On Divorce...

It seems that technology is touching every aspect of our lives - even divorces! Neil Brady, a 39-year-old Briton ended his six-year marriage by making an announcement on Facebook. His wife, Emma Brady, 35, only found out about her husband’s intentions when he changed his Facebook status to read, “Neil Brady has ended his marriage to Emma Brady”. Emma only found out after a friend in Denmark called her up to see how she was coping.

Following this report in the local papers, Syariah lawyers have weighed in. And their views? Well, I am sure Muslim men would simply love this - as long as the words used leave no doubt as to the intent (such as I hereby divorce you with talak satu), then the declaration is accepted. It does not matter what medium is used to communicate the divorce (SMS or Facebook)...as long as it is communicated and the intent is clear, then it is acceptable. The issue of time lapse does not arise. If the husband posted his message on Facebook and the wife reads it a week later, the divorce is effective on the date of posting - how much easier can it get???

To my fellow Muslim sisters who are getting divorced, remember Ivana Trump's famous line - "Dont get mean - get everything!" Unfortunately, in many Muslim divorce cases, wives get a raw deal. Enforcement of Syariah court awards is lax and often times, the wife is left to shoulder the burden of raising the children. One lady's solution was to give up custody of children to her ex to make him financially responsible for the children - SAD!