I will continue my struggle: Ayesha Siddiqua
In 2012, Ayesha Siddiqua applied to be a 'nikah' (marriage) registrar for three wards (wards 7, 8, and 9) of Phulbari municipality in Dinajpur district. But the law ministry at the time barred her from becoming the country’s first woman marriage registrar. A High Court bench recently ruled against her too, upholding the government's decision. Ayesha Siddiqua speaks to Prothom Alo about the issue of women becoming 'nikah' registrars.
In 2012, Ayesha Siddiqua applied to be a 'nikah' (marriage) registrar for three wards (wards 7, 8, and 9) of Phulbari municipality in Dinajpur district. But the law ministry at the time barred her from becoming the country’s first woman marriage registrar. A High Court bench recently ruled against her too, upholding the government's decision. Ayesha Siddiqua speaks to Prothom Alo about the issue of women becoming 'nikah' registrars.
There has been a deluge of discussions regarding the issue of women being appointed as 'nikah' marriage registrars in the wake of the High Court verdict. What is your reaction?
I am observing what is being said and written by everyone in this context. Many have spoken to me directly too. I am speaking as far as possible in detail. Most people are in favour of appointing women as marriage registrars. I realise that I am not alone. There are many more people with me.
Why have you chosen the profession of nikah registry?
My cousin Kazi Saifur Rahman, a marriage registrar, asked me why I don't be a candidate for the post as I had all qualifications to be a registrar like him. I liked what he said. There is no female marriage registrar in Bangladesh, so I wanted to fill this vacuum. My husband Md. Solaiman Hossain, a homeopathic physician, encouraged me too.
Was there any such condition in the circular that candidate must be male?
No. I would not be a candidate for the post if there was any such condition there. In fact, the marriage of Muslims is held under the Muslim Marriage and Divorce (Registration) Act, 1974. According to the act, the government will allow the required number of individuals to register marriages. But it is not said that women cannot register marriages or that only men can do so.
At what stage of the recruitment process did you have to halt?
A circular was published in 2012 seeking a nikah registrar for wards 7, 8 and 9 under Phulbari upazila. We were three female candidates for this post. Among them, I had passed the Fazil degree (equivalent to Higher Secondary School certificate). A five-member committee headed by former primary and mass education minister Mostafizur Rahman Fizar took our recruitment test. The former minister Fizar also wanted to recruit a woman for this post in his area.
I achieved first place in the test. After contacting with the law ministry about joining work, an official said that since there was no female marriage registrar, the matter needed to be discussed. This was in 2014, two years after the examination.
What did ministry do?
They abolished the whole recruitment panel by issuing a letter on 16 June 2014. The letter said that Muslim marriage is a ritual. Prior to the marriage registry, a registrar plays the central role to exchange and accept the proposals of the bridge and groom. The nikah registrars have to be present at the wedding ceremony at any time of the day or night. So it is not practical for women to register marriages. After that, I went to the court.
Suppose you do become a marriage registrar. Usually many people come to the ‘Kazi office’ to get married. In that case, who will conduct marriage?
According to the Muslim law, any Muslim person over 18 years of age is qualified to a conduct marriage. So I don't see any problem here either.
But the court also cited the ‘physical limitations’ of women, a period when women could not participate in religious ceremonies.
Have you seen the marriage registration book? There are two columns for signatures, one for the person who conducts the marriage and another column for the marriage registrar. The marriage registrar does not conduct marriage. They register of the marriage. So why the question of taking part in religious activities come up? Women are doing everything now. They are governing the country, working in police and military forces. If women can do all the work, then why can’t they do the task of marriage registration? I believe I will get justice from court.
So are you not stopping here?
No. I will continue my struggle. I am getting unprecedented support. This support cannot go in vain. And there is strong support from my family. My husband and three daughters have been struggling with me from the beginning.