In a fit of anger, a man divorces his wife, then wants her back. Why should she have to go through the indignity of sleeping with another man to remarry the first husband? A man can pronounce talaq three times in a breath and get rid of his wife; should a woman have to run from pillar to post and pay a price to end a relationship? Is not Mutah (the word meaning pleasure), a temporary marriage, actually a sanctioned form of prostitution? Not having the right to even perform Hajj without a male companion; her dress, moral conduct, level of education, age for marriage-debated, discussed and decided by the men in the community; being punished for the crimes that Eve is said to have committed, and compelled to abide by the laws ordered by a male god, implemented by the earthly men! What has the community really gained by keeping half of its population, backward, ill-educated, confined to homes and chained to the archaic laws?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Noor Zaheer
Noor Zaheer is a writer and researcher, writing in English, Hindi and Urdu. Her important published works include My God is a Woman (novel) - Foundation of SAARC Writers Literary Award, Silent Dunes, Raging Forests (short story collection), Mere Hisse ki Roshnai - Delhi Hindi Academy Award, Surkh Karavan ke Hamsafar- Hindi (travelogue Pakistan), Ret Par Khoon- (short story collection in Urdu/Hindi), Patthar ke Sainik (plays for children-Urdu and Hindi), Aaj ke Naam (biography of well known Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz). Her recent research includes Tribal and Buddhist Oral traditions of North Western Himalayas and compilation and translation of early women writing in Urdu-four volumes of fiction, poetry, drama and non-fiction prose. She is the recipient of the Times Fellowship for Research; Senior Fellowship, Department of Culture, Government of India and Writer in Residence: Sahitya Academy, Delhi.
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