Indian government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court today to oppose&nbsp;the practice of polygamy and triple talaq (divorce) in&nbsp;the Muslim community.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In the affidavit, the Indian ministry of law and justice said that there is no reason that&nbsp;women in India should be denied their constitutional rights, Indian news agency ANI reported.

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&quot;Validity of Triple Talaq and polygamy have to be seen in light of gender justice, equality and dignity of women,&quot; the affidavit read.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The affidavit also referred&nbsp;to the&nbsp;constitutional principles like gender equality, secularism, international covenants, religious practices and marital law prevalent in various Islamic countries to urge the country&#39;s top court that triple talaq and polygamy should be adjudicated upon afresh by the apex court, Indian news agency PTI reported.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;It is submitted that the issue of validity of triple talaq, nikah halala and polygamy needs to be considered in the light of principles of gender justice and the overriding principle of non-discrimination, dignity and equality,&quot; the affidavit filed by Mukulita Vijayawargiya, additional secretary in the ministry said.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;The fundamental question for determination by this court is whether, in a secular democracy, religion can be a reason to deny equal status and dignity available to women under the Constitution of India,&quot; it said.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The affidavit also referred to the principles of the&nbsp;Indian constitution, saying that &quot;any practice by which women are left &#39;socially, financially or emotionally vulnerable&#39; or subject to the whims and caprice of men-folk is incompatible with the letter and spirit of Article 14 and 15 (Right to Equality) of the Constitution&quot;.

&nbsp;

Linking the issue with the Right to Life and Personal Liberty, the central government in its 29-page affidavit also mentioned that &quot;gender equality and the dignity of the women are non-negotiable, overarching constitutional value and can brook no compromise.

&nbsp;

&quot;These rights are necessary in letter and in spirit not only to realise the aspirations of every individual woman who is an equal citizen of this country but also for the larger well-being of the society and progress of the nation, one-half of which is made up by women,&quot; the ministry further mentioned.&nbsp;

 
(WION with inputs from PTI)&nbsp;

The ministry of law and justice in an affidavit said: 'Gender-equality and the dignity of the women are non-negotiable'

Indian government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court today to oppose the practice of polygamy and triple talaq (divorce) in the Muslim community. In the affidavit, the Indian ministry of law and justice said that there is no reason that women in India should be denied their constitutional rights, Indian news agency ANI reported. "Validity of Triple Talaq and polygamy have to be seen in light of gender justice, equality and dignity of women," the affidavit read. The affidavit also referred to the constitutional principles like gender equality, secularism, international covenants, religious practices and marital law prevalent in various Islamic countries to urge the country's top court that triple talaq and polygamy should be adjudicated upon afresh by the apex court, Indian news agency PTI reported. "It is submitted that the issue of validity of triple talaq, nikah halala and polygamy needs to be considered in the light of principles of gender justice and the overriding principle of non-discrimination, dignity and equality," the affidavit filed by Mukulita Vijayawargiya, additional secretary in the ministry said. "The fundamental question for determination by this court is whether, in a secular democracy, religion can be a reason to deny equal status and dignity available to women under the Constitution of India," it said. The affidavit also referred to the principles of the Indian constitution, saying that "any practice by which women are left 'socially, financially or emotionally vulnerable' or subject to the whims and caprice of men-folk is incompatible with the letter and spirit of Article 14 and 15 (Right to Equality) of the Constitution". Linking the issue with the Right to Life and Personal Liberty, the central government in its 29-page affidavit also mentioned that "gender equality and the dignity of the women are non-negotiable, overarching constitutional value and can brook no compromise. "These rights are necessary in letter and in spirit not only to realise the aspirations of every individual woman who is an equal citizen of this country but also for the larger well-being of the society and progress of the nation, one-half of which is made up by women," the ministry further mentioned. (WION with inputs from PTI)

'Women should not be denied constitutional rights': Indian government opposes triple talaq in Supreme Court

A&nbsp;blogger from India&rsquo;s eastern West Bengal state, Tarak Biswas, who was arrested on September 15 for allegedly criticising Islam on social media, was granted bail today.

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Biswas has been granted bail after serving 21 days in jail. His bail plea was earlier rejected twice on grounds that his comments had spread communal tension. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

The blogger&rsquo;s release comes after&nbsp;two rights organisations&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Association For Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) and Hindu Samhati&ndash;&nbsp;took up his case.&nbsp;

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While APDR&#39;s lawyer, Abhijit Dutta, fought Tarak&#39;s case at the Howrah court, Hindu Samhati&#39;s &nbsp;lawyer, Tirthankar Ghosh, fought the case at the Calcutta High Court.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

He was granted bail by the Calcutta High Court. However, he is yet to walk out of the jail as the proceedings are pending at two other courts in Bengal - Howrah and Tamluk. Once the copy of the bail order will reach these courts, Tarak will be able to step out of the jail.

&nbsp;

Earlier, a delegation comprising APDR members had even met the police commissioner of Howrah city police, Devendra Prakash Singh, and submitted a memorandum.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Biswas has been accused of&nbsp;posting&nbsp;a message on the social media criticising the Islam religion and hurting religious sentiments. One Sanaullah Khan had registered a complaint with the cyber police station of the Howrah Police Commissionerate demanding his arrest. According to locals,&nbsp;Khan is&nbsp;leader from the ruling- Trinamool Congress Party (TMC).&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&ldquo;Sanaullah Khan had registered an FIR against Biswas for hurting religious sentiments. Based on the complaint filed, we arrested him. Presently he is in police custody,&rdquo; said a senior police officer of the Howrah police commissionerate.

&nbsp;

Soon after the complaint was registered, he was arrested by the police. However, his arrest had triggered widespread condemnation on social media.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Locals had alleged that the police had picked up Biswas from his residence in the wee hours of September 15. According to the police, Tarak was arrested under section&nbsp;295 A, 298 of the Indian Penal Code (hurting religious sentiments and hate speech), besides section 66, 67 and 67A of the IT Act (posting, sending offensive messages through communication services).

&nbsp;

(WION)

His bail plea was earlier rejected twice on grounds that his comments had spread communal tension

A blogger from India’s eastern West Bengal state, Tarak Biswas, who was arrested on September 15 for allegedly criticising Islam on social media, was granted bail today. Biswas has been granted bail after serving 21 days in jail. His bail plea was earlier rejected twice on grounds that his comments had spread communal tension. The blogger’s release comes after two rights organisations – Association For Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) and Hindu Samhati– took up his case. While APDR's lawyer, Abhijit Dutta, fought Tarak's case at the Howrah court, Hindu Samhati's lawyer, Tirthankar Ghosh, fought the case at the Calcutta High Court. He was granted bail by the Calcutta High Court. However, he is yet to walk out of the jail as the proceedings are pending at two other courts in Bengal - Howrah and Tamluk. Once the copy of the bail order will reach these courts, Tarak will be able to step out of the jail. Earlier, a delegation comprising APDR members had even met the police commissioner of Howrah city police, Devendra Prakash Singh, and submitted a memorandum. Biswas has been accused of posting a message on the social media criticising the Islam religion and hurting religious sentiments. One Sanaullah Khan had registered a complaint with the cyber police station of the Howrah Police Commissionerate demanding his arrest. According to locals, Khan is leader from the ruling- Trinamool Congress Party (TMC). “Sanaullah Khan had registered an FIR against Biswas for hurting religious sentiments. Based on the complaint filed, we arrested him. Presently he is in police custody,” said a senior police officer of the Howrah police commissionerate. Soon after the complaint was registered, he was arrested by the police. However, his arrest had triggered widespread condemnation on social media. Locals had alleged that the police had picked up Biswas from his residence in the wee hours of September 15. According to the police, Tarak was arrested under section 295 A, 298 of the Indian Penal Code (hurting religious sentiments and hate speech), besides section 66, 67 and 67A of the IT Act (posting, sending offensive messages through communication services). (WION)

India: Blogger arrested for criticising Islam on social media granted bail after 21 days in jail

Three women were asked to deplane and questioned on the tarmac by police&nbsp;officers over allegations that they were Islamic State supporters. 
 
