No Muslim organisation promotes child marriage: Lucknow Imam on Assam Muslim Marriages Act repeal

In a significant legislative move, the Assam government has decided to repeal the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorce Registration Act and Rules of 1935 through the Assam Repealing Bill 2024. This decision, announced on Thursday, July 18, aims to prevent child marriage and ensure uniformity in marriage and divorce registration across the state.

Reacting to this development, Lucknow Eidgah Imam Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali, speaking to ANI on Friday, July 19, firmly stated that no Muslim organization supports child marriage. "I would like to clarify that no Muslim organization promotes child marriage at all," he asserted.

Maulana Khalid emphasized that existing central legislations already address the issue of child marriages. "There is a law in place in the country that sets the minimum age for marriage at 18 for women and 21 for men. Additionally, we have the Shariat Application Act and the Women Protection Act at the central level. These acts ensure that states do not have the authority to override them," he explained.

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He also refuted claims suggesting that Muslims endorse child marriage, labeling such allegations as "baseless." "I believe that Muslims do not promote child marriage at all. So, all such allegations that are leveled from time to time are baseless," he reiterated.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, explaining the rationale behind the repeal, stated on social media platform X, "We have taken a significant step to ensure justice for our daughters and sisters by putting additional safeguards against child marriage. In today's #AssamCabinet meeting, we decided to repeal the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorce Registration Act and Rules of 1935 via the Assam Repealing Bill 2024."

Elaborating further, CM Sarma said, "To achieve parity in the registration of marriage and divorce, the State Cabinet has approved the Assam Repealing Bill, 2024, which aims to annul the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act, 1935, and the corresponding rules. The bill will be presented in the next monsoon session of the Assam Legislative Assembly for consideration. Additionally, the State Cabinet has directed that suitable legislation be formulated for the registration of Muslim marriages in Assam, to be deliberated in the next Assembly session."