Women oppose Supreme Court Sharia move

Hyderabad: Female Islamic scholars said that the Muslim Personal Law contained safeguards to protect the rights of women. They said they were opposed to the move of the Supreme Court to examine the rights of Muslim women on issues concerning marriage, divorce and maintenance under the personal law.

Dr Rafath Seema, Islamic scholar and Principal of Jamia Riyaz-us-Salihat, said there was a misconception about the system prescribed under the Sharia for divorce and second marriage by men.

Though verbal expression by a husband is enough for a divorce in Sharia, the process needs to pass through three stages, she said.

Consultations between wife and husband, counselling by elders in the family and the community are provided under the Sharia before the divorce.

“There are several instances of misinterpretations of the system of divorce among Muslims. This is taking place due to a  lack of knowledge about the Sharia,” she said.

Dr Muftia Rizwana Zareen, principal of Jamiat-ul-Mominath said marriage of a widow or a divorced woman is encouraged in Islam.

Aquila Khamoshi, member of the Women Personal Law Board, said, “It is not proper for anyone to judge the status a woman enjoys in Islam without having proper understanding. Sharia gives women the right to their due share in inheritance of  property.”