The three siblings - Maryam Dharas, 19, Sakina Dharas, 24, and Ali Dharas, 21&nbsp;- had boarded the flight from Stansted to Naples. 
 
The women, residents of north-west London, were interrogated for an hour by&nbsp;the police. 
 
Maryam later said that they were subjected to racial profiling. 
 
Before letting them go, Sakina was told that further background checks would&nbsp;be conducted. 
 
Maryam also said that she needed an apology. 
 
The airline insisted that security concerns had to be investigated, while the&nbsp;police offered no apology. 
 
The Dharas siblings, who are of Indian ethnic origin, were asked if they had&nbsp;Arabic text on their phones or copies of the Quran. 
 
A couple on the plane had reported that the sister were reading some Islamic&nbsp;State material on their phones.&nbsp; 
 
Sakina had a passport stamp from a visit to Iraq, where she had participated in a&nbsp;walk to raise funds for IS victims. 
 
The officers also asked Maryam to show her Twitter posts. 
 
(WION)

The three siblings said that they were made victims of racial profiling and demanded an apology

Three women were asked to deplane and questioned on the tarmac by police officers over allegations that they were Islamic State supporters. The three siblings - Maryam Dharas, 19, Sakina Dharas, 24, and Ali Dharas, 21 - had boarded the flight from Stansted to Naples. The women, residents of north-west London, were interrogated for an hour by the police. Maryam later said that they were subjected to racial profiling. Before letting them go, Sakina was told that further background checks would be conducted. Maryam also said that she needed an apology. The airline insisted that security concerns had to be investigated, while the police offered no apology. The Dharas siblings, who are of Indian ethnic origin, were asked if they had Arabic text on their phones or copies of the Quran. A couple on the plane had reported that the sister were reading some Islamic State material on their phones. Sakina had a passport stamp from a visit to Iraq, where she had participated in a walk to raise funds for IS victims. The officers also asked Maryam to show her Twitter posts. (WION)

Trio asked to deplane in London suspecting IS links

Muslims pilgrims said they would pray for peace in India&#39;s Kashmir as they set out on the annual Haj pilgrimage to Mecca-Medina on Thursday (August 18). 
 
Haj is one of the five tenets of Islam and the Quran directs the faithful to undertake it at least once in a lifetime. It involves weeklong celebrations and takes place nearly seventy days after the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Over two million pilgrims undertake Haj each year from all over the world. 
 
This year the five-day-long Haj is expected to begin by September 10 depending on the visibility of the moon. 
 
A batch of 65 pilgrims left for Mecca-Medina from Poonch district in northern Jammu and Kashmir state. 
 
&quot;We are sending off 65 Haj pilgrims including 12 women from Poonch. They will go to Sringar and from there they will directly head to Saudi (Arabia),&quot; said Poonch District Development Commissioner, M.H. Malik in Poonch. 
 
Authorities have made arrangements for more than 100,000 pilgrims from all over the country to undertake the holy journey this year. Another 36,000 would proceed through private tour operators. 
 
The pilgrims said they would pray for peace in the disputed northernmost state of India. 
 
&quot;Inshallah (if God wills), we will go there and pray for peace and prosperity for our country. We will pray for brotherhood and harmony in the region,&quot; said a pilgrim, Mohammad Latif. 
 
Kashmir has been under curfew for more than 40 days following violence over the killing of 22-year-old separatist militant Burhan Wani last month. At least 65 people have died and more than 3,000 injured in violent protests across the picturesque Kashmir Valley. 
 
Haj is a commemoration of tests and trials experienced by Prophet Ibrahim and his son Hazrat Ismail, in the vicinity of Mecca, Islam&#39;s holiest pilgrimage. It is in Mecca that Prophet Mohammed established Islam religion. 
 
(Reuters)

The five-day-long Haj is expected to begin by September 10 this year, depending on the visibility of the moon

Muslims pilgrims said they would pray for peace in India's Kashmir as they set out on the annual Haj pilgrimage to Mecca-Medina on Thursday (August 18). Haj is one of the five tenets of Islam and the Quran directs the faithful to undertake it at least once in a lifetime. It involves weeklong celebrations and takes place nearly seventy days after the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Over two million pilgrims undertake Haj each year from all over the world. This year the five-day-long Haj is expected to begin by September 10 depending on the visibility of the moon. A batch of 65 pilgrims left for Mecca-Medina from Poonch district in northern Jammu and Kashmir state. "We are sending off 65 Haj pilgrims including 12 women from Poonch. They will go to Sringar and from there they will directly head to Saudi (Arabia)," said Poonch District Development Commissioner, M.H. Malik in Poonch. Authorities have made arrangements for more than 100,000 pilgrims from all over the country to undertake the holy journey this year. Another 36,000 would proceed through private tour operators. The pilgrims said they would pray for peace in the disputed northernmost state of India. "Inshallah (if God wills), we will go there and pray for peace and prosperity for our country. We will pray for brotherhood and harmony in the region," said a pilgrim, Mohammad Latif. Kashmir has been under curfew for more than 40 days following violence over the killing of 22-year-old separatist militant Burhan Wani last month. At least 65 people have died and more than 3,000 injured in violent protests across the picturesque Kashmir Valley. Haj is a commemoration of tests and trials experienced by Prophet Ibrahim and his son Hazrat Ismail, in the vicinity of Mecca, Islam's holiest pilgrimage. It is in Mecca that Prophet Mohammed established Islam religion. (Reuters)

Pilgrims from India's Kashmir set out on Haj, will pray for peace in Valley

Nice has become the latest French seaside resort to ban the burkini, the body-concealing Islamic swimsuit that has sparked heated debate in secular France, city officials said on Friday. 
 
Using language similar to bans imposed in a string of other towns on the French Riviera, the city barred apparel that &quot;overtly manifests adherence to a religion at a time when France and places of worship are the target of terrorist attacks&quot;. 
 
The wording of the ban in Nice refers specifically to last month&#39;s Bastille Day truck attack in the city that claimed 86 lives as well as the murder 12 days later of a Catholic priest near the northern city of Rouen. 
 
Fifteen towns in the southeast, as well as others elsewhere in France, have already banned the burkini including nearby film festival host city Cannes, where three women were each fined 38 euros ($43) under the ban at the weekend. 
 
