Why not ban ‘muta’ marriages of Muslim girls?

Hardly the ink of Triple Talaq has dried on the papers of Supreme Court’s Judgement, here comes the most horrifying news of ‘muta’ marriages of Muslim fair sex. This is a ‘temporary’ marriage of a Muslim man with a Muslim girl or woman. The practice has its roots in the roaming Muslim armies to conquer different countries and to convert their entire population to Islam by hook or by crook.

The soldiers had to spend several months and years to achieve these twin goals. In order to fulfil their sexual urge, the system of ‘Muta’ or temporary marriage was devised some 1,400 years ago. The system of Triple Talaq too was in vogue at around the same time. However, the basic difference between Muta marriage and Triple Talaq was that while the Muta marriage is purely a time-bound marriage contract between the man and woman,

Triple Talaq is a device to divorce a wife instantly by uttering or writing the word, Talaq, three times by the husband. This privilege is not available to a Muslim woman though there is a system called ‘Khula’ wherein a Muslim wife can ‘free’ a Muslim husband.

Thus, in ancient times, a foreign Muslim soldier could get into physical relationship with a local girl or woman via Muta route to satiate his sexual needs and once he received the orders from his commandant to pack up and return home or go to any other targeted land, the Muta marriage also ended. In simple terms, this was a sheer hypocrisy to convert heinous offence of rape or pushing young females into prostitution.

What has become relevant today for the nationwide debate is the startling revelation by the media about the prevailing practice of ‘Muta’ marriage in our country. If the media reports are to be believed, Hyderabad is the epicentre of this nefarious practice, called Muta marriage. In the garb of Muta marriage, young and middle-aged Muslim women are pushed into prostitution. Some affluent people from within the country and also from the middle East countries regularly visit

Hyderabad to have Muta marriage which could be for a period as short as one or two days or little longer. Obviously, this legalised prostitution goes on in the name of religion. The ‘visitors’ are introduced to the parents of the young girls by the brokers stationed in Hyderabad. The money plays a vital role in such transactions. The brokers can arrange a variety of girls right from 10 years of age to the women of around 50 for a price.

However, it is heartening to note that almost all Muslim leaders and heads of different sects have condemned this barbaric practice and favoured a ban just on the lines of Triple Talaq. If the practice of Devdasi could be banned so also the practice of Muta marriage. What is required is the firm political will of the political parties, so that a law banning Muta marriage is enacted at the earliest.

HC on anticipatory bail

Punjab and Haryana High Court has recently ruled that if a criminal case is based on documentary evidence, there is no need for the custodial interrogation. Hence, the accused can be granted the anticipatory bail, as is reported in (2017) (3) Criminal Court Cases 571 (P&H).

Abu Salem spared

In the much-talked-about Bombay blast case, Abu Salem, the prime accused has escaped the death penalty not because of his lesser crime, but purely due to India’s respectful adherence to international relations.After committing the heinous crime of serial bomb blasts, Abu Salem had taken refuge in Portugal.

When India asked for the extradition of this dreaded criminal from Portugal, the Portugese authorities put a condition, that Abu Salem, even if found guilty, will not be awarded death sentence. The authorities in our country respected this international commitment and spared Abu Salem from the rope.

By respecting its commitment to Portugal, India has once again proved to the comity of nations that India is a principled nation. That is fine. But a million dollar question that looms large in the minds of thousands and lakhs of Indians is whether other countries, including the most civilised ones, do reciprocate such a gesture by India. Sadly, the answer is:

No. The recent history is replete with the examples of Italian Marines, those who dropped of arms on Purulia and homegrown criminals enjoying the hospitality of other countries.

The list of such criminals is, indeed, long. From Dawood Ibrahim to Lalit Modi to Vijay Mallya. Obviously, in international relations there cannot be a one way traffic. Hope, the political pundits in global relations would remedy such a situation without losing time.

By Dr H C Upadhyay