Posted on 01/20/2006 4:59:24 AM PST by martin_fierro
Malaysian senator fined for divorcing wife by SMS
Fri Jan 20, 12:01 AM ET
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - A Malaysian Muslim senator has been fined for divorcing his wife by sending her an SMS text message and leaving a voicemail on her mobile phone.
The senator, Kamaruddin Ambok, 52, was fined 550 ringgit (147 dollars) Thursday by a Islamic or sharia court for attempting to divorce his wife Mahani Hussain by phone in October 2001, instead of declaring his intentions in court.
The maximum punishment for the offence is 1,000 ringgit or six months' jail, reports said.
"When you marry someone, you go through all the ... processes," said the sharia judge, Zainor Rashid Hassin, referring to ethnic Malay marriage rituals.
"Now, why can't you divorce someone properly as well," he was quoted as saying in the Star daily.
In Malaysian Islamic law, a man can divorce his wife with verbal pronouncements known as talaq in a sharia court, said reports.
The ruling comes amidst heated debate over controversial Islamic family legislation that rights groups have said undermine women's rights within a marriage.
The prosecuting sharia officer, Mohamad Yusof Sulaiman, had asked for a heavier sentence, saying it would better highlight the seriousness of the offence.
"Cases such as this are happening often these days," he said.
"Even NGOs have been critical of Islamic laws lately, especially on matrimonial matters which are said to favour certain parties."
Kamaruddin said he regretted his actions and asked for light punishment and a reduction in the sentence, said reports.
I think I've seen you somewhere before. Convention much?
I am not conventional by any means.
I'll take your word for it. ;^)
Good idea.
Here he is out of costume.... My guess is he suffers from something like restless leg syndrome.
There really ought to be a law.
You'd never guess I post from a Mennonite Colony. :)
I'd never try it, my back would go out.
Uhhhm, I think it is a bit more than some syndrome in his legs.
I lived in PA, some of those Mennonites are quite rowdy.....beneath the sedate dresses and coordinating white socks.
I used to skydive at a drop zone in Amish country, they would come out and watch the "english" leap out of planes. They thought it was great entertainment.
There was an open market not too far from where I lived and some Mennonite women had baked goods there. They were always very sweet and made some incredible breads.
"You say, "I brek with thee, I brek with thee, I brek with thee.....3 times.
The you throw poop on her shooes."
(Sarcastic reference to how Moslems treat women.)
She told her daughter over the phone because she was away at college - about 15 miles away at college. No excuse for that.
I just have a hard time accepting that if one commits adultry and asks for a divorce, there's no consequences for it. There is no difference as if they just agreed they didn't love each other anymore and decided to end the marriage. I don't get it.
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