There is no reference anywhere in the Koran about pronouncing instant triple talaq at one go (“Declare instant triple talaq invalid”, June 8). It has been ordained that divorces will be deemed valid only after attempts to save the marriage through reconciliation have failed. Marriage in Islam, though not sacrosanct, is a contract binding on both the husband and the wife, a bond meant to be handled with care and caution, in order to make this contract and marriage subsist till the last breath. This is because not only the future of the husband and the wife, but also the future of children are involved. There is no denying that whenever there is a dispute between the Koran and the practices followed by Muslims, the Koran alone will prevail. Issues like instant triple talaq are alien to the tenets and teachings of the Koran. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) appears to be defending the indefensible and looks hell-bent on turning a non-issue into an issue, ignoring larger problems like the need to educate and empower women, eschew gender bias and enforce equality. The AIMPLB should come to terms with the settled principles and teachings of Koran, ban instant triple talaq and declare it un-Islamic, and help avert legislative interference. Neither a marriage nor a divorce carried out without the full consent of the woman can be considered valid or legal.
M.Y. Shariff,
Chennai
