More Indian Muslim Women Opting For Khula, Their Right To ‘Instant Divorce’
28
August 2022
•
More Indian Muslim Women Opting For Khula, Their Right To ‘Instant Divorce’
•
Princess Sarah Zeid of Jordan Calls For Improved Health And Education For Women
And Children In Pakistan
•
Afghan Women Leaders Conference Held In Istanbul
•
2 BSF Men Arrested For Raping Woman Trying To Cross Indo-Bangladesh Border
•
Afghan Women Get Sewing Machines From a Local Charity Organisation
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/indian-muslim-women-khula/d/127820
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More
Indian Muslim Women Opting For Khula, Their Right To ‘Instant Divorce’
Unlike Talaq, which is pronounced by the man, in the
case of Khula, it’s the woman who initiates divorce, and surrenders her Mehr File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
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Ziya
Us Salam
AUGUST
27, 2022
Unlike
talaq, which is pronounced by the man, in the case of khhula, it’s the woman
who initiates divorce, and surrenders her mehr (wealth transferred or promised
to the woman at the time of marriage) at the time of such a divorce. Khhula can
be effected orally or through a document called the ‘Khhulnama’. It has the
effect of an instant divorce. If the mehr had not been given to the woman by
the time she opted for Khula, she cannot demand the mehr as the marriage is
being called off at her behest.
While
cases of talaq-e-biddat are automatically ruled out due to the very nature of
the act, there are few cases coming to the Islamic arbitration centres of women
complaining against cases of Talaq-e-Hassan, the pronouncement of three
divorces separated by at least a month between each pronouncement, or even
mubarat, which is mutual divorce granted to a Muslim couple by the Shariah.
“In
the last Islamic year corresponding to 2021-22, we had 572 cases in Imarat
Shariah Markaz. Almost all cases were of khhula with only a handful of mubarat
cases and none of triple Talaq,” Anzar Alam Qasmi, the chief quazi responsible
for deciding issues of marriage and divorce at Patna's famed Imarat-e-Shariah,
told The Hindu.
Mr.
Qasmi speaks only of the Imarat Shariah headquarters. Data from all such
centres in Bihar-Jharkhand show a bigger picture. In 2020-21, corresponding
roughly to the 1443 Islamic calendar, there were nearly 5,000 cases of khhula
at all Darul Qazas. The data show a similar rising trend in Delhi and Mumbai.
“From
2019 to 2021, there were 300 cases of khhula at Darul Qaza on Mira Road. In
Mumbai city, there were 900 cases in recent years. There are five Darul Qazas
in Mumbai. Every year, 300 cases of khhula are resolved at these centres. The
maximum cases, around one hundred, come from the Mumbai city centre,” Azimuddin
Sayed, president, Darul Qaza Committee, said.
Muzaffarnagar
district’s Madrasa Islamia Arabia, which had never received cases of khhula
until 2017, now receives three-four cases of it every month. Similar figures
were reported from the Riyazul Uloom recently. The cases are referred to the
Deoband for further arbitration.
“Most
cases come in instances of marriages through online contact. Most khhula cases
are reported in the first two years of marriage. Only rarely do we get cases of
khhula after five years of marriage,” Mr. Azimuddin said.
“More
than half of the cases end on an amicable note with the parties opting for
reconciliation rather than divorce. When a woman first files for khhula, we
initially counsel her. If she is still firm on the decision, we speak to her
husband. Finally, in lieu of khhula, the woman has to give something to the
man. We call it khhula badle maal,” Mr. Qasmi said.
”The
Kerala High Court granted Muslim women the right to annul marriage under khhula
through extrajudicial means in 2021 and the Darul Qazas have gained in
importance since,” he added.
Across
the country, Darul Qazas provide timely and cost-effective ways to end unhappy
marriages. “Many cases of khhula are resolved within an hour or two. Up to 70%
cases are settled with two months. Only a handful take six months or more, when
the man does not respond to the notices sent to him,” Mr. Qasmi said.
However,
some quazis insist that khhula can be obtained only through the husband’s
consent. They feel the husband is not bound to agree to the divorce proposed by
his wife. “They stress on the man’s right even in cases of khhula. According to
them, khhula cannot be completed if the man does not agree. It defeats the
purpose of khhula if a woman cannot find a way out of an abusive marriage.
There are Hadith (scriptures) giving woman a clear right to end an unhappy
marriage,” said Uzma Nahid, former member of the All India Muslim Personal
Board, who parted ways with the body on the issue of women’s rights in the case
of nikahnama and divorce.
