The All India Muslim Personal Law Board on Sunday claimed that Muslim women do not want a uniform civil code in India because they feel secure under the Sharia law. "It is not the personal law board or the women in it who are against the proposed uniform civil code, but Muslim women in general in the country do not want it. They feel safe and secure under the Sharia law," a member of the board, Kamal Faruqui, said, according to PTI.
The Muslim law body has been on the receiving end of criticism from rights activists for "turning a blind eye" towards how the triple talaq practice makes Muslim women suffer. However, an executive member of the board, Asma Zehra, said Muslim women were coming together from across Indian to demand that the personal law be protected. "The incidences of divorce in the Muslim community is much lower when compared to other ones. Women have maintenance rights even after the divorce and can also go for remarriage to begin a new life," she claimed.
The board had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, saying triple talaq was "permissible" in Islam even though it may be the "least appreciated" means of divorce. It had announced its decision to boycott a questionnaire circulated by the Law Commission, which sought views on the implementation of a uniform civil code. Moreover, the personal law board also claimed that its campaign to garner support for the triple talaq practice had been signed by Muslim women from Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
The Supreme Court is in the process of hearing a number of petitions challenging the Islamic practice and seeking a ban on it for being discriminatory. The Centre had told the court on October 7 that the "validity of triple talaq and polygamy should be seen in light of gender justice", and that triple talaq, polygamy and nikaah halal "were not integral to the practices of Islam or essential religious practices". There have also been calls to not politicise or communalise the debate on triple talaq and to view it as a separate matter from the proposed uniform civil code.
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