BJP leader demands amendment in the Muslim Women Act to remove confusion for Shia community

A senior BJP leader, Zishan Haider, has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to amend the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, passed by the Central government to remove serious practical and theological confusion within the Shia Muslim community.

In a letter to the PM on Saturday, Haider said the Act aims to protect the rights of Muslim women and is a commendable initiative. But the implementation of this Act is causing serious practical and theological confusion within the Shia Muslim community as the practice of instant triple talaq (talaq-e-bidat) does not exist among Shia Muslims.

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“Despite this, the same provisions of the current law are being applied equally to Shia Muslims, despite the fundamental differences in marital customs within the Shia community. Consequently, Shia members find themselves subject to punishment under a law that, in practice, is inconsistent with their religious practices,” the letter reads.

The BJP leader said, “Prime Minister, this situation is causing mental anxiety within the Shia community. We request that this law be amended or clarified to take into account the plight of Shia Muslims and protect them from unnecessary legal complications.”
“You are kindly requested to consider appropriate amendments on this issue after consulting legal experts and Shia religious scholars, so that the law is not only just but also respects religious characteristics,” he wrote.