From pmathur@vt.eduTue Aug 22 02:30:12 1995 Date: Sat, 19 Aug 1995 22:41:17 -0400 From: piyush mathur Reply to: beijing-conf@tristram.edc.org To: beijing-conf@tristram.edc.org Subject: Islamic law/women & marriage: the current Indian crisis PM upholds Islamic law NEW DELHI, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Indian Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao promised the country's Muslims Tuesday that he would not scrap a constitutional provision that allows them to follow Islamic law in personal matters like marriage and divorce. Hindu nationalists, led by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, have mounted a strident campaign to institute a uniform civil code to govern Hindus and Muslims alike. However, in a speech marking the 48th anniversary of India's independence, Rao said his government has no intention of introducing a common code -- at least not in the immediate future. "It will not happen now," he told thousands of people who gathered outside New Delhi's Red Fort for the annual independence day speech. "I can't say about the future, but today we cannot undertake such a task," Rao said. Under Islamic law, Muslim men are allowed to marry up to four times and can also obtain quick divorces through a religious procedure. Hindus, however, must contend with India's inefficient civil court system in order to secure a divorce before they can remarry. Hindu nationalists have been upset by several recent incidents of Hindu men converting to Islam in order to remarry. Meanwhile, Muslims have been furious at the campaign to rescind their long-established constitutional protection. Muslim leaders have accused the BJP of stirring up a needless controversy for political purposes. "We would not accept the scrapping of our personal law, even if the highest court of the country ordered it," Syed Ahmed Bukhari, deputy head-cleric of New Delhi's largest mosque, told United Press International. In his independence day speech, Rao called for citizens and politicians to focus their attention on economic problems like poverty, rather than on religious issues which inflame Hindu-Muslim tensions. "Issues of bread and butter should be discussed and we should try to find solutions rather than go back to religion," the prime minister said. India Tuesday marked its 48th year of independence from Britain.