Essay on the Muslim Women ACT
Introduction
A Muslim woman has no social prestige in the world of Muslims. She is the most oppressed lady. She is always sad at heart thinking the impending danger of divorce. She has reconciled herself to the barbarism of her husband. To see her is to feel pity for her.
The new Act and its promises
The new Act called “The Muslim Women Act” has recently come into existence. Its purpose was to mitigate the suffering of Muslim Women. The Supreme Court allowed maintenance allowance to a divorced Muslim Woman called Shah Banu. A furious storm arose over this judgement of the Supreme Court all over the country. The Muslims raised a strong protest by saying that it is undue interference in their religion. To curb down this unnecessary social uproar the New Act came into existence.
Bill in the Parliament
A bill was presented in the Parliament to put an end to the controversy in the circle of Muslims. In the bill it was declared that a divorced Muslim woman could claim alimony from her divorced husband. The Muslim women in general welcomed the bill but it was attacked by those Muslims who were fundamentalist. Some modifications were made in the bill and then it was presented in the parliament. It was discussed again and again Heated debates took place over it. At last the bill was passed half-heartedly.
The criticism of the act
The act has been badly criticised on the following grounds:
(i) The Act is a fraud on the sacred Constitution of the coun try because the Constitution does not permit the Government to make laws community wise instead of topic wise.
(ii) Again, the Act, is discriminatory against the Muslim women since it deprives them of the benefits of Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code enabling destitute Muslim divorcees to get a maximum of Rs. 500/- a month for their whole life from their ex-husbands who create sufficient menance at their disposal.
(iii) Further the Act violates the Constitution, the Quran, the Hadis and the Sunna. It is discriminatory beyond all doubts but it forcibly puts the burden of maintenance of the divorced women on their parents or relatives while parents and relatives in other countries are not obliged to bear such a burden.
(iv) The new Act violates Article 27 of the Constitution be cause the Act amounts to taxing citizens at large for payments only to Muslim divorcees from the Waqf Funds. Such payments are avoided since there would be infringing the right of the doners of waqf whose benefactions would be diverted for purpose other than those declared by them.
(v) The provision in the Act for the maintenance of minor children by the father only till two years, is inconsistent with the provisions in the shariat that a father must maintain a daughter all his life.
(vi) Finally, the Act would encourage divorce or Talaq.
Conclusion
For a Muslim woman her life is a curse on her. Throughout her whole life she suffers from ‘Purdah’ and ‘polygamy’. To her ill luck, if she is divorced, her condition becomes worst. May God help her in her plight.
Vocabulary
Prestige- image, प्रतिष्ठा afar Oppressed- tormented, सताई हुई Impending- likely to happen, आसन्न Reconciled- compromised, समझौता कर लिया। Mitigate- to lessen, कम करना। Maintenance- sustenance, Furious- dreadful, Stormy- Violent, Protest- opposition, Interference- intervention, दखल | Curb- suppress, दबाना। Controversy- disputation, विवाद Alimony- maintenance allowance, Modification- changes, Heated- inflamed, Fraud- deception, धोखा Discriminatory- biased, भेदभाव करने वाला।
IMPORTANT LINK
- आदर्श इतिहास शिक्षक के गुण एंव समाज में भूमिका
- विभिन्न स्तरों पर इतिहास शिक्षण के उद्देश्य प्राथमिक, माध्यमिक तथा उच्चतर माध्यमिक स्तर
- इतिहास शिक्षण के उद्देश्य | माध्यमिक स्तर पर इतिहास शिक्षण के उद्देश्य | इतिहास शिक्षण के व्यवहारात्मक लाभ
- इतिहास शिक्षण में सहसम्बन्ध का क्या अर्थ है ? आप इतिहास शिक्षण का सह-सम्बन्ध अन्य विषयों से किस प्रकार स्थापित करेंगे ?
- इतिहास क्या है ? इतिहास की प्रकृति एवं क्षेत्र
- राष्ट्रीय उच्चतर शिक्षा अभियान के विषय में आप क्या जानते हैं ?
- शिक्षा के वैकल्पिक प्रयोग के सन्दर्भ में एस० एन० डी० टी० की भूमिका
- राष्ट्रीय पाठ्यचर्या की रूपरेखा (एन.सी.एफ.-2005) [National Curriculum Framework (NCF-2005) ]
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