Mardan Bride Demands Books Worth Rs100,000 as Haq Mehr
While it is considered a norm in our society for expensive items to be given as "haq mehr" to brides on their wedding, Mardan's Naila Shamal has asked her husband for books worth Rs100,000 instead.
Haq mehr is the obligatory payment — made in the form of money, jewelry, home goods, furniture and/or any other form of property — made by a man directly to his wife-to-be upon taking her hand in marriage.
Only the woman has the right over her haq mehr, and paying it is a legal obligation under Islamic law and customs.
In a viral video on Twitter, Shamal can be seen dressed in a bridal outfit as she delivers an important message. "As you all know, I have demanded books worth Rs100,000 for Haq Mehr," she says. "One reason for this is that due to rising inflation in our country, we cannot afford expensive gifts. On the other hand, it is also important to eliminate wrong customs from our society," she adds.
Shumaila then says that most women demand money and jewelry as Haq Mehr but she decided to settle for books as, being a writer, it was important for her to show due importance for books.
"If I, as a writer, do not attach value to books then how can we expect the common man to do so?" she asks.
"The real reason I asked for the Haq Mehr is to give value to books so that we can also advise others to do the same," she says in conclusion.
The video went viral on Twitter, as it garnered more than 29,000 views and was retweeted more than 350 times.
It was tweeted by a user named Mona Farooq Ahmed.
"A bride Naila Shamal in Mardan KPK, Pakistan demanded books in Haq Mehr, worth 100k. The bride and the groom both are writers. How much you love books?" she had captioned the video.
Zainab praised the initiative, saying that the couple will enjoy writing in each other's company.
Faith, Civil Rights Groups Support Kristen Clarke for Top DOJ Civil Rights Post
Washington, DC: On Friday, a diverse coalition of faith, civil rights and community groups led by Muslim Advocates and the National Council of Jewish Women sent a letter supporting the nomination of Kristen Clarke to be assistant attorney general for civil rights at the US Department of Justice. The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to consider Clarke’s nomination in the coming weeks.
If confirmed, Clarke would be the first woman and Black woman to lead the department's Civil Rights Division. The letter was signed by more than 100 groups including Sojourners, Arab American Institute, The Sikh Coalition, Emgage Action and National Religious Campaign Against Torture.
Clarke has a long history of fighting for civil rights for all people at the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Civil Rights Bureau for the New York State Attorney General’s Office, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. and as a prosecutor at the Criminal Section at the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. In the letter, the groups note that Clarke’s sterling civil rights track record makes her an extremely qualified candidate to undo the damage done by the previous administration.
“It is critical that DOJ is comprised of leaders committed to ending discrimination; addressing white supremacy and hate violence; and advancing racial, gender, disability, ethnic, religious, immigrant, and LGBTQ justice,” wrote the groups. “Now, more than ever before, our elected and appointed leaders must be committed to a nation that is just and equitable for all people. We believe there is no better candidate to lead DOJ’s Civil Rights Division than Kristen Clarke.”
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