IN conjunction with the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, the rights of women in Malaysia should be protected. Women: Law should be updated
I agree with Sisters in Islam regarding the need to revise some of the provisions in Islamic Federal Law (IFL) statutes ("Revise unfair provisions" -- NST, March 9).
There are some provisions in the statutes which are outdated in nature and impractical in modern Malaysia.
The Islamic laws in Malaysia are based on the divine law, which is Quran and Sunnah. The Quran and Sunnah should be the yardstick in revising some of the provisions in the IFL.
Pending amendments to the law, there are many ways we can uphold women's rights.
Regarding the dissolution of marriage, even the right to divorce is unilaterally in the hand of the husband. Islam lays many other ways to dissolve a marriage and they are not solely in the hand of the husband. Islam provides for divorce by mutual consent via ta'liq, khul and li'an or through court termination (Fasakh).
I am sure only few women in Malaysia are aware of these alternatives to resolving a marriage compared with the talaq or divorce initiated by a husband only.
We should educate women on these alternatives.
RAIHAN MUSTAFA KAMAL, Gombak, Selangor
letters@nst.com
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