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Muslim women thwart
standardisation of 'nikahnama'

The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board Sunday deferred standardisation of the nikahnama, following protests from several women delegates over provisions of Islamic shariat laws and serious differences over recommendations of the male-dominated committee on empowering Muslim wives.

At the end of the brainstorming session, marked by acrimonious debate, the women told the five-member committee, set up by the board to bring about much-awaited reforms in the nikahnama, that they would not be party to its proposed standardisation, as many contentious issues arising out of the age-old shariat laws were biased towards husbands.

Consensus also eluded the board on issuing guidelines on the rights of women, their empowerment in a male-dominated society, responsibilities of husbands towards wives and each other and issues like talaq and succession. The board agreed to co-opt a woman on the committee to resolve the differences and finalise the standardisation.

Board spokesman Janab Moulana K R Sajjad Nomani disclosed that far from differences of opinion between the two genders, there was a serious rift among women delegates over the recommendations. Thus, the pro forma for obtaining signatures of brides and bridegrooms on the proposed nikhanama were not presented for approval.

At the conclusion of the two-day 14th convention, the board came out with a Bangalore Declaration over various issues before the nation; the threat to minorities and their academic or religious institutions; the threat of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to go ahead with the construction of the Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya; the call of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to Indianise minorities and a review of the Constitution.

Through unanimous resolutions, the board has decided to invite RSS chief K S Sudershan to study Islam and called on all Indian Muslims not to get annoyed by his call to Indianise Islam. "We should not reciprocate hatred with hatred. Islam's message is same for everyone as it teaches us to love everyone."

The board also expressed serious concern over the VHP propaganda that it would go ahead with the temple construction at the disputed site in gross violation of the Supreme Court's stay.

According to Janab Zafaryab Jilani, the board has decided to call on President K R Narayanan on December 1, to prevent VHP attempts in whipping up communal tension in the country with such propaganda.

A delegation will call on Prime Minister A B Vajpayee on December 6, to hasten the hearings of the Liberhan Commission of inquiry into the demolition of the Babri Masjid, and the Central Bureau of Investigation case involving Union ministers L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi and BJP member Uma Bharati.

Board member and former Member of Parliament Syed Shahabuddin disclosed that the board was awaiting a questionnaire from the National Commission set up by the government to review the working of the Constitution.

"As the board has made its stand clear in opposing such a review, we intend to give a fitting reply to any question raised by the Venkatchalliah panel as we are against any tinkering with the basic provisions of the Constitution."

Expressing reservations over the need for such a review, Shahabuddin said the board had constituted a seven-member committee headed by former Chief Justice Ahmedi for responding to the panel's questionnaire.

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