HVK Archives: Triple talaq, polygamy bane of Muslims?
Triple talaq, polygamy bane of Muslims? - The Hindustan Times
H T Correspondent
()
1 April 1997
Title : Triple talaq, polygamy bane of Muslims?
Author : H T Correspondent
Publication : The Hindustan Times
Date : April 1, 1997
Are utterance of "talaq" thrice and polygamy the sole reason of
Muslim backwardness? This point became a topic of discussion at a
two-day conference on "Challenges before humanity in the 21st
century" at Jamia Hamdard here. The conference which was attended
by a galaxy of Muslim intellectuals, ended yesterday night.
The conference took an interesting rum when Dr Abdul Rahim Vijapur
of Jamia Hamdard declared that the sole reason of Muslim
backwardness was triple talaq and polygamy phenomena. However,
Islamic jurist Qazi Mujahidul Islam refuted his hurriedly drawn
conclusion.
The conference was organised by the Institute of Objective Studies
(IOS), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) specialising in the
study of Muslim affairs. The IOS chairman, Dr Manzoor Alam,
presented a "blueprint" of its 10-year action plan comprising the
need for Muslims' social, economic, educational, religious and
moral uplift.
In his presidential address, the Bihar Governor, Dr A. R. Kidwai,
observed that the Indian society was passing through a period of
transition like the larger world which was trying to cope with the
realities of a new world order in the wake of the demise of
Marxism. "Now it is our responsibility to ensure that we
participate in the new social order with our philosophy of fife,
culture and heritage intact," he said. This order should have
moral values as its guiding principle, Dr Kidwai observed, adding
that mass education would play a key role in the new dispensation.
The conference ended with Union Minister of State for Home Maqbool
Dar's address in which he said that Muslims of India had earlier
met such challenges successfully. He made particular mention of the
challenge of the educational backwardness of Muslims in the 19th
century and how Sir Syed rose to meet it meaningfully.
Prof. A. R. Momin declared that the greatest challenge would be
posed by globalisation which would undermine the social and moral
values of Afro-Asian societies and bombard them with alternative
western values through the sweeping reach of western media and
entertainment.
However, human rights activist Prof. Iqbal Ansari was of the
opinion that the protection of human rights would be a greater
challenge. Also, this challenge would be universal and above the
considerations of caste feelings.
The Iranian Ambassador, Mr Allroza Shaikh Attar, pointed out that
the destiny of Muslims should not be in the hands of western powers
but their own.
The Assistant Secretary of Ministry of Waqf of Kuwait, Dr Badr Al
Falah, conceded that western cultural influence was growing fast in
the world. However, the negative side of it had also become
well-known now, he added.
Earlier yesterday, they discussed the issues related to the 10-year
study project of IOS in the changing world context which was
presided over by Mr Manzoor Ahmad, Vice-Chancellor of Dr Ambedkar
University, Agra. Taking an optimistic view of things, Nalanda Open
University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Shamshad Husain observed that
there was no need to get scared by the entrance of new technologies
in all spheres of life.
The former Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, Prof. A. M.
Khusro, said that Muslims should take advantage of modern
educational facilities. The Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard,
Prof. Alauddin and Vice-Chancellor of Bihar University,
Muzaffarpur, Prof. Ziauddin Ahmed, made similar observations.
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