What’s that? You thought British Muslim women had the same rights as anyone else in Britain? Guess again. Some Muslim men aren’t happy about it, but Muslim women have just been granted a whole list of new rights by Britain’s Sharia Council. From AsiaNews.co.uk, with thanks to Nicolei:
DETAILS of a new Islamic marriage contract that will protect women’s rights have been unveiled for the first time in the North West.
At a meeting of top mullahs and Islamic scholars in Bury it was predicted that mosques throughout the UK will use the new contract and revolutionise Islamic marriages.Called the nikah namah provisions in the contract include:
l A wife’s right not to have children
l Equal rights in divorce
l A wife’s right to work and control over her own pay . . .
l Outlawing all verbal, physical and sexual abuse by the husband
l The right of a wife to visit relatives in the UK or abroadThe draft contract is the work of the UK Shariah Council and the Muslim Parliament of Britain – organisations that have voiced their concern that Muslim women can get a raw deal from existing Islamic marriage custom. . . .
The response from men was less welcoming and some were shocked over its clauses.
One man, who did not want to give his name, said he was amazed at some of the women’s rights proposed.
He said: “The purpose of an Islamic marriage is to have a family but the contact is saying that a woman cannot get pregnant unless she wants to. How can that be increasing the Muslim line in the family?”
Molana Barkatullah said he knew that some men would be unhappy about it.
He added: “During the time of the Prophet, women were given rights for the first time and some of the men found that hard to deal with, but they eventually accepted these rights. That was 1400 years ago and it will happen again.”