Supreme Court suspends 'triple talaq' divorce law
Triple talaq is an Islamic practice where a man can divorce his wife by saying "talaq," the Arabic word for divorce, three times.
A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar had reserved its verdict on May 18 after a six-day marathon hearing during the summer vacation.
Centre had told the bench that it will come out with a law to regulate marriage and divorce among Muslims if 'triple talaq' is held invalid and unconstitutional by the apex court.
1 million Indian Muslims sign petition against divorce practice
The petition was started by the Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), an Islamic organization affiliated with the right wing Hindu group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The RSS is linked to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"For a long time when we were not in the government, the BJP had, and still has, the ideology that gender equality is a must, irrespective of religion or caste," BJP official Sidharth Amarnath Singh told CNN.
The ruling will be keenly followed by political parties, Muslim outfits and women's groups as well as Shayara Bano, the 35-yearold petitioner who has challenged the practice. Petitions of four other Muslim women — Aafreen Rehman, Gulshan Parveen, Ishrat Jahan and Atiya Sabri — are tagged with Bano's plea.
According to the Quran, a man must consider his decision for a period of three months after he initially declared talaq. A divorce is only granted after the remaining two "talaqs" are stated.
The three-month period should allow for introspection and counseling between the couple and their families. The reality, however, is that a woman can be forced out of her home with little notice. Increasingly, it's even being delivered by phone, email or text.
In recent years, the movement against triple talaq has picked up and India's Supreme Court is due to begin ruling on its constitutionality later this month.
Modi has also spoken out against the practice, saying India cannot allow the lives of Muslim women to be ruined by three words said on the phone.
"This is the demand of ordinary Muslim women for over 70 years and it's time for this country to hear their voices," activist Feroze Mithiborwala told New Delhi television station.
The current government supports an end to the practice and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said in many public addresses that the practice oppresses Muslim women and needs to be ended.
Triple talaq is an Islamic practice where a man can divorce his wife by saying "talaq," the Arabic word for divorce, three times.
A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar had reserved its verdict on May 18 after a six-day marathon hearing during the summer vacation.
Centre had told the bench that it will come out with a law to regulate marriage and divorce among Muslims if 'triple talaq' is held invalid and unconstitutional by the apex court.
1 million Indian Muslims sign petition against divorce practice
The petition was started by the Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), an Islamic organization affiliated with the right wing Hindu group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The RSS is linked to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"For a long time when we were not in the government, the BJP had, and still has, the ideology that gender equality is a must, irrespective of religion or caste," BJP official Sidharth Amarnath Singh told CNN.
The ruling will be keenly followed by political parties, Muslim outfits and women's groups as well as Shayara Bano, the 35-yearold petitioner who has challenged the practice. Petitions of four other Muslim women — Aafreen Rehman, Gulshan Parveen, Ishrat Jahan and Atiya Sabri — are tagged with Bano's plea.
According to the Quran, a man must consider his decision for a period of three months after he initially declared talaq. A divorce is only granted after the remaining two "talaqs" are stated.
The three-month period should allow for introspection and counseling between the couple and their families. The reality, however, is that a woman can be forced out of her home with little notice. Increasingly, it's even being delivered by phone, email or text.
In recent years, the movement against triple talaq has picked up and India's Supreme Court is due to begin ruling on its constitutionality later this month.
Modi has also spoken out against the practice, saying India cannot allow the lives of Muslim women to be ruined by three words said on the phone.
"This is the demand of ordinary Muslim women for over 70 years and it's time for this country to hear their voices," activist Feroze Mithiborwala told New Delhi television station.
The current government supports an end to the practice and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said in many public addresses that the practice oppresses Muslim women and needs to be ended.
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