Nice&#39;s deputy mayor Christian Estrosi, from the centre-right Republicans party, wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Tuesday that &quot;hiding the face or wearing a full-body costume to go to the beach is not in keeping with our ideal of social relations&quot;. 
 
Valls came under fire after saying on Wednesday that the burkini was &quot;not compatible with the values of France and the Republic&quot;. 
 
The Socialist premier cited the tensions in France after the jihadist attacks to justify his support for the mayors who barred a garment that he said was &quot;founded on the subjugation of women&quot;. 
 
France&#39;s Human Rights League accused Valls of &quot;participating in the stigmatisation of a category of French people who have become suspect by virtue of their faith&quot;. 
 
Burkinis are a rare sight on French beaches, where a small minority of Muslim women can be seen bathing in ordinary clothes and wearing headscarves. 
 
Islamic dress has long been a subject of debate in France, which was the first European country to ban the Islamic face veil in public in 2010, six years after outlawing the headscarf and other conspicuous religious symbols in state schools. 
 
Meanwhile, the imam of Florence, Italy, triggered a storm on Friday by posting on his Facebook page a picture of a group of eight nuns, veiled and dressed in their habits, on a beach. 
 
Izzedin Elzir, who is also president of the Union of Islamic Communities of Italy (UCOII), posted the picture without a caption but unwittingly sparked a wave of criticism. 
 
The image was shared more than 2,000 times and drew many negative comments. Facebook blocked Elzir&#39;s profile page for several hours after receiving hostile notifications from users. 
 
Interviewed on Sky Tg24 television, Elzir said he had simply sought to stir a &quot;positive debate&quot; and in fact had received messages from &quot;very many Christians&quot; to thank him. 
 
He said he posted the picture &quot;to respond to those who say that... western values are different in the way people dress and cover their body&quot;. 
 
&quot;I meant that part of western values comes from Christianity... and you can see that Christian roots are also derived from people who cover themselves almost completely.&quot; 
 
Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said on Tuesday that Italy would not ban the burkini, saying the measure would be fruitless and even counter-productive, as it could cause a potential backlash. 
 
(AFP)

The French town said the apparel 'overtly adhered to a religion' at a time when the country is in the grips of cascading terror attacks

Nice has become the latest French seaside resort to ban the burkini, the body-concealing Islamic swimsuit that has sparked heated debate in secular France, city officials said on Friday. Using language similar to bans imposed in a string of other towns on the French Riviera, the city barred apparel that "overtly manifests adherence to a religion at a time when France and places of worship are the target of terrorist attacks". The wording of the ban in Nice refers specifically to last month's Bastille Day truck attack in the city that claimed 86 lives as well as the murder 12 days later of a Catholic priest near the northern city of Rouen. Fifteen towns in the southeast, as well as others elsewhere in France, have already banned the burkini including nearby film festival host city Cannes, where three women were each fined 38 euros ($43) under the ban at the weekend. Nice's deputy mayor Christian Estrosi, from the centre-right Republicans party, wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Tuesday that "hiding the face or wearing a full-body costume to go to the beach is not in keeping with our ideal of social relations". Valls came under fire after saying on Wednesday that the burkini was "not compatible with the values of France and the Republic". The Socialist premier cited the tensions in France after the jihadist attacks to justify his support for the mayors who barred a garment that he said was "founded on the subjugation of women". France's Human Rights League accused Valls of "participating in the stigmatisation of a category of French people who have become suspect by virtue of their faith". Burkinis are a rare sight on French beaches, where a small minority of Muslim women can be seen bathing in ordinary clothes and wearing headscarves. Islamic dress has long been a subject of debate in France, which was the first European country to ban the Islamic face veil in public in 2010, six years after outlawing the headscarf and other conspicuous religious symbols in state schools. Meanwhile, the imam of Florence, Italy, triggered a storm on Friday by posting on his Facebook page a picture of a group of eight nuns, veiled and dressed in their habits, on a beach. Izzedin Elzir, who is also president of the Union of Islamic Communities of Italy (UCOII), posted the picture without a caption but unwittingly sparked a wave of criticism. The image was shared more than 2,000 times and drew many negative comments. Facebook blocked Elzir's profile page for several hours after receiving hostile notifications from users. Interviewed on Sky Tg24 television, Elzir said he had simply sought to stir a "positive debate" and in fact had received messages from "very many Christians" to thank him. He said he posted the picture "to respond to those who say that... western values are different in the way people dress and cover their body". "I meant that part of western values comes from Christianity... and you can see that Christian roots are also derived from people who cover themselves almost completely." Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said on Tuesday that Italy would not ban the burkini, saying the measure would be fruitless and even counter-productive, as it could cause a potential backlash. (AFP)

Nice latest town in French riviera to impose ban on burkini

Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday refugees had not brought terrorism to Germany, adding that Islam belonged in the country as long as it was practised in a way that respected the constitution. 
 
More than a million people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere arrived in Germany last year. The mood towards them has soured after a spate of attacks on civilians last month, including three carried out by migrants. 
 
Two of those attacks were claimed by the Islamic State militant group. 
 
&quot;The phenomenon of Islamist terrorism, of IS, is not a phenomenon that came to us with the refugees,&quot; Merkel said at an election campaign event for her Christian Democrats in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ahead of a regional vote on Sept. 4. 
 
Merkel said many people had travelled from Germany to Syria for training with Islamist militants. In June Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said a total of more than 800 were believed to have gone to Syria and Iraq. 
 
&quot;This group has worried us for several years,&quot; she said at the event in Neustrelitz, a town 100 km (60 miles) north of Berlin. 
 
Merkel&#39;s popularity has suffered in the wake of the attacks and 52 percent of Germans think her migrant policy is bad, a poll published last week showed. 
 
The influx of migrants, many of whom are Muslim, has boosted support for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is expected to perform well in elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin. 
 
&quot;We have said clearly that an Islam that works and lives on the basis of the constitution ... belongs to Germany,&quot; Merkel said. 
 
She added that a type of Islam that did not stick to the constitution or accept equal rights for women had no place in the country. 
 
(Reuters)

The mood towards refugees in the country soured after recent attacks on civilians including three by migrants

Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday refugees had not brought terrorism to Germany, adding that Islam belonged in the country as long as it was practised in a way that respected the constitution. More than a million people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere arrived in Germany last year. The mood towards them has soured after a spate of attacks on civilians last month, including three carried out by migrants. Two of those attacks were claimed by the Islamic State militant group. "The phenomenon of Islamist terrorism, of IS, is not a phenomenon that came to us with the refugees," Merkel said at an election campaign event for her Christian Democrats in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ahead of a regional vote on Sept. 4. Merkel said many people had travelled from Germany to Syria for training with Islamist militants. In June Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said a total of more than 800 were believed to have gone to Syria and Iraq. "This group has worried us for several years," she said at the event in Neustrelitz, a town 100 km (60 miles) north of Berlin. Merkel's popularity has suffered in the wake of the attacks and 52 percent of Germans think her migrant policy is bad, a poll published last week showed. The influx of migrants, many of whom are Muslim, has boosted support for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is expected to perform well in elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin. "We have said clearly that an Islam that works and lives on the basis of the constitution ... belongs to Germany," Merkel said. She added that a type of Islam that did not stick to the constitution or accept equal rights for women had no place in the country. (Reuters)

Refugees did not bring terrorism, says German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Any Islam follower is allowed to have sex slaves, a British Muslim cleric revealed recently. 
 
