The helplessness of being a Muslim woman, in India and everywhere else in the world

Unfortunately, in my faith, a woman can't do much to protect herself from patriarchal rules. Photo: Shutterstock/ IndiaPicture

Being a woman is not easy. But, you know what's even more difficult? Being a Muslim woman in this world. It doesn't matter where you are born or what strata of the society you belong to--the diktats imposed on Muslim women are same everywhere around the world.

Now, you would say India is one of the much better countries for the Muslim female lot and I agree. But, then again, religious mandates influence our lives more than constitutional rights. Let's talk about triple talaq for a minute here. The very patriarchal practice of a man divorcing his wife by saying the word 'talaq' thrice. And while the Government and the judiciary in this country are trying their best to eradicate this social evil--religious clerics are just not in the mood to relent.

Why? Well, because they are used to having women under their thumb under the pretext of Sharia law. It's totally unfair that in a world that is evolving with every passing day, we Muslim women are still fighting for our rights to live with dignity. Seriously, haven't we come across enough reports of men divorcing their wives for petty issues?

Unfortunately, in my faith, a woman can't do much to protect herself from these patriarchal rules. For instance, a man can divorce his wife by opting for triple talaq, but a woman can't. She can't even divorce her husband without his permission. Also, what most people don't know is that a provision called khula, allows a wife to seek separation from her man, but by letting go of the alimony and with the permission of the man, of course.

And how can we not talk about the very complex nikah halala? The practice that forces a Muslim woman to marry another man, have sex with him, and then divorce him in order to get back with her first husband. Living in the 21st century, how can we still numbly follow these practices that don't make sense at all?

If the threat of triple talaq is not potent enough to make a Muslim woman feel vulnerable in a marriage, the concept of polygamy makes her life hell. In Sharia, a Muslim man is allowed to take four wives without seeking divorce, without his any of his wives' permission. Sure, the Holy Quran mentions that it is mandatory for a man to treat all his wives with same amount of affection and care, but it hardly happens in real life.

Most women can't do much when their husbands decide to take another wife. They can't approach the court of law, fight their family, or take a stand all by themselves. Simply because the religion bestows upon men such favours. A pity, if you ask me.

The rest of the Muslim countries in the world are no better. And it's no secret that they treat their women as second-class citizens, all in the name of religion.

To begin with, in Saudi Arabia, women can't get custody of their children, can't venture out of the country without the permission of their male guardian, and can't apply for a passport or identification cards without it. It doesn't matter how old they are, this rule applies to women of all ages.

Be it Iran, Iraq, Syria, or Afghanistan--the situation remains the same everywhere. Women are not allowed to function independently, and those who do, face the risk of execution by the moral police.

In most parts of the Muslim world, social interaction between a male and a female is considered a sin, which is punishable by lashing or worse, stoning.

The religious authorities make sure that the two genders don't get to mix at all, even while running a marathon, like it happened in Iran, this year.

In this case, the male athletes were allowed run the usual course, while the women athletes were restricted to an indoor stadium, far from the eyes of men. This segregation has turned into an obsession for most Muslim countries, who are ready to go to any lengths to stop it.

The religious authorities make sure that the two genders don't get to mix at all. Photo: AP

Pick any country, any place, any time, being a Muslim woman comes along with its own kind of burden. Which at times, feels too heavy to carry around.