Woman Between Islam and Western Society
8. Concerning Divorce
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for her husband’s visa, during which time she
maintained him and paid for his passage. The
marriage was a disaster. The boy turned out to be
an alcoholic, prone to violence and averse to doing
any work. Manu sought her parent’s consent to
wind up her business, divorce her husband and
return to India. Her parents travelled to America
and tried to persuade her not to be hasty. A few
days after her mother returned to Delhi, Manu’s
husband strangled her and dumped her body in a
deserted spot. He collected all he could in the house
and was planning to flee the United States when the
police caught up with him. He is now in jail on a
charge of murder.
It is obvious that Manu was not careless in selecting
her partner. She travelled from America to find a
suitable match in her birthplace. But all that glitters
is not gold. Our human limitations make it
impossible for us to understand every facet of a
person’s character before entering into a
relationship with him. The question arises if, after
such revelations, one should feel forced to respect a
marriage bond even at the cost of one’s life? When
society considers separation taboo, or the laws on