Source:
The Hindu
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Princess
Sarah Zeid of Jordan Calls For Improved Health And Education For Women And
Children In Pakistan
Princess Sarah Zeid speaks to Arab News during an
exclusive interview in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Aug. 26. (AN Photo)
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Saima
Shabbir
August
27, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Princess Sarah Zeid of Jordan has called on Pakistani authorities to ramp up
nutrition aid for women and children in the wake of deadly floods ravaging the
country.
Around
37 percent of Pakistan’s 220 million inhabitants face food insecurity,
according to World Food Program data. Eighteen percent of Pakistani children
under the age of five suffer from acute malnutrition, around 40 percent in the
same age group are stunted and 29 percent are underweight.
Concerns
are rising that the situation will further deteriorate because of the flooding
that has hit Pakistan recently — 30 million people in the South Asian nation
have been left homeless amid the heaviest monsoon rains in decades, which have
wreaked havoc across the country since June 14. Disaster-management authorities
have since recorded at least 982 extreme weather-related deaths. The
southwestern Balochistan province and Sindh, in the south, have been the worst
hit areas.
“The
terrible floods that are currently happening in Pakistan will affect women and
girls the most. Children will get diseases from water, so any good program
should be nimble enough and flexible enough to provide a buffer to these
shocks,” the princess, who is the WFP’s special adviser on mother and child
nutrition, told Arab News in an exclusive interview in Islamabad on Friday.
“We
have to make sure that no one is left behind and everybody is given the support
and access to education and nourishment which they deserve to have. Ultimately,
that is the best thing for the nation.”
The
princess arrived in Pakistan on Aug. 21 for a week-long working visit — her
second to the country — to assess efforts to improve nutrition for women and
children over the last three years.
“It
is to celebrate the fact that not only has the government embraced its role as
a leader for nutritional-health development for Pakistani mothers, but has gone
above and beyond,” she said, adding that initiatives under the Benazir Income
Support Program, which helps the government implement its social welfare plan,
were “extraordinary.”
“I
would ask the Pakistani government to keep going. I am here to encourage the
government of Pakistan to continue its investment in the wellbeing and
nutrition of mothers and children.”
During
the trip, the princess has met with government officials to advocate increased
focus on maternal and child health and visited several WFP-supported nutrition
projects in Sindh and Islamabad.
“The
(Pakistani) women I have met are extraordinary on every level. From the
government officials, (I have seen) the technical knowledge, dedication, and
passion they have for the wellbeing of their people. And the female health
workers are magnificent — the role they play in their communities is really
extraordinary,” she said.
She
stressed the need to create an “enabling environment” for girls in educational
institutions to reduce the number of girls who drop out of schools in Pakistan.
The country is home to an estimated 22.8 million out-of-school children, the
second highest in the world, according to UNICEF. The majority of them — about
12.2 million — are girls, who face cultural and social barriers preventing them
from seeking formal education, especially in rural areas.
“The
girls have all sorts of reasons why they are not able to continue their
schooling,” Princess Sarah said. “We have to create an enabling environment (so
that) girls stay in school.”
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2151331/world
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Afghan
women leaders conference held in Istanbul
By
News desk
August
28, 2022
At
the four-day “Afghan Women Leaders” gathering in Istanbul, Turkey, women’s
rights activists from Afghanistan and members of international human rights
organizations urged the world countries to support the rights of Afghan women
and girls.
They
voiced concerns about women’s lack of access to work and education and asked
the international community to assist Afghan and international organizations
working for women’s rights.
“There
should be a detailed investigation mechanism to follow up on the actions of the
Taliban. Second, the issue of girls’ education should be invested in for
different alternatives for girls’ education and. Third, investments should be
made in girls’ employment,” said Rahila Sidiqi, a women’s rights activist.
“If
the demands listed here are presented to the world community, international
organizations and institutions, and the concerned countries, and this message
is also delivered to the Taliban, then women will continue their battles and
protests if they are not accepted,” said Soraya Paikan, a women’s rights
activist.
Meanwhile,
Rina Amiri, the US Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights
called on Muslim majority countries to be the loudest voices on women’s rights
and human rights in Afghanistan.
In
an interview with Okaz/Saudi Gazette, Amiri said it is important for Saudi
Arabia to be a leading voice in countering the Islamic Emirate narrative, as
the Kingdom is the country that the Muslim world overall looks to.