One of the series of Hadiths (sayings of Prophet Muhammad PBUH) can be deciphered as meaning that one of the signs of the last day of the world&rsquo;s existence will be when a slave-girl gives birth to her master, said Ali Hammuda, an imam at a Cardiff mosque. 
 
&ldquo;One of the interpretations as to what this means is that towards the end of time there will be many wars, like what we are seeing today, and because of these wars women will be taken as captives, as slaves, yeah, women will be taken as slaves,&rdquo; he said. 
 
&ldquo;And then, er, her master has relations with her because this is permissible in Islam, it&rsquo;s permissible to have relations with a woman who is your slave or your wife.&rdquo; 
 
The Palestinian imam further said that the verse can also be interpreted in a way that Prophet proclaimed that children would come to treat their mothers like slaves. 
 
&ldquo;The one I think is strongest is that towards the end of time you will see a lot of Muslims disobeying their mothers and fathers&hellip; you see children speaking to their mothers and fathers as if they are your slave.&rdquo; 
 
Ali is accused of influencing three British citizens to join the Islamic State in Syria. Nasser Muthana and Reyaad Khan, then 20, and Muthana&rsquo;s younger brother Aseel, then 17, left for Syria in 2014. 
 
Hummuda&rsquo;s statements were recorded by Hardcash Productions during an investigation into militants in October 2014, only weeks after reports of Islamic State atrocities against the minority Yazidi sect in northern Iraq, whose women were enslaved, raped or executed after being captured by the IS fighters. 
 
The imam also said that music was &lsquo;a sickness&rsquo; and a &lsquo;tool of Satan&rsquo;.&nbsp;A variety of extremist text such as &lsquo;Music Made Me Do It&rsquo; elaborates harmful social, psychological and physical effects of music on individuals. 
 
&ldquo;I saw books preaching brutal violence, sexism, homophobia, aggressive physical jihad, dismemberment and capital punishment implemented by the state. It reinforces the idea that what these militant groups are doing, what IS is doing, is legitimised by history,&rdquo; said undercover reporter Rizwan Syed. 
 
London-based Al-Manar mosque is said to have entertained Islamist preachers such as Muhammad Mustafa Al-Muqri who is an al Qaeda ally and ex-leader of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. The mosque, however, has denied links with radicalism. 
 
Hammuda, however, claims that he has criticized the ideology and actions of the Islamic State multiple times. 
 
&ldquo;I have lectured on this a number of times, including dedicating a number of Friday sermons to the condemnation of this evil phenomena. The undercover recording and quotations referred to seem to have been deliberately taken out of context to portray a religious perspective that I do not ascribe to,&rdquo; he said. 
 
However, Imam Shahid Raza, considered one of the leading moderate clerics in Britain, denounced slavery as violating the &lsquo;dignity&rsquo; of human beings and only IS supporters would use the passage to claim it is permissible.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;There is a consensus among 99 per cent of Islamic scholars &ndash; it&rsquo;s only a few radicals that do not agree with it &ndash; that slavery is against the laws of Islam, and the dignity of the human being.&rdquo; 
 
&ldquo;What the Daesh [Islamic State] people have done to the Yazidis is completely un-Islamic. Islam came into this world in an environment where slavery was practised, but over time, it banned it with laws and brought it to an end. The Hadith this man is quoting is good [authentic], but no scholar ever interprets it literally. Most scholars interpret it as the Prophet (PBUH) saying there will come a time when children will boss their parents so much that they appear to treat their parents like slaves,&rdquo; he added. 
 
He went on to say, &ldquo;That Hadith is interpreted as justifying sexual slavery only by Daesh types. You have to realise that slavery is both banned in Islam and also banned by the law of the land.&rdquo; 
 
(WION)

The Prophet's verse can also be interpreted in a way that he proclaimed that children would come to treat their mothers like slaves

Any Islam follower is allowed to have sex slaves, a British Muslim cleric revealed recently. One of the series of Hadiths (sayings of Prophet Muhammad PBUH) can be deciphered as meaning that one of the signs of the last day of the world’s existence will be when a slave-girl gives birth to her master, said Ali Hammuda, an imam at a Cardiff mosque. “One of the interpretations as to what this means is that towards the end of time there will be many wars, like what we are seeing today, and because of these wars women will be taken as captives, as slaves, yeah, women will be taken as slaves,” he said. “And then, er, her master has relations with her because this is permissible in Islam, it’s permissible to have relations with a woman who is your slave or your wife.” The Palestinian imam further said that the verse can also be interpreted in a way that Prophet proclaimed that children would come to treat their mothers like slaves. “The one I think is strongest is that towards the end of time you will see a lot of Muslims disobeying their mothers and fathers… you see children speaking to their mothers and fathers as if they are your slave.” Ali is accused of influencing three British citizens to join the Islamic State in Syria. Nasser Muthana and Reyaad Khan, then 20, and Muthana’s younger brother Aseel, then 17, left for Syria in 2014. Hummuda’s statements were recorded by Hardcash Productions during an investigation into militants in October 2014, only weeks after reports of Islamic State atrocities against the minority Yazidi sect in northern Iraq, whose women were enslaved, raped or executed after being captured by the IS fighters. The imam also said that music was ‘a sickness’ and a ‘tool of Satan’. A variety of extremist text such as ‘Music Made Me Do It’ elaborates harmful social, psychological and physical effects of music on individuals. “I saw books preaching brutal violence, sexism, homophobia, aggressive physical jihad, dismemberment and capital punishment implemented by the state. It reinforces the idea that what these militant groups are doing, what IS is doing, is legitimised by history,” said undercover reporter Rizwan Syed. London-based Al-Manar mosque is said to have entertained Islamist preachers such as Muhammad Mustafa Al-Muqri who is an al Qaeda ally and ex-leader of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. The mosque, however, has denied links with radicalism. Hammuda, however, claims that he has criticized the ideology and actions of the Islamic State multiple times. “I have lectured on this a number of times, including dedicating a number of Friday sermons to the condemnation of this evil phenomena. The undercover recording and quotations referred to seem to have been deliberately taken out of context to portray a religious perspective that I do not ascribe to,” he said. However, Imam Shahid Raza, considered one of the leading moderate clerics in Britain, denounced slavery as violating the ‘dignity’ of human beings and only IS supporters would use the passage to claim it is permissible. "There is a consensus among 99 per cent of Islamic scholars – it’s only a few radicals that do not agree with it – that slavery is against the laws of Islam, and the dignity of the human being.” “What the Daesh [Islamic State] people have done to the Yazidis is completely un-Islamic. Islam came into this world in an environment where slavery was practised, but over time, it banned it with laws and brought it to an end. The Hadith this man is quoting is good [authentic], but no scholar ever interprets it literally. Most scholars interpret it as the Prophet (PBUH) saying there will come a time when children will boss their parents so much that they appear to treat their parents like slaves,” he added. He went on to say, “That Hadith is interpreted as justifying sexual slavery only by Daesh types. You have to realise that slavery is both banned in Islam and also banned by the law of the land.” (WION)

Islam permits women to be taken as sex slaves, says UK head preacher

Pope Francis said on Sunday that Islam could not be equated with terrorism and warned Europe was pushing its young into the hands of extremists. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s not true and it&#39;s not correct (to say) Islam is terrorism,&quot; he told journalists aboard the papal plane during the return journey from a trip to Poland. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think it is right to equate Islam with violence&quot;. 
 
