India bans instant divorce by Muslim men

India’s government has approved a court ruling striking down the Muslim practice that allows men to instantly divorce.

The government decision came after it failed to get approval of parliament a year after the court ruled that the practice of triple “talaq” violated the constitutional rights of Muslim women.

Most of the 170 million Muslims in India are Sunnis governed by the Muslim Personal Law for family matters and disputes.

The laws include allowing men to divorce by simply uttering the Arabic word “talaq”, or divorce, three times - and not necessarily consecutively, but at any time, and by any medium.

The government will have another six months to get parliament’s approval for the ordinance to become law.