Muzaffarnagar, Oct 19: Muslim clerics on Thursday said
Imrana's husband should leave her following her father-in-
law's conviction for raping her, giving a new twist to her
travails.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board, however,
welcomed the court's verdict and said the stand taken by some
clerics that Imrana should have married her father-in-law went
against the tenets of Islam.
Reacting to Ali Mohammed's conviction by a court here,
the clerics said Nur Ilahi must leave his wife Imrana.
Mohammed was given a 10-year prison term and asked to pay Rs
8,000 as compensation to Imrana for raping her.
The chairman of the Shariat court of Muzzaffarnagar,
Maulana Imran, said Nur Ilahi should leave his wife despite
the fact that the verdict was delivered by a civil court and
the matter was not tried by the Shariat court.
A member of the Shariat court, Mufti Zulfiqar, also
supported the chairman's view and said, "he should leave
Imrana."
Ahsan Kasmi, a mufti of leading Islamic seminary
Darul-Uloom Deoband, too said Nur Ilahi should immediately
leave his wife.
Mufti Habibur Rehman, in-charge of the fatwa
department at Darul-Uloom Deoband, who earlier issued a fatwa
in Imrana's case, refused to comment. He said a response could
be issued only if a written request was submitted to him.
Khalid Rashid, a member of the AIMPLB, welcomed the
punishment given to Imrana's father-in-law.
"According to the AIMPLB and the Shariat, the victim
cannot marry a person who has raped her. No one can accept
such a fatwa," Rashid told reporters.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, October 19, 2006, 00:00