Women’s Rights in Marriage

Lawyer and campaigner Aina Khan spoke on the subject of registering Muslim marriages in the UK saying, that we need to “…update our laws which (currently) say that only three faiths have to register their marriages, and that (currently) does not include Muslims. So Muslims can have a free for all and they can decide whether or not too. And guess what, they’re not. More than 80% of under 30s are not registering (their marriages). And that’s growing, which is a terrifying thought.

“I don’t want a law change to come that will not be welcomed by people on the ground. The awareness has to be not just amongst Muslims, it’s not a Muslim campaign, it’s a marriage legality campaign, a justice campaign – and that includes all faiths. So we’ll be working with Hindus, Sikhs, Jews, Christians, and Muslims of course, and every other faith, who will together teach each other the benefits of registration and the tragedies that come about if you don’t register your marriage.

“If you just had a religious ceremony, like a nikkah (Islamic marriage ceremony) in the UK and didn’t register it, no court can help you if that marriage breaks down, or if your husband dies. You may regard him as your husband but you could be made homeless overnight when his family take the house back, when you and your children can be thrown out. And it happens every hour of every day; and there are hundreds of thousands in that position now.

“You register your car, so register your marriage. It’s as simple as that”

For those looking for additional insight, videos from the British Islamic Conference will appear on the organizer’s New Horizon’s website over the upcoming weeks at http://www.nhorizons.org/