Feel victorious and protected by SC verdict: Muslim women

New Delhi : Muslim women, who had knocked the doors of the Supreme Court opposing triple talaq, today rejoiced at the historic judgement striking down the practice, saying they have emerged “victorious” and now feel protected.

However, some women petitioners opined that the victory in its true sense would be achieved once a law comes into force, making the practice punishable. Farah Faiz, Zakia Suman, Noorjehan Niaz and the All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) either described the verdict as a “moment of big victory,” “big relief” or as “half the battle won.”

“The court has given a direction to the government to frame a law. We have won half the battle. We will be victorious in the true sense only once the law is framed so as to make this practice punishable. There is no remedy for women against the practice till a law is framed,” Faiz, also the President of Rashtrawadi Muslim Mahila Sangh, said.

Advocate Chandra Rajan, who represented the AIMWPLB, said “It is a monumental, landmark verdict and the Supreme Court could not give more to the Muslim women. The court has protected every Muslim woman. After six months, a law will be in place and we are very happy about it.” Niaz of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) expressed relief over the legal backing that the verdict has brought for the Muslim women.

“Now, Muslim women will be able to enjoy their fundamental rights and have a codified law that will guarantee them their fundamental rights. Just like the Hindu personal law which has legal backing, the law for Muslims should have the same,” she said.

Co-founder of BMMA Zakia Suman also welcomed the verdict but said the battle for women’s rights will still go on. “We welcome the historic judgement on triple talaq, but the battle for women’s rights will still go on. Our fundamental rights have been upheld by the SC order. This kind of a divorce exists because of patriarchal tyranny and we have been suffering this for the past 70 years,” Suman said.

Bangladeshi author Tasneema Nasreen also reacted to the verdict in a tweet posted by her, saying, “Quran2:229 says about #TripleTalaq. Quran4:34 says about beating the wife. Abolish 1400 yrs old Quranic laws. Need modern laws based on equality. Abolishing #TripleTalaq may be a slap to Muslim Law Board but it is definitely not women’s freedom. Women need to be educated and independent.”

Triple talaq, or verbal divorce, is practised by some in the Muslim community to instantly divorce their wives by saying talaq three times.