Bangalore: Our upper caste, urban-born fashionable feminists and their balkatti mahilas of the National Commission for Women (NCW) have lately resumed their anti-Muslim Personal Law (MPL) campaign shedding tears over a “poor”, young Muslim girl (18), Shakira Sultana, and an elderly woman Syeda Hameed. Shakira, divorced an year ago, is stated to be a mother of five children. (Deccan Herald, April 10, 2000).
In their zeal to weep over the plight of a “poor” Muslim woman, to give birth to five babies before the age of 17 years, she must have been married six years ago at the age of 11, which is impossible and unnatural.
Banning talaq: This great truth “revealed” by the balkatti mahilas is also stated to be supported by the “testimonies recorded nationwide in public hearing for the past 18 months”. We do not know in which “nation” where and when these hearings were conducted and people of which “nation” participated, as, in spite of being in India, we are not aware of it. As usual, we give them a long rope as these women are ignorant of the power and significance of numerals and facts. The exterior of their heads can convince men through such jokes but not women who would believe the inside.
As usual their “great report” was prepared in the name of the newly-selected Shah Banu, Syeda Hameed, whose credentials remain obscure. The demands are the usual ones immediate banning of talaq, stringent measures to curb polygamy, reform of MPL as done in several Muslim countries.
Facts about polygamy: This newly-discovered heroine of the Hindu nazis, Syeda Hameed, should have put the following questions to Shakira Sultana:
(i) Why she was divorced after 6 years of marriage and why not earlier? (ii) Whether her mother was also similarly divorced by her father? (iii) Whether her sisters too have been similarly divorced? (iv) Whether her brothers also have divorced her sisters-in-law? (v) Whether her uncles have also divorced her aunts? (vi) If she does not have any of these relatives, whether her cousins have divorced their wives? (vii) Whether her cousin sisters have been divorced by their husbands? (viii) Who else among those known to her among neighbours and friends have divorced or have been divorced?
Syeda Hameed could have put the same questions to herself. The answers would have given the facts. and figures and the percentage of divorces in the Muslim society. These upper caste hate-mongers when visiting the Family Courts, which are full of petitions for divorces, would have found how such cases were lingering for years.
Apart from these, the same questions could have been put to Shakira and the author herself as to which of their male relatives have brought in to their homes. other women as second, third and fourth wife, that would give the facts and figures about polygamy.
This is a very simple and easy formula. Some more friends and maid servants could be put the same questions. Where is the need to conduct “public hearings” for so long a period as 18 months that too “nationwide?” Whom are they fooling?
Paid Muslim scholars: The report, “Voice of the voiceless”, suggests that these highly exaggerated stories of these women can be solved by reforming MPL as done in several Muslim countries. How? This question has not been answered. When it says it has been done in several Muslim countries, it means that several other Muslim countries have not done so. When several have done and several others have not done, why should the Indian Muslims follow those several who have done and why not follow those several others who have not done. Indian Muslims. have chosen to be with those who have not done.
The fact is that no Muslim country in the world. has done any thing to dilute the MPL or change its basic character. Those several have only added certain riders, the legal value of which is nil. Practising lawyers alone can understand the difference between substantive law, procedural law, recommendatory law and mandatory law. The riders added are like splashing water on boiling broth to fool their Western protagonists.
We warn the NCW not to project its pet theories through their paid “Muslim scholars”. If Syeda Hameed is really interested in the reform, she should meet honest Muslim scholars and authorities on the subject (All-India Muslim Personal Law Board) and give her suggestions and stop accusing them of misinterpretations, conservativeness and ignorance. It is they who form the ljma, whose opinion alone counts, be it in this side of several Muslim countries or on that side of several other Muslim countries and in India itself.
Bin Laden’s call: Those interested in helping Muslim women should approach Muslim authorities and not hobnob with “fashionable feminists and their timepaswala women’s organisations”. Anti-Muslim, upper caste balkatti mahilas are warned.
NCW is also doing a great disservice to India by sponsoring such fake writings in the name of Muslims. Such fake writings have become so rampant that the revolutionary Muslim youths in Muslim countries and followers of Osma Bin Laden are telling their cohorts that Islam is in danger in India and Indian Muslims are being forced to become authors of such anti-Islam reports.
Muslim organisations have lost their courage and power. And Islam is in danger in India and, therefore, it is the duty of revolutionary Muslim youths outside to protect Islam in India. Osma Bin Laden has already given such a call. Imagine the danger potential.
On the contrary, women like Syeda Hameed should join the Dalit women, who according to her own self are more educated than Muslim women, who are the nearest neighbours of Muslims living closest to Muslim localities, and request them to informally educate the uneducated Muslim women and they will certainly come forward. But certainly not the balkatti mahilas.
