1. Nikah Halala
Halala is one of the other rules of Islamic marriage to which attention must be paid. According to this law, if a man divorces his wife, she cannot remarry the same man unless he marries another man and then divorces him, as well as marrying the former.
It may seem simple, but the interpretation of this law, which can be clearly seen in the Muslim communities of India, is something that is beyond imagination. Thousands of cases have arisen in which, after the divorce, the wife is forced to sleep with her father-in-law, her brother-in-law or any male relative in the name of halala. This unethical and treacherous practice is backed by men. And it is on the basis that after the halala, the woman becomes eligible and can remarry her.
Of course, any logical person would not agree with this reason, but unfortunately it is something that females have to go through every time they get divorced. But until now, there is no strict law in India that prevents such act in the name of religion.
2. Short-Term and Contractual Marriage.
There are two versions of this type of marriage that are available for Muslim men. One is known as Nikah mut’ah and the other is called “Nikah Misyar”. You will not be wrong to refer to these marriages as a form of marriage for pleasure. Both Nikahs have many benefits, for man. Just to cover up this, it is said that women who have no hope of a real marriage also benefit from these contracts. Only for the company that is offered within the contract.
A man can make a contract with a woman to be his temporary wife for a certain period of time. It could be several hours, days, weeks or months. No witnesses are needed for this contract to begin.
They can meet when they wish, but they can not live together. Several Muslim religious leaders are against this practice, as they believe that these traditions have the sole purpose of “legal gratification in a lawful manner.” And definitely, they are not wrong if they say it. Unfortunately, even now, this law still exists and should have been banned years ago.
3. Genital Mutilation
The practice of genital mutilation is a horrific truth that has been kept well hidden under the veil of religion. The belief that the head of the clitoris is “unwanted skin”, which is a “source of sin” makes some of the Orthodox communities still support this practice.
Even elderly females who have undergone this procedure in the past believe that, if they are not performed, they will alienate them from their marriages. On the contrary, the high Muslim religious authorities seem to disagree. They believe that Islam does not require FGM or is prohibited by it. But the point is that FGM is not mentioned in the Quran either.
This questions the basis of this practice as a whole because even those who believe it are under an erroneous notion. They feel that if they do not submit to FGM, they will not respect their religion. And that is clearly not the case. So why do even women support the continuation of this dreadful practice that causes N number of health-related problems?
Finally, the Center has intervened and even the Supreme Court is firmly opposed to the practice of FGM. In addition, the Center has also submitted an affidavit against the claim that the FMG is a crime with a seven-year prison sentence. It is only a matter of time when the Supreme Court will intervene and issue instructions on the practice of FMG.
4. Triple Talaq
Triple Talaq is basically the easiest way to separate yourself from your spouse. According to Islamic laws, any Muslim can divorce his wife by saying the word “talaq” three times. It can be oral, written and, as in today’s advanced technological system, it can also be done through any digital messaging system. This practice has been in action for centuries.
Even if it raises issues of justice, gender equality, human rights and secularism, it was long before India paid attention and banned this. Before 2016, there were thousands of cases, in which the wife was divorced and abandoned by her husbands on the basis of non-logical reasons.
After banning this tradition, India became the 23rd country to ban the “Triple Talaq” that already includes Pakistan and Bangladesh.
5. Polygamy
Polygamy is a common practice in Muslim communities that allows a man to have up to four wives. Again, there are religious facts that support this theory according to those who practice it. But, it’s just a matter of how they interpret the law.
For Muslims, polygamy is based on Chapter 4 of the Koran. His verses allow men to marry “two or three or four” women, but at the same time, he asks a Muslim to have only “one” wife, if they can not treat everyone equally. However, it is misinterpreted and Muslim men are seen with multiple wives, none of whom are treated fairly.
The supreme court also commented on this that polygamy is not a fundamental practice in the Muslim religion, which means that they can have up to 4 wives if they wish. In addition, monogamy is a state law, which means that according to the laws established in the country, a person is only allowed to have a spouse. However, these have not yet been implemented at the basic level, because even today, millions are in favor of preserving this practice.
6. Burqa
Among the Muslim population in India, the burqa is commonly used by young and married women. The concept of this usually finds its origin again in the Holy Qur’an. This establishes that following the Islamic traditions, women should cover the body and face in public. They believe that this prevents the woman from provoking some sexual feeling in others.
However, the case is not as simple as it seems. It not only hides the identity of the woman, but also creates a distinctive feeling of being cut off from the world. Several countries have banned this attire due to terrorist activities that have taken the help of burka for suicide bombings.
France, Belgium, the Netherlands are one of the many countries that have banned the burqa for security reasons. There have been cases in India where police have found terrorists even setting up bombs in the clothing of a working burqa factory, and also using burqa to travel without being captured. It may be possible that the prohibition of an outfit produces a fire in the name of the violation of human rights, but that does not mean that we should continue to risk lives in the name of religion.
7. Sacrifice of Animals
Animal sacrifice has been an integral part of Muslim culture. Although killing an animal in the name of religion is not justified, Muslims take pride in it. Again, they refer to their tradition according to which they are obliged to sacrifice a lamb or a goat or join others to sacrifice a cow or a camel during the celebration.
It really does not matter what celebration it is, it requires that an animal be sacrificed. And they also believe in distributing it among friends, relatives and the needy who can not sacrifice an animal. Millions and millions of animals are beheaded at major festivals in Muslim communities around the world.
In 2017, the Supreme Court finally intervened in this matter after a few animal rights activists and organizations approached the court with a petition. But, unfortunately, since India is a religion-oriented country where everything related to religion requires time to change, a ban could not be imposed.
For now, the apex court has maintained the clause prohibiting the slaughter of livestock for religious purposes under the Rules for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
8. Domestic Violence
The connection between domestic violence and the Muslim religion has always been a matter of debate. Muslim women report several cases of domestic violence every day. And men are not seen guilty in most cases. It’s because he thinks it was right for him to hit his wife.
Unfortunately, there is a verse that supports this claim openly. It also provides a solid foundation for men oriented towards violence in the Muslim community. He states that “As for those women whom you fear disobedience, you must first admonish them, then refuse to share your bed with them and then, if necessary, beat them.”
There is no way that those who blindly follow traditions in the name of religion will change. The status of women requires basic security with the help of a law. Only then can it come to an end and the future generation will be much more logical in its behavior.
In conclusion, we must understand that these laws only hide behind the thinnest facade of legality. It is presented as a sacred element of a world religion for one reason only: to maintain the dominance of men over women.
The only question is when will these traditions end without foundation? What you think?