Francis defended his decision not to name Islam when condemning the brutal jihadist murder of a Catholic priest in France in the latest of a string of recent attacks in Europe claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group. 
 
&quot;In almost every religion there is always a small group of fundamentalists. We have them too.&quot; 
 
&quot;If I have to talk about Islamic violence I have to talk about Christian violence. Every day in the newspapers I see violence in Italy, someone kills his girlfriend, another kills his mother-in-law, and these are baptised Catholics.&quot; 
 
The pontiff was speaking after Muslims attended Catholic mass in churches around France on Sunday in solidarity and sorrow following the murder of the priest, whose throat was slit at the altar of his church. 
 
In an echo of remarks made during his five-day trip to Poland for a Catholic youth festival, Francis said religion was not the driving force behind the violence. 
 
&quot;You can kill with the tongue as well as the knife,&quot; he said, in an apparent reference to a rise in populist parties fuelling racism and xenophobia. 
 
He said Europe should look closer to home, saying &quot;terrorism... grows where the God of money is put first&quot; and &quot;where there are no other options&quot;. 
 
&quot;How many of our European young have we left empty of ideals, with no work, so they turn to drugs, to alcohol, and sign up with fundamentalist groups?&quot; he asked. 
 
(AFP)

Pope defended his decision not to name Islam while condemning brutal jihadist murder of Catholic priest in recent church attack in France

Pope Francis said on Sunday that Islam could not be equated with terrorism and warned Europe was pushing its young into the hands of extremists. "It's not true and it's not correct (to say) Islam is terrorism," he told journalists aboard the papal plane during the return journey from a trip to Poland. "I don't think it is right to equate Islam with violence". Francis defended his decision not to name Islam when condemning the brutal jihadist murder of a Catholic priest in France in the latest of a string of recent attacks in Europe claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group. "In almost every religion there is always a small group of fundamentalists. We have them too." "If I have to talk about Islamic violence I have to talk about Christian violence. Every day in the newspapers I see violence in Italy, someone kills his girlfriend, another kills his mother-in-law, and these are baptised Catholics." The pontiff was speaking after Muslims attended Catholic mass in churches around France on Sunday in solidarity and sorrow following the murder of the priest, whose throat was slit at the altar of his church. In an echo of remarks made during his five-day trip to Poland for a Catholic youth festival, Francis said religion was not the driving force behind the violence. "You can kill with the tongue as well as the knife," he said, in an apparent reference to a rise in populist parties fuelling racism and xenophobia. He said Europe should look closer to home, saying "terrorism... grows where the God of money is put first" and "where there are no other options". "How many of our European young have we left empty of ideals, with no work, so they turn to drugs, to alcohol, and sign up with fundamentalist groups?" he asked. (AFP)

Islam is not terrorism: Pope

Republic of Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, on the occasion of the country&rsquo;s 51st Independance day celebrations, said that it was the aim of the government to ensure that each primary school graduate in the country reads the book of Holy Quran in its entirety, starting next year. He added the government gave top priority to teaching Islam in schools because&nbsp;it was imperative to teach Quran to establish a &#39;modern society&#39;.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;It is important that the government ensures that all students in the country complete reading the Quran by the time they graduate primary school, starting from 2017,&rdquo; said the President&nbsp;during the flag raising ceremony held on Monday night. 
 
He admitted to the government being pressured to allow for religious freedom in the country, and also to receiving threats for trying to impose relgious prohibitions by teaching Islam in schools. The President, however,&nbsp;maintained that establishing Maldives Islamic University was a major step taken towards strengthening the hold of Holy Quran and Islam in the Maldivian society. 
 
Former Maldivian president and leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, on the other hand, pointed to loss of religious sovereignity being a factor that could cost the country its independence.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;The country could lose its independence, not just from an attack from another army, but from wave of extremism that is spreading across the world,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; 
 
In a press statement released on Monday, he pointed that political instability and influence of major economic powers were other factors that could shake the national unity.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s stated in Article 4 of the Maldivian Constitution that all powers of the State stem from the people. And that these powers are maintained through the people. There are national and individual rights and freedom that are guaranteed. I note that the challenges to the independence of the country that have come from some Maldivians, and express sadness over the fact,&rdquo; said Maumoon. 
 
He said that preserving the independance and sovereignity was of the highest national interest.&nbsp;

A former Maldives president, however, said loss of religious sovereignty could cost the country its independence

Republic of Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, on the occasion of the country’s 51st Independance day celebrations, said that it was the aim of the government to ensure that each primary school graduate in the country reads the book of Holy Quran in its entirety, starting next year. He added the government gave top priority to teaching Islam in schools because it was imperative to teach Quran to establish a 'modern society'. “It is important that the government ensures that all students in the country complete reading the Quran by the time they graduate primary school, starting from 2017,” said the President during the flag raising ceremony held on Monday night. He admitted to the government being pressured to allow for religious freedom in the country, and also to receiving threats for trying to impose relgious prohibitions by teaching Islam in schools. The President, however, maintained that establishing Maldives Islamic University was a major step taken towards strengthening the hold of Holy Quran and Islam in the Maldivian society. Former Maldivian president and leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, on the other hand, pointed to loss of religious sovereignity being a factor that could cost the country its independence. “The country could lose its independence, not just from an attack from another army, but from wave of extremism that is spreading across the world,” he said. In a press statement released on Monday, he pointed that political instability and influence of major economic powers were other factors that could shake the national unity. “It’s stated in Article 4 of the Maldivian Constitution that all powers of the State stem from the people. And that these powers are maintained through the people. There are national and individual rights and freedom that are guaranteed. I note that the challenges to the independence of the country that have come from some Maldivians, and express sadness over the fact,” said Maumoon. He said that preserving the independance and sovereignity was of the highest national interest.

Will ensure each primary school graduate has read Quran: Maldives President

Myanmar delegates will face some tough questions tomorrow at a key UN convention in Geneva regarding a controversial legislation which has attracted international criticism for discriminating on the basis of gender and religion. 
 
The four laws, which includes giving authorities the right to restrict the number of childbirths a women can have, may stand in violation of the convention on eradicating discrimination against women (CEDAW) which Myanmar joined in 1997, as well as for being anti-Islam. 
 
Introduced last year, this law was backed by nationalist monks and passed by the military-backed government of then-President U Thein Sein.&nbsp; 
 
However, the current government may not redress the matter. Although Daw Aung San Suu Kyi&rsquo;s NLD government has submitted a written clarification that the laws do not go breach UN&rsquo;s CEDAW policies, local newspaper The Myanmar Times quoted U Soe Kyi, the director general of the department of social welfare that the government had &ldquo;no plan&rdquo; to repeal the laws. 
 
