Feeding the Muslim stereotype | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Feeding the Muslim stereotype

Hindustan Times | By
Jul 11, 2008 09:08 PM IST

Clerics must stop using personal laws to dictate people’s lives. A uniform civil code’s the answer.

The Darul Uloom Deoband does not seem to have learnt any lessons. After the flak it received for its bigoted verdict in the Imrana case in 2005 when it ruled that the victim, who had been raped by her father-in-law, could no longer live with her husband, one would have thought that the Darul Uloom would correct its regressive ways.

HT Image
HT Image

Now it has issued a similar fatwa against Salma, a mother of two, who was molested by her father-in-law. To add insult to injury, the fatwas in both cases contained veiled references to the victims having consented to the act.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Imrana and her husband did not take the fatwa lying down and after a protracted battle the court sentenced her father-in-law to ten years in jail and ordered that he compensate her. The present case, too, must have such an ending.

At the heart of the issue is that of community-specific laws overriding the law of the land. The common thread in all personal laws in India is that they discriminate against women in matters of marriage, divorce and inheritance.

At one time, personal laws may have been required to counter insecurities among minorities. This no longer holds today. It is nobody’s case that all personal laws be thrown out of the window.

But those that come in direct conflict with our ideas of justice as confirmed by the law must have no place in anybody’s book, regardless of the community tag one carries. More equitable and progressive personal laws should be picked and incorporated into a blueprint for a uniform civil code.

Institutions like the Darul Uloom Deoband carry considerable weight among Muslims. So it is incumbent upon it to weigh its pronouncements carefully so that stereotypes are not reinforced.

The heartening development, as seen in the Imrana case, is that the victims, though unlettered and poor, are no longer willing to accept these fatwas blindly. The Darul Uloom should use its influence to push for issues like education and healthcare, instead of trying to dictate people’s personal lives. This way, it might win back some respect it has lost by issuing barbaric, retrograde fatwas.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Mukhtar Ansari Death News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On