Dr M expresses unease over use of SMS in Muslim divorce case
BY SA’ODAH ELIASCYBERJAYA: Advances in technology are meant for people to communicate better and not to be abused, as in the case of divorcing one's wife using the short messaging system (SMS), Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.
The Prime Minister said advances in technology should not be used too freely when it came to important personal matters like divorce.
Referring to the Gombak Timur Syariah Court decision that the pronouncement of the SMS divorce was valid, Dr Mahathir said:
“I am not too keen on that but it has been accepted, perfectly legal, perfectly Islamic.”
Although divorce was allowed, men should take it seriously and not resort to “the easy way out” when wanting to divorce their wives, Dr Mahathir said in his speech when opening Ericsson’s new regional hub and its Malaysian headquarters here yesterday.
The personal approach, the Prime Minister said, was the best because it could open the way for a more positive outcome.
“We hope of course that instead of sending messages, he would look at the picture of his beautiful wife, call and talk to her over the phone.
“Maybe she will cry and he will retract the move. That is progress,” he added.
Women’s groups, political movements and non-governmental organisations have expressed disappointment over the court decision on July 24 in which Gombak Timur syariah judge Mohamad Fauzi Ismail ruled that the 18-month marriage between Shamsudin Latif and Azida Fazlina Abdul Latif was annulled when the man sent an SMS that read “Kalau engkau tak keluar dari rumah mak bapak engkau, jatuh talak tiga (If you do not leave your parents’ house, you will be divorced).”
In Port Dickson, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi urged the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) to take note of the “uneasiness” expressed by women’s groups over the issue, reports SIMON KHOO.
“I can understand that women are worried about this as just about anybody can send an SMS to initiate a divorce.
“There is a possibility that one could be cheated or deceived by an SMS sent by irresponsible parties,” he said after opening the Armed Forces’ Islamic Understanding and Training Institute.
“There is no proof to be attributed to the so-called sender, unlike letters where there is a signature for verification.
“We will have to ask Jakim on how to handle this issue.”
Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil said in Kuala Lumpur that she would ask the Cabinet to confer with Jakim on whether there were provisions in Islamic family law for divorce via the SMS, reports WANI MUTHIAH.
If there were provisions in Islamic family law, then it should be made clear to all, she said at the Sisters In Islam fund-raising campaign and new publications launch.
She said she would raise the matter at the weekly Cabinet meeting today as her ministry was concerned with the syariah court ruling, which she said had degraded women and mocked the sanctity of marriage.
The pronouncement of divorce via SMS contravened the principles of Islam and it should not be allowed to become a culture, as it could create a negative image of the religion, she said.
“The majority of Muslims are balking at what has happened as they feel that SMS should not be a tool used to pronounce divorce,” she added.
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