Divorce can be a costly and messy business, unless you are a Muslim man married under Islamic law. In that case, you can simply utter the word talaq (divorce) three times and the marriage is over.
This practice was last week challenged in India's supreme court, where Muslim women are demanding its abolition. But it is not just India that is failing to safeguard basic rights — lawmakers here in Britain are letting down vulnerable Muslim women.
The problem is that some Islamic marriages are not legally binding in the UK, usually because the marriage has not been registered through a civil ceremony. In effect, this means the married couple are treated under the law as cohabitees. [The Times (£)] Read more
