The triple talaq Ordinance approved by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday evoked mixed response from the Muslim organisations, with the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) welcoming the legislation as a “much-awaited” decision and two other Muslim organisations —All India Sunni Jamiatul Ulema and Raza Academy — terming it as against “all constitutional norms and the orders of the Supreme Court”.
Describing the triple talaq ordinance making the practice of instant divorce a punishable offence as “a much-awaited and a much-wanted legislation”, the BMMA said: “We are thankful to the central government for heeding to the voice of Muslim women who demanded the above amendments.”
“We urge all political parties to recognise, acknowledge and extend their support to the demands of Muslim women. For too long they have been discriminated against and faced insecurity and fear in their life, fear of instant divorce, polygamy, underage marriage and deprivation of inheritance rights,” the BMMA said, in a statement issued here.
Maintaining that it was pertinent now for all political parties to realise that Muslim women had the knowledge of their constitutional rights as well as of their rights in the Quran, the BMMA stated: “This ordinance is the first important legislation and BMMA is going to continue to push for a comprehensive codification of Muslim family law where gender-just provisions pertaining to age of marriage, mehr, consent, polygamy, halala, muta, maintenance and inheritance are also legislated upon”.
“The Hindu Code Bill came in 1955 and as the largest minority we are lagging behind a good 60 years. It is time that a Muslim Code Bill or a Muslim Family Law is passed so that all other issues come within the ambit of law,” the BMMA added.
However, in a joint statement issued here, All India Sunni Jamiatul Ulema (AISJU) and Raza Academy described the triple talaq ban ordinance as “illegal”. “The BJP Government’s ordinance to ban triple talaq is against all constitutional norms and against the orders of the Supreme Court The triple talaq ordinance amounts to Contempt of Court,” the two organisations said.
“This bill was passed in Lok sabha since the NDA had a majority and then was placed before Rajya sabha. But the Government couldn’t get the bill passed here and it was twice rejected in Rajya Sabha, “the two Muslim organisations said.