2 Muslim Women In Hyderabad, Divorced Over WhatsApp, Are Fighting Back

HYDERABAD: Two Muslim women in Hyderabad divorced over WhatsApp and email by their husbands living in the US have lodged a police complaint against their in-laws who had thrown them out of the house. The women, Heena Fathima and Bahrain Noor - who were married to two brothers - have not received any documents and say this is not valid under Islamic law.

"Everyday he would ask to see the video of the children, how they were doing. Then suddenly, he said talaq. He has to tell me what I did wrong. What is my mistake. This is not right," said Ms Fathima who was divorced by Syed Fayazuddin six months ago. She and her two young daughters were allegedly forced out of the house.

The case comes days after the Supreme Court decided to ask a larger bench of the court to examine the legal validity of triple talaq. One of the four points that the centre suggested the court should rule on is if the right to religion could override rights of women.

But cases of triple talaq have been coming in from various parts of the country. In Delhi last week, another woman moved court against her divorce over WhatsApp.

Syed Fayazuddin bother, Usman Qureishi married Bahrain Noor from Malakpet area in 2015. A few months ago, Mr Qureishi left for the US. In early February, came the message over WhatsApp: 'talaq, talaq, talaq'. It is when her in-laws threw her out last week that the women decided to do something about it.

The two women first sat on a protest in front of their house to demand they be allowed to live their along with Ms Fathima's two children.

Their father-in-law Abdul Hafeez said he had nothing to do with the decision of his son's who lives in New York. But he asserted: "My sons have sent the necessary documents to them."

The two women approached the police when the protest did not help.

Police said cases had been registered against the husband and also in-laws under sections relating to harassment of a married woman, attempt to outrage modesty of a woman and assault.

South Zone DCP V Satyanarayana said the police had told Abdul Hafeez that he could not push them out of the house and would support the women and children.

"They are saying they did not get any divorce papers and talaq over WhatsApp is not valid under Shariat. If they want divorce, they must do according to Islamic law valid in court,'' Satyanarayana said.