'Ban oral talaq, burqa': Sharia made by Allah, so can't be abolished - this is nonsense, says Markandey Katju

New Delhi:  Former Press Council of India Chairman and Supreme Court of India judge Markandey Katju sparked yet another controversy on Tuesday.

This time, Justice Markandey Katju has come down heavily on outdated and backward customs in Muslim community.

Katju has said that there is a need for Muslims to become modern.

'I'm against oral talaq and burqa'

"I am strongly against oral talaq and burqa among Muslims, and I support the demand of a uniform civil code," Katju wrote on his official Facebook page.

"Sharia law has done great harm to Muslims, and has contributed in keeping them backward. The time has come when it must be abolished ( just as the old Hindu Law was abolished in 1955 and 1956 by statutes ). It is only due to vote bank politics and bigotry of some die hard feudal minded Muslims that this has not yet been done. So I support the recent demand of some modern minded Muslim womens organizations in this connection," Katju wrote.

'Sharia was made by Allah, and so cannot be abolished - This is nonsense'

"The very fact that oral talaq is permitted to only Muslim males, but not to females shows that Sharia treats women as inferior. But some claim that Sharia was made by Allah, and so cannot be abolished. This is nonsense and humbug. Customary non statutory law was not made by anyone, but evolved in accordance with the social system prevalent at that time."

'Wearing burqa is stupid backward practice'

"In the middle ages women were everywhere regarded as inferior to men. Thus, according to the old non statutory Hindu Law, a man could marry as many wives as he wanted, but a woman could marry only one husband. This shows that the old Hindu Law too treated women as inferior. Similarly, wearing burqa is a stupid backward practice. If a woman wears a sari or salwar kameez surely she is not nude. Why should women be kept in a cage ? It is time now that Muslim men tell their wives and other female relatives to discard burqa, and support the demand for abolition of oral talaq."

'Always supported Muslims'

"I have always supported Muslims whenever any atrocity or injustice was done to them. But I am an opponent of outdated backward feudal customs and practices among all communities, e.g. the caste system among Hindus and looking down on dalits."

(Above statements of Katju has been taken from his Facebook's post)

FULL TEXT of the Markandey Katju's post

The need for Muslims to become modern

I have always supported Muslims whenever any atrocity or injustice was done to them. But I am an opponent of outdated backward feudal customs and practices among all communities, e.g. the caste system among Hindus and looking down on dalits.

Similarly, I am strongly against oral talaq and burqa among Muslims, and I support the demand of a uniform civil code. 

Sharia law has done great harm to Muslims, and has contributed in keeping them backward. The time has come when it must be abolished ( just as the old Hindu Law was abolished in 1955 and 1956 by statutes ). It is only due to vote bank politics and bigotry of some die hard feudal minded Muslims that this has not yet been done. So I support the recent demand of some modern minded Muslim womens organizations in this connection.

The very fact that oral talaq is permitted to only Muslim males, but not to females shows that Sharia treats women as inferior. But some claim that Sharia was made by Allah, and so cannot be abolished. This is nonsense and humbug. Customary non statutory law was not made by anyone, but evolved in accordance with the social syste prevalent at that time. In the middle ages women were everywhere regarded as inferior to men. Thus, according to the old non statutory Hindu Law, a man could marry as many wives as he wanted, but a woman could marry only one husband. This shows that the old Hindu Law too treated women as inferior.

Similarly, wearing burqa is a stupid backward practice. If a woman wears a sari or salwar kameez surely she is not nude. Why should women be kept in a cage ? It is time now that Muslim men tell their wives and other female relatives to discard burqa, and support the demand for abolition of oral talaq.