"If you live in America, you should observe American laws," said Mian Shakil, a resident of Springfield, Virginia, who is associated with several local mosques.

Ambreen Khan, a social worker in Silver Spring, Maryland, pointed out that Pakistani national Irfan Aleem was worth over two million dollars and yet paid Farah, his wife of 23 years, only 2,500 dollars when he divorced her.

"This is exploitation, pure and simple. No religion allows this," Khan was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.

Muslim religious organisations too refused to back Aleem. "For the most part, Muslims expected this kind of ruling," said Muneer Fareed, secretary general of the Islamic Society of North America, one of the largest Muslim organisations in the US and Canada that runs hundreds of mosques, schools and welfare groups.

Farah Aleem initiated divorce proceedings in Montgomery County, Maryland, in 2003. Her husband then went to the Pakistan Embassy in Washington and obtained divorce papers by performing "talaq", which involves the husband saying "I divorce you" three times.