Muslim body lauds SC judgement on 'triple talaq'

New Delhi, Apr 23: Endorsing the Supreme Court's recent verdict that declared as null and void the 'triple talaq' in a state of drunkenness, a prominent Muslim body has said it should not cause furore among the minority community.

The apex court's judgement ''is closer to the Islamic principles than the local clerics' fatwa on the issue,'' according to Milli Parliament President Rashid Shaz.

Dr Shaz, however, observed that the argument of the judges that ''this is a secular country and all communities -- Hindus or Muslims -- should behave in a civilised manner'', may lead to a constitutional debate.

He said the Constitution guarantees religious communities freedom to live according to their own religious norms.

''Such a line of argument can only create apperehension among Muslims who rightly believe secularism only snatches from them whatever left and does not empower them or come to their rescue in moments of crisis....'' It would have much better if the Sher Mohammad vs Nazma Biwi case had been decided within the ambits of the Muslim Personal Law.

''Then this judgement would have been more effective and emotionally acceptable to India's 250 million Muslims.'' He said the Quran does not mention triple talaq and there are some schools of thought within the Muslim community which oppose this, though it is not highlighted by the media.

''The time has come the Muslim community moves to the Quranic principles of justice and pays no heed to such worn-out, non-Quranian fatwas which some village Mullahs, in the name of religion, want to impose on us.'' Dr Shaz, editor of a tri-lingual e-magazine futureislam.com, said it was unfortunate that despite the presence of the Book of God among the community, the Muslim men continued to violate women's rights so much so that the court had to intervene.

''Milli Parliament appeals to the Muslim community to take this judgement as an exercise in checking the misuse of men's rights and not as an intervention in their personal lives.'' he said, adding that what was more important was to uphold justice.

''And this judgement due to its close proximity to the Quran, holds promise of ensuring justice more than the edicts of ulema put together,'' Dr Shah said.

On Friday, the apex court had taken a stern view of the threats held out by clerics to a Muslim couple in a village of Orissa, who have decided to live together after the husband pronounced talaq thrice in a drunken state in 2004.

Ser Mohammed, a father of four minor children, had uttered ''talaq, talaq, talaq'' to his wife Nazma Bibi in public in a state of drunkenness.

A bench, headed by Justice Ruma Pal, said, ''No one force the couple to live separately. This is a secular country. We will not tolerate this...Every community has to behave in a civilised way...''.

UNI