Sunday, May 29 2005 09:02 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: A majority of those who responded to a survey in Tamil Nadu, approved "in total," the model "Nikahnama" adopted by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), but felt the Board was not competent to issue a 'fatwa' banning "triple talaq".

While 76 per cent of the total 2672 respondents of the survey conducted by the Shariat Protection Council (SPC) fully approved the model Nikahnama, 19 per cent opposed it. The respondents also included 116 non-Muslims.

On whether the Board was competent to issue a fatwa banning "triple talaq," 77 per cent said no, while 16 per cent favoured the Board's authority on the issue, SPC convenor S M Pasha said last evening announcing the findings of the survey.

Interestingly, 77 per cent were of the view that Muslim wives should not have the same rights as their husbands in the matter of divorce and 88 per cent opposed any Government intervention with regard to "triple talaq" and "polygamy", he said.

The participants of the survey felt that AIMPLB has "rightly interpreted the Islamic Law pertaining to triple talaq and polygamy". A total of 69 per cent respondents approved AIMPLB's interpretation, while 19 per cent disagreed with it.

Pasha also suggested that the initiative for a debate on the issue of divorce should come from organisations closely connected with AIMPLB before a green signal was given for a national referendum for the model nikahnama.

Seminars should be held in all the metros, he suggested.