I Should Have Read My Islamic Marriage Contract Why didn’t I? Why don’t a lot of Muslim women?
The problem is that marriage contracts often take away rights women otherwise have under Islamic law. This includes the right to file for divorce: Almost all the men in my family and in my husband’s family cancel this provision before handing the contract over to the woman’s family. It’s considered impolite, and a breach of the trust that Sehgal talks about, for a woman or the relative representing her to insist otherwise.
Women also forfeit the right to other protections. For example, in Islam, a woman is promised a certain amount of money (in keeping with her husband’s income) usually given to her if she chooses to divorce. The money is meant to provide her with some degree of financial security, especially if she leaves her husband. Despite the excellent logic behind this right, most men frown upon it. They put into the contract measly amounts, such as $1 or $10, simply to fill in the blank. And women don’t ask questions. An elderly aunt of mine takes great pride in saying that she agreed to 1 cent …