Articles

Uniform Civil Code

By Sudha Dixit

Friends I am not at war with anyone; neither with men in general nor with any religious community. Frankly I am not religious at all. I believe in a supreme power – I am spiritual, but most of all I am humanitarian. I am in love with my sisters’ globe over. I have affinity, empathy for all women who need freedom from exploitation and hence are in need of justice. Please men! If your women say that they are denied justice do not rubbish it, listen to them.

If they are wrong, tell them so but do not presume that they are wrong just because they are women. Do not be intolerant to dissenting voice. May be that you would turn out to be wrong. I hope you are sensitive enough to realize that your mother and sisters were wronged; if this practice continues your daughters would be wronged too. It’s an appeal. Just listen to them and think. Now, coming to the point –

  • It is the Muslim women who have filed the petition for UCC, because they feel insecure and exploited by the practice of triple talaq and polygamy. They are not lying. They are the victims .They knows where the shoe pinches.
  • The ludicrous arguments that triple talaq is beneficial to women; on the ground that a man unable to divorce his wife would murder her is absurd. Going by same logic a woman wanting to be free from her husband should murder him, because she cannot divorce him. How is that fair?
  • If, even one Muslim nation bans triple talaq & polygamy (forget that 22 Muslim nations have done just that), the plea of clinging to Sharia loses its foothold. If they can do it why can’t we?
  • Now, for the sake of argument – Granted you want to uphold Sharia as supreme where Muslim Personal Law is concerned, you should uphold the same supremacy in the field of Criminal law. There should be a separate Sharia court to handle all crimes committed by Muslims. They should not be tried under Indian Penal Code. According to Sharia Law a thief should have his hands amputated, a murderer should be hanged publicly by a tree, a rapist should be stoned to death & so on. No delay. Immediate justice.
  • Sharia prohibits interest on money, so save and deposit money in banks but do not earn any interest. Please follow your religion in toto, not half heartedly. You cannot be selective – gobble up the sweet and spit out the sour .This is simply not done.

 When the muslim religious leaders say that ‘No Muslim will agree to the implication of UCC, that Sir Syed, APJ Kalam, even Qayde Azam Jinnah and many more broad-minded and educated leaders had advocated reforms in Muslim laws. Salman Rushdie, Tarak Fateh, Dr. Qanta Ahmed and many other scholars are the current voices clamoring for reforms in certain Islamic practices. The harsh liner Muslim clerics have no love-lost for Islam or well being of their people. They are simply trying to gain political browny points. It’s nothing but power game.

Please read the signs of time. This is not stone age Surprisingly, my favorite poet Akbar Allahabadi still proves apt and timely: –

बेपर्दा नज़र   आयीं जो कल चन्द बीबियाँ

अकबर ज़मीं में गैरत -ऐ- क़ौमी से गढ़ गया

पूछा जो उनसे आपका पर्दा कहाँ गया

कहने लगीं कि अक़्ल पे मर्दों की पड़ गया

Bepardah nazar aayin jo kal chand beebiyan

Akbar zameen mein ghairat-e-qaumi se gadh gaya

Poochha jo unse apka pardah kahan gaya

Kahne lageen ki aql pe mardon ki pad gaya

~*~

[Yesterday when he saw some ladies sans their mantles

Akbar felt mortified for the honour of his community

On being asked where their purdah was, the women said

It’s, now, hiding the stupidity of men]

About The Author:  Sudha Dixit is from Lucknow and studied at Aligarh Muslim Univ., Lucknow Univ. and Banaras Hindu University. She currently resides in Bangalore. She writes articles, poems in both Hindi & English. Her hobbies include painting and reading.

One Comment

  1. Religion and its tenets are to instill fear in the minds of the followers who do not choose the righteous path in their everyday life;
    The purpose is always to guide them along a peaceful atmosphere, and to shape them as to co-exist with people of other religions;
    We are all born into this world to remain equal in all aspects;
    Sex is not an attribute that denies one the legitimate right a woman is entitled to!
    Let religions be instruments of harmony,
    and no one is inferior to the other!