India: Muslim Clerics Slam Move Seeking Ban on Polygamy
On Monday, the apex court admitted for hearing the four petitions seeking a ban on the practices of polygamy and other traditions. The court also directed the federal government to present its stance on the issue.
The petitions were filed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) leader in Delhi Ashwini Upadhyaya, Telangana lawyer Moullim Mohsin bin Hussain bin Abdad al Kathiri and two women — Sameera Begum and Nafeesa Begum — who claimed to be the “victims” of polygamy.
Islam allows a Muslim man to have four wives at the same time but the practice is not much prevalent in India.
The move came only seven months after it outlawed the practice of “instant divorce” in which Muslim men divorce their wives by uttering word talaq (divorce) three times in a quick succession.
Mufti Shees, a Muslim scholar based in central India, has termed the exercise as “interference” in the religious issues of Muslims.
“The only motive behind all these things is to interfere in the religious matters of Muslims. We are not going to tolerate this,” he said.
Some scholars also accused the ruling BJP of hatching conspiracy against Muslims ahead of the general elections scheduled for next year.
“The Bharatiya Janata Party has been using some Muslim women to polarize the Muslim community ahead of the next year’s general elections, said Mohammed Abbas, the Meerut-based Shia cleric.
“There are issues in every religion, but targeting a particular community shows that there is some hidden agenda behind all these things,” said Afsar Khan, a Muslim executive based in New Delhi.
Some Muslim women and activists have welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to examine the constitutional validity of polygamy and other traditions. (T/RS5/RS1)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
