submission to the Law Commission saying there is no problem with personal laws.
“They told the commission about their other problems. But despite that it appears the government is focusing on only this issue (of triple talaq),” he added.
He said there were several misconceptions about Muslim personal laws.
AIMPLB member Mohammed Jafar, who accompanied Umari during the briefing, said the JIH will hold the mass outreach programme, organising 700 public meetings and as many symposiums on gender justice in parts of the country.
“We will hold programmes in capitals of states. There will be press briefings, we will distribute pamphlets to community members…we will reach out to villagers and slum dwellers,” he said, adding that they would also reach out to non-Muslims.
To a question, Umari sought to suggest the percentage of Muslims seeking divorce in proportion with their populace is lesser than that of other religions.
He, however, did not elaborate on that point.
The JIH also released a booklet titled ‘Muslim Personal Law: Moral and Legal Issues’ during the briefing and announced launch of a mobile application ‘Muslim Personal Law Awareness Campaign’ (MPLAC). The application will help enlighten community members, it said.

HC nixes triple talaq plea, says women entitled to equality

The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea to direct the government to ensure that triple talaq must not be applicable to Hindus married to Muslim men.
“Irrespective of religion, women are entitled to equal treatment,” the court said.
Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Anu Malhotra said the matter relating to triple talaq was pending before a Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court. So the High Court could not entertain it.
The petitioner told the bench that the matter pending before the Supreme Court related to Muslim women and not Hindu women married to Muslim men.
The bench then said that women irrespective of religion deserve equal treatment.
As the bench refused to hear the plea, advocate Vijay Kumar Shukla withdrew the PIL and said he would approach the apex court. The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) also sought directions to make registration of inter-caste marriages compulsory under the Special Marriage Act or Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act with a clause on imposition of penalty in case an inter-caste marriage was not registered.
The petitioner said that since the ‘nikahnaama’ (marriage contract) was written in Urdu, Hindu women fail to understand provisions related to triple talaq or polygamy.
The Muslim cleric should explain the provisions of the ‘nikahnaama’ pertaining to summary divorce and polygamy to the Hindu women in their mother tongue, said the plea.