“I
am Muslim. I know from my own experience and from history that Islam is the
first religion that gave women their rights. I look to Muslim countries to
engage with the Taliban, to challenge that narrative, to engage Afghans, and to
say no.”
“The
security council should be looking to add more Taliban leaders to the list of
people subject to travel bans and to other measures based on their involvement
in human rights violations. Second of all, when the human rights council
convenes again in September, it should be looking to put in place a new
mechanism to greatly enhance the UN’s ability …. to report on and to provide
accountability for human rights violations that are happening in Afghanistan
right now,” said the associate director of the women’s rights division at Human
Rights Watch, Heather Barr.
“Women’s
rights in Afghanistan should be protected in a similar way to that of women in
other Islamic nations. Schools are open and women are employed in other Islamic
nations. We have to get to this point,” said Tariq Farhadi, political analyst.
However,
the Islamic Emirate said that the rights of women and girls are respected
within the framework of Islamic laws in the country.
“The
rights of all women and girls in Afghanistan have been preserved since the
Islamic Emirate’s arrival, and the Islamic Emirate is working to address any
issues and find solutions to all the problems,” said Bilal Karimi, deputy
spokesman of the Islamic Emirate.
Earlier,
a number of countries and international organizations called for the observance
of human rights, particularly the right to work and the education of women and
girls.
Source:
Pak Observer
https://pakobserver.net/afghan-women-leaders-conference-held-in-istanbul/
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2
BSF men arrested for raping woman trying to cross Indo-Bangladesh border
Rittick
Mondal
August
27, 2022
Two
BSF personnel were arrested on Friday night for allegedly raping a woman near
the Indo-Bangladesh border in Bagda, North 24 Parganas, said a senior official
of the paramilitary organisation on Saturday.
The
suspects, identified as S P Chero, an assistant sub-inspector of the 68
battalion, and constable Altab Hossain, were handed over to the West Bengal
Police for further legal action.
The
suspects have been suspended and a court of inquiry has been ordered against
them, said an official of the South Bengal frontier, BSF.
The
incident took place early Friday near Bagda border outpost in West Bengal's
North 24 Parganas district when the woman was reportedly trying to enter
Bangladesh from India.
In
her complaint to the police, the woman alleged she and her family were trying
to cross the border through Jitpur at Bagda border on Thursday night after they
learnt that one of their relatives had fallen ill when the two BSF personnel
allegedly dragged her to an abandoned place and raped her.
The
Mamata Banerjee-led party has repeatedly disapproved of the Centre's decision
to extend the BSF's jurisdiction from 15km to 50km from the international
border.
Coming
down heavily on the alleged rape, TMC MP Kakoli Gosh Dastoidar tweeted, “A
homemaker was sexually assaulted by 2 BSF men & was threatened to not raise
her voice. This is the horrific reality of BJP’s enhanced jurisdiction! PM
@narendramodi, who will take accountability for Rakshaks becoming Bhakshaks?”
"Such
comments from the TMC are unacceptable. You cannot malign the entire force
because of such isolated incidents. The law will take its course if anyone has
committed a crime," said BJP spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya.
BJP
MP Dilip Ghosh also took to his Twitter account and said, “Earlier, there were
several such allegations raised against army jawans in Kashmir. Most of them
were false allegations. Do not know if this allegation is true or false? If
true, it is a heinous crime. Appropriate punishment should be given to the
perpetrators."
Source:
India Today
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Afghan
Women Get Sewing Machines From a Local Charity Organisation
Aug
28, 2022
NANGARHAR
– A local charity organization distributed 150 sewing machines to 150 needy
women in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province on Saturday.
“We
distributed 150 sewing machines to 150 needy women including widows to work and
support their families,” Abdul Hadi Mohtaj, an official of the Gulbahar Khairia
Foundation told reporters here.
He
said that the charity organization would also provide one-month tailoring
training courses for 30 more women to learn tailoring and earn their
livelihood.
The
training program is expected to cost 31,670 afghani (about 360 U.S. dollars)
for each trainee, he added. Welcoming the program, a woman who gave her name as
Salma told Xinhua, “I am happy today that the charity organization has provided
a job opportunity for women here to learn tailoring and work to earn for
themselves.”
According
to Mohtaj, Gulbahar Khairia Foundation has provided tailoring training courses
for about 6,700 women over the past nine years.
Source:
Nation.Com
https://nation.com.pk/2022/08/28/afghan-women-get-sewing-machines-from-charity-organisation/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/indian-muslim-women-khula/d/127820