Women&#39;s rights groups have been protesting against this law, but have found it difficult to influence the government to change it. 
 
International rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, has raised an alarm about the legislation curtailing religious and gender freedom, specially the birth control policy which is seen as a direct action against the displaced Muslim population in Rakhine State, known as Rohingya. 
 
In the past two weeks, there has been a spike in violence against Muslims in Myanmar including incidents of Buddhist mobs ransacking two mosques in separate towns. Buddhist dominated security force has been criticised for not actively pursuing the matter. 
 
(Agencies)

The four laws, which include childbirth restrictions, breach the convention against women discrimination, which Myanmar joined in 1997

Myanmar delegates will face some tough questions tomorrow at a key UN convention in Geneva regarding a controversial legislation which has attracted international criticism for discriminating on the basis of gender and religion. The four laws, which includes giving authorities the right to restrict the number of childbirths a women can have, may stand in violation of the convention on eradicating discrimination against women (CEDAW) which Myanmar joined in 1997, as well as for being anti-Islam. Introduced last year, this law was backed by nationalist monks and passed by the military-backed government of then-President U Thein Sein. However, the current government may not redress the matter. Although Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD government has submitted a written clarification that the laws do not go breach UN’s CEDAW policies, local newspaper The Myanmar Times quoted U Soe Kyi, the director general of the department of social welfare that the government had “no plan” to repeal the laws. Women's rights groups have been protesting against this law, but have found it difficult to influence the government to change it. International rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, has raised an alarm about the legislation curtailing religious and gender freedom, specially the birth control policy which is seen as a direct action against the displaced Muslim population in Rakhine State, known as Rohingya. In the past two weeks, there has been a spike in violence against Muslims in Myanmar including incidents of Buddhist mobs ransacking two mosques in separate towns. Buddhist dominated security force has been criticised for not actively pursuing the matter. (Agencies)

UN panel to question Myanmar's anti-women, anti-Islam legislation at Geneva meet

Saudi-led airstrikes killed at least seven people in Yemen on Sunday, residents said, as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon flew to Kuwait to try and galvanise peace talks on the conflict. 
 
The Houthi-run Saba news agency said five citizens were killed in two air strikes in Khawlan district, southeast of the capital Sanaa. 
 
Residents confirmed that five people died in the attack but did not say if they were civilians or armed members of the Houthis, a movement from the Zaydi branch of Shi&#39;ite Islam. 
 
Not targetting civillians: Saudi-led coalition&nbsp; 
Yemen is more than 15 months into a war involving a Saudi-led Arab coalition that intervened to prevent Iran-allied Houthis, who control the capital, from completing a takeover of the country and overthrowing the government. 
 
In southern Yemen, residents said two women died in an air strike on the home of a merchant in the Qubaita district, located between the Taiz and Lahej provinces. Another Yemeni died in Saada province by shelling from the Saudi side of the border, the Houthi-run al-Masirah television reported. 
 
There was no immediate comment from the coalition on the reports. The Saudi-led coalition says it does not target civilians in Yemen and has been observing a truce, acting only in response to Houthi violations. 
 
Ban urges delegations to avoid driving situation to a crisis&nbsp; 
Ban hopes to push the combatants to make concessions. In a speech to Yemeni negotiators from the Saudi-backed government on one side and the Houthis on the other, he said they must try to learn from the example of Colombian rebels and the government who signed a deal last week in Cuba after decades of war. 
 
&quot;The agreement last week demonstrated the perseverance of all those who work to end violent conflict not through the destruction of the adversary, but through the patient search for compromise,&quot; Ban said, according to a text received from the world body. 
 
&quot;I urge both delegations to avoid driving the situation to a crisis, and work responsibly and with flexibility for a comprehensive solution that would end the conflict,&quot; he added. 
 
The Yemen war has killed more than 6,400 people and caused a severe humanitarian crisis in a country that was already one of the poorest in the world. Yemen shares a long border with the world&#39;s top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia. 
 
Officials say the talks have been going in circles: The Houthis demand an agreement on the fate of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the formation of a broad government that would include them before any withdrawal from cities they seized. 
 
The Yemeni government insists that any new government would only be formed after the Houthis hand over their weapons and turn into a political party. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

The Yemen war has killed more than 6,400 people causing severe humanitarian crisis in a country that was already one of the poorest in world

Saudi-led airstrikes killed at least seven people in Yemen on Sunday, residents said, as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon flew to Kuwait to try and galvanise peace talks on the conflict. The Houthi-run Saba news agency said five citizens were killed in two air strikes in Khawlan district, southeast of the capital Sanaa. Residents confirmed that five people died in the attack but did not say if they were civilians or armed members of the Houthis, a movement from the Zaydi branch of Shi'ite Islam. Not targetting civillians: Saudi-led coalition Yemen is more than 15 months into a war involving a Saudi-led Arab coalition that intervened to prevent Iran-allied Houthis, who control the capital, from completing a takeover of the country and overthrowing the government. In southern Yemen, residents said two women died in an air strike on the home of a merchant in the Qubaita district, located between the Taiz and Lahej provinces. Another Yemeni died in Saada province by shelling from the Saudi side of the border, the Houthi-run al-Masirah television reported. There was no immediate comment from the coalition on the reports. The Saudi-led coalition says it does not target civilians in Yemen and has been observing a truce, acting only in response to Houthi violations. Ban urges delegations to avoid driving situation to a crisis Ban hopes to push the combatants to make concessions. In a speech to Yemeni negotiators from the Saudi-backed government on one side and the Houthis on the other, he said they must try to learn from the example of Colombian rebels and the government who signed a deal last week in Cuba after decades of war. "The agreement last week demonstrated the perseverance of all those who work to end violent conflict not through the destruction of the adversary, but through the patient search for compromise," Ban said, according to a text received from the world body. "I urge both delegations to avoid driving the situation to a crisis, and work responsibly and with flexibility for a comprehensive solution that would end the conflict," he added. The Yemen war has killed more than 6,400 people and caused a severe humanitarian crisis in a country that was already one of the poorest in the world. Yemen shares a long border with the world's top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia. Officials say the talks have been going in circles: The Houthis demand an agreement on the fate of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the formation of a broad government that would include them before any withdrawal from cities they seized. The Yemeni government insists that any new government would only be formed after the Houthis hand over their weapons and turn into a political party. (Reuters)

Seven killed in Saudi-led strikes in Yemen, UN chief pushes combatants to make concessions

I had the experience of a lifetime this summer. As Delhi alternated between sweltering and stewing, I took off for my first Umrah (a pilgrimage to Mecca) with close family. &nbsp; 
 
I am a practising Muslim and consider myself devout, but no number of photographs or videos of this sacred journey can prepare you for the real experience.&nbsp; 
 
It was a revelation for me as I joined thousands of other devouts from across the globe circling the Kaaba, Islam&#39;s most sacred site. It is an experience in integration like no other when you walk in step with truly diverse humanity &ndash; one with millions. 
&nbsp; 
I had worn an abaya to the Kaaba for the Fajr (morning prayers), but all around me were women lost in private communion with Allah, a number of them wore normal clothes, like kurtas. The Umrah has a dress code known as Ihram: Men have to wear two white sheets covering the upper and lower body, but women can wear anything modest, with their hands and faces uncovered. &nbsp; 
 
