SOCIETY

Talaq uttered during a dream lands couple in crisis

     Jalpaiguri (West Bengal): A Muslim couple in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district have been asked to live separately by the local religious leaders, after husband allegedly uttered 'Talaq' three times while sleeping. Aftab Ansari and Sohela have been married for past 11 years and have three children. Aftab, allegedly uttered Talaq three times during a dream while he was sleeping on December 19. What lent credibility to the utterance was that he had gone to sleep after having a fight with his wife. Next day Sohela discussed the issue with her relative and soon this incident came to the notice of local religious leaders, who then issued a Fatwa ordering them to stay separately. The couple, however, have decided to ignore the Fatwa and not to stay separately. "My wife says she will commit suicide if forced to marry somebody else. I am not wrong and what I am doing is also not wrong. But I think what my society is doing, is also not wrong. I think they are doing what they think is right," Aftab said. The leaders justify their stand by stating that according to the rules of "Shariat", talaq has to be implemented and if it is not acceptable, the only alternative was temporary separation for 100 days during which the wife will live at her father's house and spend a night with another man. After that, Sohela can re-marry her husband only if the man gives her Talaq. The local religious leaders have directed the couple to obey their orders or face social boycott. "I cant live without him. I love him and I don't want to leave him in any case," Sohela says. Terrified of Fatwa, the couple also went to the family counselling centre at Falakata to seek help. But they could not find any assistance there.
-Mar 29, 2006

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