Iftehkar Ahsan of Calcutta Walks on Triple Talaq

First and foremost, if any religion has ever laid emphasis on women’s rights, it is definitely Islam. What often gets passed these days as Islamic is actually patriarchal and/ or tribal ideas. Islam does not see women as property and gives rights of separation to both men and women.

As a Muslim man, my reading of the Talaq says that you should be able to separate if you have irreconcilable differences over 3 months atleast. So instant Talaq anyway is not sanctioned by Islam. And if any such practice prevails, it should be immediately done away with. Also, women need a guarantee, that we call HuqMeher – post separation. But this is a pittance now, and should be made into a decent sum, so that the woman after separation can take care of herself, specially when she is not doing a job.

There is another weird practice, where it is said if a woman wishes to rejoin with her divorced partner, she has to consummate another marriage with a stranger before she can come back together. That sounds preposterous and I am sure those who came up with such diktats, only meant it as a deterrent and not as something to suffer through.

We can now only hope that common sense prevails.