COLOMBO: Following a statement by Rizwe Mufthi, President of the All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ulama (ACJU), that the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) is “perfect in the present state” and does not require changes, Sri Lankan women groups have termed his view a blocking of fundamental rights and called upon the government to intervene.

Women’s Action Network (WAN), a collective of eight women organisations working in Muslim and Tamil dominant areas, has said that it is “appalled and deeply disappointed” by the comments of the head of the ACJU.

Importantly, WAN noted that Rizwe Mufthi is a member of the committee on Muslim Personal Law Reforms headed by Justice Saleem Marsoof.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2017