A fatwa issued by the Sunni Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband stating that divorce pronounced by the husband over phone is valid even if the wife has not heard it due to network problems, has evoked strong protest from activists and women’s groups in the city. Opposing the move, the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan staged a protest on Thursday.

Several women’s groups and activists condemned the fatwa issued by the Darul Ifta — which is the fatwa department of Sunni Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband. “The fatwa says talaaq on phone will stand valid if there are network problems and wife has not heard it or even if the witnesses are not present,” said Khatoon Shaikh, Maharashtra Convenor, Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan.

“If a marriage requires the consent of the brIde to make it valid, then how can the same be terminated by one party,” said Shaikh. “There have been a lot of cases where men divorce their wives through email, SMS or phone,” said Javed Anand of Muslims for Secular Democracy.

In October this year, the Darul Ifta also ruled that talaaq pronounced in jest is also valid. “These fatwas mean that there is no equality between men and women and the basic rights of women are being taken away from them.”

“The fatwa is inhuman and unislamic and we condemn it. We demand that the maulanas should put an end to this injustice,” said another activist Razia Rehman. Organisations such as Mahila Shakti Mandal, Samjhauta Mahila Mandal, Hukook Mahila Sanghathana, Ashana Trust etc joined the protest and have also wRitten to the Darul Uloom Deoband seeking reasons behind these fatwas.