[Nazia Alam said the campaign would begin after Diwali, and the first task would be to identify the victims. (Photo: Patrika)]
Lucknow: Even though its claims of gender equality and women's rights have been exposed after Sabarimala temple row, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) continues to rake "Triple Talaq" issue for political mileage. And, its latest tool on this front is appointment of "Teen Talaq Pramukhs" in various districts and regional units of Uttar Pradesh.
According to a report published today by The Indian Express, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) Minority Cell in Uttar Pradesh has appointed Nazia Alam and Shanaz Khan as "Teen Talaq Pramukhs" to meet triple talaq victims and seek their suggestions for better rehabilitation.
Nazia Alam and Shahnaz Khan both are state secretaries of the BJP’s minority wing in Uttar Pradesh.
The Modi government had brought in an ordinance making triple talaq a criminal offence after it failed to pass a law banning the unusual practice among Muslims in the Parliament. The move was opposed by Muslim NGOs as well as women activists who are seeking a ban on triple talaq.
Those opposing the ordinance and the Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill - popularly known as the Triple Talaq bill are of the view that the Modi government is actually using the issue for political mileage. They also allege that the triple talaq bill, which is stalled by the Rajya Sabha, and the oridinance are fraught with numerous inherent problems.
The BJP however is adamant on forcing its agenda on the Muslim community. And to give it a further push, the party plans to appoint a Muslim woman as "Teen Talaq Pramukhs" in six regional units and 93 district units of Uttar Pradesh, besides Nazia Alam and Shanaz Khan.
As part of their "awareness campaign" these "Teen Talaq Pramukhs" will also distribute Hindi translations of the Quran to Muslim families.
“If they read Quran in a language that they are comfortable in, the practice of triple talaq can be checked, because it is clearly prohibited in the Quran. Through our campaign, we will also have to break the barrier that hardliner clerics have created by conveying the wrong message,” Nazia told The Indian Express.
She said the campaign would begin after Diwali, and the first task would be to identify the victims.
“Currently, there is no official figure on the number of triple talaq victims. We have to identify them and approach them. Being a woman, we can do this easily… We will also hold press conferences to narrate their ordeal, if they agree to it,” she said, adding that in the first phase, the focus will be on Muslim-dominated districts including Rampur, Bareilly, Saharanpur, Aligarh and Muzaffarnagar.
Differences over practice of Triple Talaq exist in the Islamic Sharia since the tenure of second Caliph Omar (RA). Muslim scholars and jurists argue that concurrent talaq or triple talaq in one go has never been approved by Prphet Mohammad (peace be upon him), during the tenure of first Caliph Abu Bakr (RA) and the first two years of Caliph Omar's caliphate.
Caliph Omar later approved it as punishment, scholars argue, but later on the practice was annulled by Muslim jurists. It is on this basis, the practice of concurrent talaq has been termed invalid in most of the Muslim countries.
Muslims in India, majority of them followers of Hanafi school of thought, are adamant on the invalid concurrent talaq and are fighting a case with women activists in the Supreme Court.
Interestingly, some renowned Hanafi scholars have also ruled against concurrent or triple talaq. According to the sources in the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), the members fear that agreeing to any change on triple talaq would open floodgate of interference in other Sharia matters.
It is also learnt that there is a strong dissent among the members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMLB) and especially some women members are upset over board's handling of the situation.
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