The chairperson of the State Minorities Commission for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana has asked the All India Muslim Personal Law Board to reconsider its decision on the triple talaq issue, which he says can lead to the de-recognition of Islamic personal law. According to Abid Rasool Khan, triple talaq could pave the way for the imposition of a uniform civil code, PTI reported on Sunday.
The AIMPLB had said earlier that while triple talaq was the "least appreciated" means of divorce, it was permitted under Shariat or Muslim personal law. In a letter to the all-India board, Khan said, "The Muslim community has a huge social problem where literally lakhs of women all over the country are suffering because their men divorced them by pronouncing talaq thrice." He also urged the Jamiat-Ulema-I-Hind to reconsider its stance on the Islamic practice, with which Muslim men can orally end their marriages.
The minorities panel chief further said that the commission had been addressing a significant number of cases, including harassment, desertion, physical abuse, non-payment of maintenance and women not being granted talaq or Qula. His letter read: "I would like to alert you that if you [AIMPLB] insist on the triple talaq, you will be committing injustice to literally lakhs of our sisters and opening the doors for the Supreme Court to strike down this law as it is seen as being in violation of human rights."
The central government had expressed its decision to take a tough stance against triple talaq in the Supreme Court, which will decide whether the practice violates fundamental rights of women. On September 5, the court had given the Centre four weeks to respond to a batch of petitions on the rights Muslim women that challenged the practice.
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