In that moment of submergence, I had an epiphany as I glimpsed the faces of my fellow pilgrims, some awash in tears, others lost in silent prayers. I wondered why when we were indeed one and equal in the eyes of Allah and Holy Quran were rules so different for men and women when it came to clothes. &nbsp; 
 
As an adolescent, I have toyed with the idea of wearing an abaya, but never really took to it seriously. My family left it to my judgment when it came to my clothes. And I have always felt an abaya or hijaab is often used as an instrument for the oppression of women. It is oftentimes forced on women, whereas it must be a matter of their choice.&nbsp; 
 
Religion has played a very crucial role in shaping me as a person. I not only read the Quran frequently, but also take out time to pray. I also respect all other religions equally if not more. There is no sense of contradiction in this for me. But&nbsp;when Islam has given Muslim women the right to choose a spouse, why not give the right to dress how they like? 
&nbsp; 
At a time when Muslim women&#39;s rights collectives have long been campaigning against practices like instant triple talaq and polygamy in India, I choose to write about women&#39;s right to choose what they wear. Mainly because I have always felt strongly about it. &nbsp; 
I am a proud Muslim. Not just because I am born into the faith, but because of what I feel, as a woman, is its most liberating and progressive feature. My religion considers me at par with any man. The current discourse &ndash; both liberal and conservative &ndash; may give a different impression, but for me, the message in the Holy Quran is loud and clear. &nbsp; 
 
This verse from the Holy Quran spells it out: &quot;O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should you treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of the dowry you have given them - except when they have become guilty of open lewdness. On the contrary live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If you take a dislike to them, it may be that you dislike something and Allah will bring about through it a great deal of good.&quot; [Quran 4:19] 
&nbsp; 
And this is not the only verse from the Holy Quran that shines with egalitarian spirit -- Islam is all for gender equality. Why then these stringent requirements for women followers of the faith to cover up their bodies with an abaya, hijab or burkha?&nbsp; 
 
I am a Muslim by birth and I am proud of it. Please do not get me wrong. The fact is, most Muslim women I know are not only very accepting of the abaya and hijab, they also believe that this is the only way to dress modestly. Most of my grandmother&#39;s generation would know no other way. They were conditioned to believe this, unquestionably, from a young age. 
 
My argument is simple, if women are expected to adhere to certain rules, shouldn&#39;t men do the same? 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

When Islam has given Muslim women the right to choose a spouse, why not give the right to dress how they like?

I had the experience of a lifetime this summer. As Delhi alternated between sweltering and stewing, I took off for my first Umrah (a pilgrimage to Mecca) with close family. I am a practising Muslim and consider myself devout, but no number of photographs or videos of this sacred journey can prepare you for the real experience. It was a revelation for me as I joined thousands of other devouts from across the globe circling the Kaaba, Islam's most sacred site. It is an experience in integration like no other when you walk in step with truly diverse humanity – one with millions. I had worn an abaya to the Kaaba for the Fajr (morning prayers), but all around me were women lost in private communion with Allah, a number of them wore normal clothes, like kurtas. The Umrah has a dress code known as Ihram: Men have to wear two white sheets covering the upper and lower body, but women can wear anything modest, with their hands and faces uncovered. In that moment of submergence, I had an epiphany as I glimpsed the faces of my fellow pilgrims, some awash in tears, others lost in silent prayers. I wondered why when we were indeed one and equal in the eyes of Allah and Holy Quran were rules so different for men and women when it came to clothes. As an adolescent, I have toyed with the idea of wearing an abaya, but never really took to it seriously. My family left it to my judgment when it came to my clothes. And I have always felt an abaya or hijaab is often used as an instrument for the oppression of women. It is oftentimes forced on women, whereas it must be a matter of their choice. Religion has played a very crucial role in shaping me as a person. I not only read the Quran frequently, but also take out time to pray. I also respect all other religions equally if not more. There is no sense of contradiction in this for me. But when Islam has given Muslim women the right to choose a spouse, why not give the right to dress how they like? At a time when Muslim women's rights collectives have long been campaigning against practices like instant triple talaq and polygamy in India, I choose to write about women's right to choose what they wear. Mainly because I have always felt strongly about it. I am a proud Muslim. Not just because I am born into the faith, but because of what I feel, as a woman, is its most liberating and progressive feature. My religion considers me at par with any man. The current discourse – both liberal and conservative – may give a different impression, but for me, the message in the Holy Quran is loud and clear. This verse from the Holy Quran spells it out: "O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should you treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of the dowry you have given them - except when they have become guilty of open lewdness. On the contrary live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If you take a dislike to them, it may be that you dislike something and Allah will bring about through it a great deal of good." [Quran 4:19] And this is not the only verse from the Holy Quran that shines with egalitarian spirit -- Islam is all for gender equality. Why then these stringent requirements for women followers of the faith to cover up their bodies with an abaya, hijab or burkha? I am a Muslim by birth and I am proud of it. Please do not get me wrong. The fact is, most Muslim women I know are not only very accepting of the abaya and hijab, they also believe that this is the only way to dress modestly. Most of my grandmother's generation would know no other way. They were conditioned to believe this, unquestionably, from a young age. My argument is simple, if women are expected to adhere to certain rules, shouldn't men do the same?

If Muslim men start wearing abaya, I will too

<div style="text-align: justify;">Only three words were scrawled on the letter from her husband and posted to her parent&#39;s home in central India, but they were enough to shatter Sadaf Mehmood&#39;s life. 
 
Using an ancient&nbsp;Islamic practice, Mehmood&#39;s husband wrote &quot;talaq, talaq, talaq&quot; or &quot;I divorce you&quot; three times in Arabic, instantly ending his marriage of five years. 
 
&quot;I was completely shocked and shattered. We had differences soon after we wed but it never looked so bad,&quot; the mother-of-three told AFP. 
 
Mehmood, who is from Bhopal, is one of the many&nbsp;Indian Muslim women whose husbands dissolved their marriage using&nbsp;triple&nbsp;talaq. The messages were delivered by everything from traditional letters to Facebook and Whatsapp. 
 
Banned in many Muslim countries, India, which is officially secular, is one of the few nations that legally permits the practice. 
 
&quot;The talaqnama (divorce letter) came without any intimation or warning,&quot; said Mehmood, 31, adding that she now struggles to make ends meet without her husband&#39;s support. 
 
Now another divorcee, Shayara Bano, has asked India&#39;s Supreme Court to outlaw it, as a backlash against the practice gathers steam. 
&quot;I understand my marriage is over but something needed to be done so that other Muslim women do not suffer,&quot; Bano told AFP of her petition filed in February&nbsp;which has encouraged at least one other divorcee to follow suit. 
&#39;Second-class citizens&#39; 
India&#39;s religious minorities, including its 155 million Muslims, are governed by personal laws that are meant to enshine their religious freedom in Hindu-majority India. 
 
Women, however, say the Muslim Personal Law Application Act, which is based on the Sharia law and permits&nbsp;triple&nbsp;talaq&nbsp;is being misused, allowing men to instantly walk away from their families. 
 
