Indian netball champion given triple-talaq for having daughter

Shumaila Javed, an Indian national netball champion, was divorced by her husband through a triple talaq over the phone for giving birth to a daughter in Uttar Pradesh. Shumaila is currently staying at her parental home in Amroha, 380km from Lucknow, and has requested that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath look into the matter, reports NDTV The triple talaq is a means for Muslim men to divorce their wives simply by saying the word “talaq" three times.  The All India Muslim Personal Law Board claims that the practice is supported by Sharia law, as marriage in Islam is a civil contract based on consent. The board further claims that talaq cannot be regulated by legislature as it falls outside the realm of the judiciary, being a matter of religion. This is not the first time that the spectre of triple-talaq has reared its head in the northern state. Earlier in Agra, 22-year-old Afrin was divorced through the practice on Facebook for having twin daughters. According to NDTV, a number of petitions have been filed to the Indian Supreme Court challenging the triple talaq, as women complained of being divorced through Facebook, Whatsapp, postcard and even via a newspaper advertisement. Indian Chief Justice JS Khehar said that a five-judge Constitution Bench will look into the issue during the court's summer vacation.