Say no to dowry

any of the Muslim men in the Indian subcontinent, which includes India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, stealthily defy the core principle of Islam of paying mahar (dowry) to the bride and instead demand a huge monetary dowry from the bride for marrying them. This malpractice makes the life of these women in their society miserable from cradle to grave.

Islam orders men to pay mahar to brides, which makes the woman’s life financially protected and adds self-esteem to her life. By demanding a dowry from the bride, these men make the woman a financial slave.

The Muslim girls born in these areas are financial burdens for their mostly poor parents because of this un-Islamic dowry system. It means that they are often deprived of a proper education or even hygienic care, which amounts to a human rights violation.

Unlike the men in other parts of the Islamic world who struggle to accumulate mahar money before their marriage, the men squeeze big amounts of money as dowry by marrying a girl from their community whose clergy clandestinely supports this system against the teachings of Islam.

Still, many of them practice instant “triple talaq” divorce where a man can say “I divorce you” three times to instantly divorce a wife. They also have multiple marriages, thereby adding to the misery of the women who get little or no support.

These malpractices are against the image of Islam that orders to pay mahar and guarantee the bright future of women they marry. A remedial action is needed as a deterrent to correct this situation.

I have the highest respect for Islam and these essential orders of Islam protect women from getting hurt. We need to support the many deprived Muslim women living in the Indian subcontinent. Gulf News is not liable for any of the reader-delivered content on this page. It is a reflection of their individual opinion and not that of the newspaper. This page will always follow the principle of civil discourse.