The Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), working towards overall reforms in the Muslim personal law, has demanded that the Muslim personal laws should be codified to avoid issues like triple talaaq, underage marriage, halala, muta marriage, lack of adequate maintenance, polygamy and meager mehar amounts.
BMMA’s Safia Akhtar addressing media persons here on Thursday said, “We are receiving many cases of Muslim women who have been unilaterally divorced by their husbands orally, through text messages, whatsapp and Qazi letters. There are also instances of women not even been aware that she has been divorced. This instant divorce method has ruined the lives of so many women due to that so many families have been adversely affected. Out of the 380 cases registered with BMMA's Aurton ki Shariah Adalat, 85 women have been unilaterally divorced which makes it 22 per cent. We have also come across many instances of the practice of halala which is not only unlslamic but also violates the dignity of women, she added.”
BMMA's long term demand has been the codification of the Muslim family law, a draft of which has been in circulation and has been even sent to the PMOs office. In June 2016, BMMA has also filed a PIl in the Supreme Court to abolish the practice of triple talaaq and halala. It is time that the court and the government take a serious note of the demands of Muslim women and initiate the process of change.