Tag Archives: Indian Union Women's League

Young women lead churn within Muslim League

Community Involvement / Social Issues, Leaders, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , , , , , , ,

KERALA :

The young women leaders are talking about the “politics of honourable existence”, which is beyond the comprehension of the present IUML leadership.

Image of IUML supporters used for representational purpose (File Photo | A Sanesh, EPS)

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a constituent of the opposition UDF in Kerala, is currently engaged in fighting a fire triggered by some of its young women leaders.

Haritha, a girls’ collective part of IUML’s student wing MSF, chose to speak out against the sexist approach and remarks of the MSF’s male-dominated leadership and complained to the women’s commission when the party refused to take any action.

The offended IUML leadership asked the girls to withdraw the complaint and, when found that they were unrelenting, disbanded the entire Haritha committee. It then removed MSF national vice-president Fathima Thahliya and state vice-president P P Shyjal, who supported the Haritha leaders.

The developments underline the churn within and are seen as the outcome of the knowledge revolution among Kerala’s Muslim community that has pushed the girls onto the centre stage. They have gate-crashed into spaces that were the prerogative of the males till now. This leap is clearly visible in academia, social life and even in politics.

The young women leaders are talking about the “politics of honourable existence”, which is beyond the comprehension of the present IUML leadership.

What we see now is the conflict between the emerging politics that is sensitive to the rights of the marginalised, including women, and the conventional politics that sees only power.

The IUML leadership first tried to ignore the issues of self-respect raised by the girls. Then they tried to stifle the voice when it became louder. Now, the issue has become too hot to handle. As a political party that apparently stands for minorities and the marginalised, the IUML cannot turn a blind eye to the issues raised by women leaders. As the Haritha leaders said, the IUML has to regain its democratic structure at every level of the party. It is high time it changed its priorities and policies.

Unlike in the past, where the party enjoyed a monopoly over the Muslim community, there are other players in the field now. And they are more sensible and sensitive to the dreams of the new generation. The party should see the writing on the wall and transform itself to accommodate new perspectives.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Opinion> Editorials / September 17th, 2021

First woman moves Supreme Court over triple talaq law

Community Involvement / Social Issues, , , , , , ,

KERALA :

The law was passed in July 2019 after intense debates in both the lower and upper houses of the Parliament, with opposition parties stating that the law targeted the Muslim community even as the centre asserted that the law would help achieve gender justice for Muslim women.

In August 2017, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court had declared the practice of talaq-e-biddat (a heretical form of divorce based on a husband pronouncing divorce thrice in quick succession) as unconstitutional.

A Kerala lawyer has moved the Supreme Court against a law that criminalises the practice of granting instant divorce becoming the first Muslim woman to do so since Parliament passed the legislation in 2019.

Noorbeena Rasheed on July 6 challenged the Protection of Rights on Marriage Act, which provides for a three-year punishment for talaq-e-biddat, a practise also referred to as Triple Talaq, which is practised among a small section of Muslims in the country. “The protection of women cannot be achieved by incarceration of husbands,” her petition stated.

Issuing a notice to the Centre, a bench of three justices led by N V Ramana on Monday admitted Rasheed’s petition, which will be heard with nine similar pleas challenging the law’s validity. The other petitioners include organisations like Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Muslim Advocates Association, and two individuals. The petitions have called the law disproportionate as well as excessive and stringent and sought that the court hold it unconstitutional. A date for hearing these petitions has not been listed as yet.

The law was passed in July 2019 after intense debates in both the lower and upper houses of the Parliament, with opposition parties stating that the law targeted the Muslim community even as the centre asserted that the law would help achieve gender justice for Muslim women.

Rasheed’s petition questions provisions of the law including one which allows relatives of the women to file complaints. The petition stated that this provision could potentially destroy marital relationships in case of false complaint. “This provision is highly detrimental not only to the wife but also to the marital relationship.”

Her petition also sought clarification from the Centre on the assessment that underlies incarcerating Muslim men for divorcing women. “Welfare-oriented legislation would promote amicable resolution of matrimonial disputes rather than criminalise marital discord, particularly criminalisation of only one community…the intent behind the Act is not abolition of triple talaq [instant divorce] but punishment of Muslim husbands,” her petition said.

Rasheed’s lawyer, Zulfikar Ali, said they want to highlight how the law will be detrimental to the interests of Muslim women, which it seeks to protect.” He added Rasheed is also the national general secretary of the Indian Union Women’s League, which he described as the country’s largest Muslim women organisation affiliated to the Kerala-based Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). IUML has three members in Parliament’s lower House, or Lok Sabha.

In August 2017, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court had declared the practice of talaq-e-biddat (a heretical form of divorce based on a husband pronouncing divorce thrice in quick succession) as unconstitutional. The practice is banned in most Muslim countries including Pakistan.

The verdict came on a petition of five Muslim women, including lead petitioner Shayara Bano, who were abandoned after their husbands pronounced instant divorce.

The Centre initially issued an ordinance after the verdict to criminalise the practice of triple talaq for the want of majority in Parliament’s upper house, or Rajya Sabha, before bringing the law.

The law makes the practice a cognisable offence. An offence of such a nature allows the police to carry out arrests without a warrant. Serious crimes such as theft, rape, and murder are also cognisable offences.

In its petition, Jamiat-Ulama-I-Hind has said there are graver offences like rioting and bribery under the Indian Penal Code for which there is a lesser punishment than instant divorce.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> India News / by Abraham Thomas, Hindustan Times, New Delhi / July 08th, 2020