The Imrana Matter

Just some brief thoughts on this horrendous affair.

It may be that Indian law (somehow) allows what's happening to her, and it may even be that (for some inexplicable reason) she will go along with the Dar-ul-Uloom fatwa, BUT the rest of India (Muslim or not) is surely not required to forego our common sense.

Who among us can say that what's happening to Imrana is OK -- would we let this happen to a near and dear one? If not, it's our duty to call a spade a spade. This farce is a profound Indian tragedy that none of our sisters (of whatever faith) should have to live through.

This is the only respectable position on this matter. Anything else is horrible sophistry.

If the application of a law (be it secular or divine in origin) leads to obviously unacceptable human outcomes, the law must take a secondary position to the human whose life it is traumatizing. It is inconceivable that (especially) God's law intends to hurt human lives as is being argued here. Since God's law is beyond reproach, the fault surely lies with its interpreters -- by acknowledging their own fallibility, Muslim elders can simultaneously respect Hadith and prevent this barbaric outcome from happening.

As secular Indians, we pray that good sense will finally prevail.