Sunday, December 4 2005 17:52 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Lucknow: In a sharp contrast to Muslim clerics' vehement opposition to family planning measures, noted Shia scholar Maulana Kalbe Sadiq today (Dec 04, 2005) said there was nothing wrong in using condoms and pills to limit the size of the family.

"Islam permits use of condoms and pills for birth control," Kalbe, a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, told sources here.

Those who opposed family planning and stressed on increasing the size of Muslim families were, in fact, doing disservice to the community, he said.

Calling for discarding the provision of four marriages in the Muslim community, he said this stood the test in ancient times but was not relevant today.

"In the present era, this system should be discarded" as the idea was not a progressive one but a throwback to backwardness of ancient times.

"If a person could not ensure proper education and health to his children, he should not get married according to Islam," the Maulana said.

Contending women enjoy more rights then men in Islam, Sadiq said only a woman can refuse to marry a man and not vice versa.

Questioning the rationale behind the edict on dress code of tennis icon Sania Mirza, he said according to Islam, men too should not expose their bodies above waist.

"Why there is no fatwa against Muslim wrestlers?" he asked.