“Is the act just for Hindu women or does it help Muslim women as well?”

These questions raised by Muslim women may not have received a favourable response from clerics but certainly reflect the fear and misconceptions among the community regarding the act.

Leaders like Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali and Maulana Kalbe Jawwad were faced with numerous such questions at a workshop in the city today.

The workshop on ‘Elimination of gender-based violence with special reference to minority women’ was organised by Warsi Sewa Sadan and Bhumi Adhikar Manch, alongwith the United Nations Solution Exchange Programme.

“All the religious leaders told us that Islam talks about equality among men and women and made us aware of a woman’s rights relating to talaq. But Muslim women, who live in rural and even semi-urban areas, are not aware of their rights. Are the leaders doing anything to spread awareness?” asked Kalpana Khare, a social activist working with Muslim women in Bundelkhand.

Afshan Aziz from Fatehpur district said: “A lot of Muslim women are scared of lodging their complaints under this act, as there is a misconception that the act includes Hindu women only. Also, they have been told that if they use such acts, they may face social boycott or a fatwa.” Why can’t the maulanas issue fatwas against people who are misleading the women about the act, she questioned.

Shaista Ambar of the All-India Muslim Women’s Personal Law Board said low -education levels and backwardness were the major reasons behind the inability of Muslim women to use this act. “There is a need not just to educate the women but also make them aware of their rights,” said Ambar.

She added: “There can be fatwas against girls like Sania Mirza who are making the country proud but not against the men who hit their wives.”