Triple talaq is an issue of gender equality, not of politics or religion
Janmabhoomi case? Truth is, for the brotherhood in saffron, triple talaq is another convenient stick to beat the Muslim community with and push the stereotype of a religion that is steeped in archaic practices (why don’t I see the sangh leadership denounce public figures who still attend mass child marriages?).
Which is why the real challenge for unapologetic secularists , as the Supreme Court verdict is awaited, is to pull the triple talaq debate out of the political slugfest and place it squarely in the domain of gender equality. Muslim women need freedom from personal law practices that are inherently arbitrary and unequal. That freedom must come from the constitution that gives primacy to equal citizenship, not from a political order which has only used religious issues to divide and rule.
Post-script: A number of people on social media have been questioning the silence of prominent Indian Muslims on the triple talaq issue. Yes, they should speak up, but may I also ask: how many ‘eminent’ Hindus have spoken out when murderous gau rakshak gangs threaten and kill in the name of religion? The ‘crime’ of silence cannot be one-sided. favours, this is equal treatment.
Muslim organisations too have to take responsibility and challenge those who solely want to poison government relations. They have to take on the hardliners who say blasphemers must die and preach hatred against other minorities. They have to work with the government to improve counterterrorism efforts. Most victims of ISIS are Muslims. As the British Muslim Women’s Network wrote this week, “doing nothing is not an option.”
But what really poisons the well in the UK’s counter-terror efforts is the hysterical attitude of its right-wing press. In our social media world the more extreme and simplistic you are, the more notice you get. A click-hungry industry automatically rewards people who get the most attention. Popular conversation in Britain now resembles a snake pit more than a debating society.
Every time the subject comes to counterterrorism the government immediately diverts attention by calling for more surveillance. The news media duly follows its lead. So while the government has cut funding for traditional policing and grassroots work on one hand, it has turned Britain into the most watched country in the world. None of this has made the country safer.
Once the dust settles, angry British parents will demand to know how the government can prevent more such terrorism. But if the media and political establishment’s past history is anything to go by, nothing will change anytime soon. If other countries can’t learn from its example then they should learn from its mistakes.