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Britain: If you follow the news of the world, then you must have heard about the Ex-Muslim Movement. Here Ex means former. Ex-Muslim Movement is a movement of Muslims around the world to distance ( behind) themselves from traditional Islam and become ‘ex-Muslims’. In the last few years, this Ex-Muslim movement has gained a lot of strength in America, Britain and European countries.
Muslims are rapidly moving away from Islam. In 2017, Pew Research Center reported that in 2035, the population of Muslims will be the largest in the world. But the expansion of the Ex-Muslim Movement is now raising questions on this claim. Without going into the statistics, we will highlight the reasons for this today.
People are forming their own ex-Muslim society.
If you ask, is he an ex-Muslim? Now adopting Christianity or Hinduism or Buddhism? Barring isolated cases, this is not so. Most of these Muslims are developing their own ‘Ex-Muslim Society’. That is, instead of converting to another religion, they are preferring to call themselves ‘former Muslims’.
Then the question arises that if they do not like Islam, then why only Ex-Muslims? Why not adopt any other religion? So the answer is that these people have a problem not with Islam, but with some principles made within Islam, some restrictions, some restrictions, some very fanatic ideas and many practices of inequality.
Safia of Kerala filed a petition
For example, we are placing before you a case from India, from which you will be able to know at least one reason for the Ex-Muslim Movement. Safia PM of Kerala was a Muslim by birth, but now she no longer believes in Islam. Safia calls herself an EX-Muslim and is also the leader of the EX-Muslims of Kerala organization.
Safia has filed a petition in the Supreme Court. In this petition, he has sought a share in his father’s property under the Indian Succession Act 1925. Safia demands that her succession should not be decided by the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act 1937. Safia’s argument is that her father is also a non-practicing Muslim, hence his succession should be decided by the laws of India.
Supreme Court approved the petition
The three-member Supreme Bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud has accepted Safia’s petition. The date of hearing has also been given. Now the questions to be resolved in this case are –
– Will Sharia law be applicable on those who are ex-Muslims or not? – On what basis should ex-Muslims get the benefit of secular law?
Two heirs of Safia’s father
Safia’s father has only two heirs. One is Safia, the other is her brother, who is suffering from a disease. Brother’s responsibility also rests on Safia. Safia has two objections. First- There is inequality and discrimination against daughters in Muslim personal law. Second- Muslim father cannot give equal rights to his daughter even if he wants to.
Even before Safia, such cases have reached the courts and remained in the same dilemma as to how a Muslim should be given the benefit of Indian Inheritance Law despite Muslim Personal Law? In the year 2023, Kerala High Court had also given its verdict in favor of Muslim Personal Law in the Bushra Ali case.
You will not get a share even if your brother is not present.
If we follow Muslim personal law, in this case Safia’s brother is entitled to 66% of his father’s will, while Safia is entitled to only 33%. According to Shariat law, the daughter’s share will be only half that of the son. Due to some reason Safia cannot get even 66% of her brother’s share in his absence. In such a case, the father’s relatives will have the right on this share.
Major reasons for leaving Islam
However, in the Muslim Personal Law Application Act 1937, the share in the will or property has been fixed for many family members. Parents also have a part in this. But in this there is inequality between daughters as well as wives. Questions regarding discrimination against women have been raised earlier also. It cannot be said clearly that this is the only reason for Muslims to join the EX Muslim Movement. But if we look at recent cases, it is clear that among all the reasons, this inequality is also the biggest reason.
