Practice of ‘Nikah-Halala’ and ‘Polygamy’ could be referred to ‘Constitutional bench’
The petition challenging ‘polygamy’ among Muslim women will be heard before a constitution bench after the reply to the petition from the centre the apex court said today. Supreme Court of India also agreed of urgent listening of petition challenging practice of ‘Nikah-Halala’
Supreme Court last year declared ‘Triple Talaq’ as unconstitutional which gave a huge relief to the Muslim women and undermining the antagonist clergy of nation. Now the apex court is setting to change the immoral practices in Islam which have threatened the dignity of Muslim women. Practices like ‘Polygamy’ and Nikah-Halala’ will be under the scanner of constitutional bench.
Shamima Begum the counsel of Muslim woman petitioner has filed the plea against these practices. The Centre appears to be on board with the petitioners. Sources told that the Centre would extend its support to petitioners. Earlier this year, the SC agreed to hear the petitions against the two practices.
Appearing for a Muslim woman petitioner, Shamima Begum, the counsel, told the SC that she has been threatened by her parents-in-law to withdraw the plea from the SC or be thrown out of her matrimonial house.
The Supreme court earlier have issued notice to the centre and law ministry to respond to the plea as provisions of Muslim Personal Law validate the practice of ‘Polygamy’ and ‘Nikah-Halala’.
Sources told that centre government backs the petition challenging the practices.
‘Polygamy’ is the practice of marrying more than one wife, without giving divorce to the latter wife.
‘Nikah-halala’ is a practice that forbids a divorced couple from remarrying, until the woman marries someone else, consummates her new marriage and then gets divorced or widowed.
These practices were defended by clergy but the women’s activists have continuously fought against this and term this as anti-women.
The Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) a organization which successfully petitioned against ‘Triple Talaq’ has decided to join the petitioners to end the practices of ‘Polygamy’ and ‘Nikah-Halala’.
