SC knows best: Ex-husband
After divorce from Ahmad, Shayara turned crusader against triple talaq
ALLAHABAD: He is a non-descript property dealer who lives in a modest rented house in a packed Muslim-dominated neighbourhood in UP’s Allahabad.
But 40-year-old Rizwan Ahmad is also the husband of Shayara Bano, the woman whose petition against instant triple talaq led to the Supreme Court striking down the controversial custom on Tuesday.
Ahmad divorced Bano over a letter in 2015 after several alleged dowry threats. But on Tuesday, he said he would respect the SC and welcomed the decision scrapping a custom under which women have been divorced even over WhatsApp, phone or speed post.
“I welcome the decision. If the Supreme Court has ruled on something, it must be right,” said Ahmad.
Ahmad told HT that he believed that triple talaq was an “an Islamic matter” but said that he would welcome a law made by Parliament on it within six months.
“I have personally not yet gone through the court order,” he added.
Ahmad married Bano, a resident of Uttarakhand, in 2002, and gained custody of both their children after the 2015 divorce.
Bano has been vocal about alleged harassment during the marriage, including Ahmad forcing her to undergo abortions.
Ahmad didn’t want to comment on the allegations.
“She has been saying a lot and making a lot of allegations all through. I do not wish to say anything on these issues. A lot of time has passed and I would like to move on,” he added.