Muslim women hail government move on Triple Talaq, say it violated issue of women's equality

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New Delhi: A grouping of Muslim women on Sunday welcomed the government's stand that Triple Talaq violated the issue of women's equality and must go.

"We ... whole-heartedly welcome the stand taken by the government in the Supreme Court," 16 women activists said in a joint statement.

"We welcome the clear statement in the (government) affidavit that practices such as Triple Talaq, Nikah Halala and polygamy are violative of womens' equality and dignity and therefore need to be abolished."

The statement said Triple Talaq took place in gross violation of Quranic injunctions and values of justice and equality enshrined in the Indian constitution. 

"We further welcome the statement that gender equality is non-negotiable... There can be no progress without gender equality and justice. 

"We also welcome the stand that the fact that these practices are legally regulated in several Muslim countries indicates these are not essential practices in the Islamic religion," the statement said. 

"The Constitution allows for personal laws with the objective of upholding diversity and pluralism in our country. But it nowhere sanctions violation of the principles of gender justice." 

The women said that Muslim women were entitled to legal justice just as Hindu women had moved towards justice through the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 and the Hindu Succession Act, 1956. 

"The Shariat Application Act, 1937 is incomplete and archaic and we urgently seek reform in order that Muslim women citizens are able to live a life of justice and dignity." 

The signatories to the statement included Afreen Bano, Badar Syed, Farhat Amin, Khatun Shaikh, M. Nasreen, Mariya Salim, Nasim Akhtar, Nishat Hussain, Noorjehan Safia Niaz, R. Jeibunnisa, Rahima Khatun, Safia Akhtar,Shadab Bano, Sharifa Khanum, Shayara Bano and Zakia Soman, Co-Founder of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan and a petitioner in the Supreme Court.