Target: Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Law and Justice, India
Goal: Praise prohibition of instant divorce that crippled livelihoods and prospects for Muslim women.
Instant divorce has been outlawed by the Parliament of India in a victory for the women of India, advocates of civil rights, and those who signed this petition. The practice in question was called “triple talaq,” in which a Muslim man may instantly divorce his wife by repeating the word “talaq,” the Arabic word for divorce. The ability to cut off a woman from her family and her support was nothing short of a condemnation to poverty and loneliness.
Although Islamic views on the practice vary, most countries where Islam is the majority religion have outlawed it on humanitarian grounds. India was the largest country without official protections for women subject to arbitrary rejection. Now, with the passage of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, no one can be subjected to this cruel practice any longer.
With a penalty of three years’ imprisonment and guarantees of financial support and custody of children for divorced women, this inhumane custom can finally be consigned to the past. Sign the petition below to congratulate the Indian Minister of Law and Justice for this landmark result.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Prasad,
The end of “triple talaq” is a major victory for human rights in India and across the world. This unjust practice of instant divorce kept women vulnerable and fearful, cutting them off from their families and subjecting them to poverty and loneliness.
Your work in introducing and passing the necessary legislation will provide security and protect rights for millions of women and children. Thank you for this landmark result.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Meena Kadri