&quot;Women are generally treated as second class citizens in our society and they are further discriminated against by those misinterpreting religion,&quot; said Sadia Akhtar, who works for Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, a charity helping to empower Muslim women. 
 
A survey of Muslim women by the charity last year found an overwhelming majority favoured abolition of the practice, deeming it un-Islamic. Some 500 of the 4,000 women surveyed said they had been divorced that way. 
 
In recent weeks about&nbsp;50,000 Muslims signed a petition organised by the charity as part of a campaign to ban it. 
 
The Holy Quran prescribes a procedure for divorce to be undertaken in 90 days, starting from the first utterance of&nbsp;talaq, followed by two more but with a 30-day gap in between each one. 
 
Islamic scholars say this gives couples time to reflect on their marriage and possibly reconcile. 
 
Most Muslim scholars say the instant&nbsp;talaq&nbsp;diverts from the Quran. Although it was given official approval during the rein of Islam&#39;s second caliph, Omar, in the seventh century, it was discouraged. 
 
Akhtarul Wasey, a professor of Islamic studies, said it was only supposed to be used as a last resort when husbands were &quot;traumatising their partners&quot; by endlessly pronouncing&nbsp;talaq&nbsp;and then revoking it. 
 
&quot;(But) It has lost its essence and become an arbitrary law,&quot; Wasey from New Delhi&#39;s Jamia Millia Islamia university told AFP. 
Many Muslim majority countries, including neighbouring&nbsp;Bangladesh, have already banned it, while legislation on the same is pending in Pakistan&#39;s parliament. 
Changes unacceptable 
India&#39;s Muslim leaders are reluctant to amend the personal law, fearing an erosion of their religious identity. Some fear Hindu hardliners will use such changes as an excuse to push for the law&#39;s entire abolition. 
 
The issue comes at a time of heightened concern among minorities of rising intolerance by Hindu&nbsp;hardliners&nbsp;who have become emboldened since Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s election in 2014. 
 
Modi&#39;s Hindu nationalist government is committed to replacing personal laws for all religious minorities with a common civil code&nbsp;to enhance national unity. 
 
Kamal Faruqui, member of an influential Muslim body, said Muslims have a right to practise their religion according to Sharia law and that should be protected at all costs. 
 
Faruqui conceded&nbsp;triple&nbsp;talaq&nbsp;was a &quot;problem for Muslims&quot; but changes to the personal law were &quot;unacceptable to us&quot;. 
 
&quot;We discourage Muslims to seek divorce and certainly&nbsp;triple&nbsp;talaq&nbsp;should never be used. Instead couples should go for the honourable exit route mentioned in the Quran,&quot; said Faruqui, from the All India Muslim Personal Law Board. 
 
Shaista Ali, also from Bhopal, said she appealed to clerics for assistance after her husband suddenly divorced her and she was shunted from the family home, but &quot;they sided with my in-laws&quot;. 
 
Divorcee Mehmood accepts that her marriage is over, but she remains hopeful of change so that other women are spared her ordeal. 
 
&quot;We can&#39;t stop talaqs but there should be some consequences so that men think 10 times before uttering&nbsp;talaq, talaq talaq,&quot; she said.</div>

Shayara Bano, a divorcee, has asked India's Supreme Court to outlaw 'triple talaq', as a backlash against the practice gathers steam

Only three words were scrawled on the letter from her husband and posted to her parent's home in central India, but they were enough to shatter Sadaf Mehmood's life. Using an ancient Islamic practice, Mehmood's husband wrote "talaq, talaq, talaq" or "I divorce you" three times in Arabic, instantly ending his marriage of five years. "I was completely shocked and shattered. We had differences soon after we wed but it never looked so bad," the mother-of-three told AFP. Mehmood, who is from Bhopal, is one of the many Indian Muslim women whose husbands dissolved their marriage using triple talaq. The messages were delivered by everything from traditional letters to Facebook and Whatsapp. Banned in many Muslim countries, India, which is officially secular, is one of the few nations that legally permits the practice. "The talaqnama (divorce letter) came without any intimation or warning," said Mehmood, 31, adding that she now struggles to make ends meet without her husband's support. Now another divorcee, Shayara Bano, has asked India's Supreme Court to outlaw it, as a backlash against the practice gathers steam. "I understand my marriage is over but something needed to be done so that other Muslim women do not suffer," Bano told AFP of her petition filed in February which has encouraged at least one other divorcee to follow suit. 'Second-class citizens' India's religious minorities, including its 155 million Muslims, are governed by personal laws that are meant to enshine their religious freedom in Hindu-majority India. Women, however, say the Muslim Personal Law Application Act, which is based on the Sharia law and permits triple talaq is being misused, allowing men to instantly walk away from their families. "Women are generally treated as second class citizens in our society and they are further discriminated against by those misinterpreting religion," said Sadia Akhtar, who works for Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, a charity helping to empower Muslim women. A survey of Muslim women by the charity last year found an overwhelming majority favoured abolition of the practice, deeming it un-Islamic. Some 500 of the 4,000 women surveyed said they had been divorced that way. In recent weeks about 50,000 Muslims signed a petition organised by the charity as part of a campaign to ban it. The Holy Quran prescribes a procedure for divorce to be undertaken in 90 days, starting from the first utterance of talaq, followed by two more but with a 30-day gap in between each one. Islamic scholars say this gives couples time to reflect on their marriage and possibly reconcile. Most Muslim scholars say the instant talaq diverts from the Quran. Although it was given official approval during the rein of Islam's second caliph, Omar, in the seventh century, it was discouraged. Akhtarul Wasey, a professor of Islamic studies, said it was only supposed to be used as a last resort when husbands were "traumatising their partners" by endlessly pronouncing talaq and then revoking it. "(But) It has lost its essence and become an arbitrary law," Wasey from New Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia university told AFP. Many Muslim majority countries, including neighbouring Bangladesh, have already banned it, while legislation on the same is pending in Pakistan's parliament. Changes unacceptable India's Muslim leaders are reluctant to amend the personal law, fearing an erosion of their religious identity. Some fear Hindu hardliners will use such changes as an excuse to push for the law's entire abolition. The issue comes at a time of heightened concern among minorities of rising intolerance by Hindu hardliners who have become emboldened since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election in 2014. Modi's Hindu nationalist government is committed to replacing personal laws for all religious minorities with a common civil code to enhance national unity. Kamal Faruqui, member of an influential Muslim body, said Muslims have a right to practise their religion according to Sharia law and that should be protected at all costs. Faruqui conceded triple talaq was a "problem for Muslims" but changes to the personal law were "unacceptable to us". "We discourage Muslims to seek divorce and certainly triple talaq should never be used. Instead couples should go for the honourable exit route mentioned in the Quran," said Faruqui, from the All India Muslim Personal Law Board. Shaista Ali, also from Bhopal, said she appealed to clerics for assistance after her husband suddenly divorced her and she was shunted from the family home, but "they sided with my in-laws". Divorcee Mehmood accepts that her marriage is over, but she remains hopeful of change so that other women are spared her ordeal. "We can't stop talaqs but there should be some consequences so that men think 10 times before uttering talaq, talaq talaq," she said.

Muslim woman from India fights 'triple talaq' divorce

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