Kerala Muslim couple remarriage after 29 years angers community

The remarriage of advocate and actor C Shukkur and his wife Sheena, the former Pro Vice Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University under the Special Marriage Act, 29 years after they got married led to a storm on social media. But the purpose is what has been drawing the criticism. Their remarriage is to ensure their daughter’s ‘financial security’, which is not permitted in Muslim law. Their three daughters were also present at the remarriage event.

C Shukkur came under attack after he announced his decision to marry his wife under the Special Marriage Act to ensure that his property goes to his daughters and not to his brother. The Council for Fatwa and Research of Darul Huda Islamic University issued a fatwa against Shukkur, reports said.

The fatwa was issued on Tuesday, a day before his remarriage. “Such thoughts are tragic results of the failure to understand the Islamic principles…Allah is the real owner of all wealth and property. They should be utilised the way Allah stipulated,” the fatwa said adding that a person can divide the property among the daughters when he or she is alive.

According to the law of inheritance in Islam, if the deceased father has only daughters, then two-thirds of the property should be divided between the father’s sisters and brothers..

Countering all the criticism against him, Shukkur had told that he did not have any intentions to challenge religion. “Article 14 of the Indian Constitution provides equality. There should be no discrimination based on gender. My daughters are denied the rights and privileges that are enjoyed by sons of my siblings or women of other communities. This inequality happens because they follow Islam or because they are the children of parents who follow Islam. This creates a negative impact on them. My children should get equal rights. The issue of inheritance of assets is secondary,” he said.