Touching upon the topic of consent, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi urged parents to ask their daughters for permission before match-making.
Mr. Owaisi was speaking at Tahaffuz-e-Shariat public meeting in Erragadda, ahead of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board’s plenary in the city.
Mr. Owaisi said they must acknowledge and accept how society has changed over the years. If you want to marry your daughters, ask them. Ask them if they like him (the match) or not. Ask your children. “Things were different but times have changed now. We have to understand this. Our girls are educated,” he said. The parliamentarian also emphasised that parents must not marry their daughters off without thoroughly checking the potential groom’s background.
Terming dowry as un-Islamic, Mr. Owaisi lashed out at those who indulged in the practice and said that making marriages simpler and less expensive would bring about a societal change. “ Jahez (dowry) is haraam . The parents of the bride are asked to give dowry, jode ki raqm (money for the groom's clothes), feed a lot of people and then they are dictated what kind of meat must be used in dinner preparations. How will Muslims get this money from? ” he questioned.
