06th August, 2019.
Civil Society Statement in support of Reforming the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act
We, the undersigned civil society organisations and individuals urge the Government of Sri Lanka to take immediate steps to reform the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA). The failure to reform the MMDA has been a long-standing issue that successive governments have not addressed, and this has had a dire impact on the Muslim community, in particular women and children. In taking this process forward, the Sri Lankan State will finally ensure greater protection and equality for the Muslim citizens of this country.
The MMDA as it currently stands has a number of drawbacks, particularly those relating to the age of marriage, the lack of mutual consent for marriage and divorce, and the serious limitations of the existing Quazi court system. Failure to address these problems places women in a vulnerable position and undercuts their right to equality as guaranteed by the Constitution of Sri Lanka. In other countries that have personal law systems similar to the MMDA, there have been efforts to reform such laws. Countries ranging from Afghanistan to Malaysia have taken measures to amend existing provisions, such as increasing the age of marriage and appointing female Quazis. Yet, in post-independence Sri Lanka, there has been no such progress.
The call for reforms has been longstanding. For at least thirty years, Muslim women’s groups and academics have advocated for both partial and comprehensive reforms. Successive governments appointed at least five different committees but the State failed to take action. The last committee, appointed in 2009, headed by Justice Saleem Marsoof carried out consultations for 9 years before presenting their findings and recommendations in early 2018. In July 2019, in a salutary move, the Muslim Members of Parliament agreed on 14 recommendations towards reform but once again it appears that there are moves to stymie reform.
The Government needs to urgently take action to address the repeated failure of the Sri Lankan State to protect the Muslim women and children. While there are differing views within the Muslim community, including among religious leaders and Islamic scholars, the State’s responsibility to protect all its citizens equally must be upheld. It is essential that the government acts decisively and forthwith to reform the laws that discriminate women from men. In pushing forward on the demands for reform of the MMDA, the Government and the Parliament will better ensure greater equality and justice for the people of this country.
Signatories;
Individuals
- Alagurajah Prasanjali
- Amalini de Sayrah
- Ananda Galappatti
- Anithra Varia
- Annemari de Silva
- Anuratha Rajaretnam
- Anushaya Collure
- Ashila Dandeniya
- Ashwiny Balakirushnaraja
- Asoka Obeyesekere
- Gowthaman
- Barathithasan Niroshini
- Bhavani Fonseka
- Buddhima Padmasiri
- Ranitha Gnanarajah – Attorney-at-Law
- Cayathri Divakalala – Researcher
- Channaka Jayasinghe
- Chintaka Rajapakse
- Chiranthi Mallikarachchi – Fashion Designer
- Chulani Kodikara
- Damaris Wickremesekera
- Danesh Casie Chetty
- Deanne Uyangoda
- Deborah Philip
- Deekshya Illangasinghe
- Dharshanie Alles, SFO
- Dilrukshi Handunneetti – Lawyer and Journalist
- Dinushika Dissanayake – Attorney-at-Law
- Anupama Ranawana – Independent Researcher
- Arani Poravi Nadarajah
- G. Usvatte-aratchi
- Harini Amarasuriya
- Jehan Perera
- Karthika Thiruchelvarajan
- Kaushalya Perera – University of Colombo
- Maheedaran Mahalingam
- P. Saravanamuttu
- Pamela Thirugnanam
- Pavithra Kailasapathy
- Selvanayagam Vijayanayagam
- Setunga Mudalige Philip
- Subathra Udayakumar
- Sumangali Perera
- Thiru Karthikeyan
- Thuvarakah Kanagaratnam
- Tush Wickramanayaka
- W.N.U.R. Karunadasa
- M. Bandara Menike – President, Women’s Development Foundation
- Easwary Sritharan
- Emil van der Poorten – In defence of civil rights
- Ephraim Shadrach
- Eranga Gunsekara
- Francis Costa Priyankara – Human Rights Activist
- Francis Raajan
- S Lakshan J.S. Dias – Attorney-at-Law
- Gamini Viyangoda – Purawesi Balaya
- Ganeshananthan Kiritharan
- Gaya Nagahawatta
- Geethika Dharmasinghe
- Gnanaharan Saravanapavananthan
- Godfrey Malarnesan
- Godfrey Yogarajah
- Gunasingham Kumanan
- Hans Billimoria – The Grassrooted Trust
- Immanuel Kitnan
- Iromi Perera
- Ishara Danasekara – vikalpa.org
- Ithayarani Sithravel
- Jake Oorloff
- Janan Sinduja
- Janaha Selvaras
- Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala
- Jayathilake Kammallaweera – Author
- Joanne Senn
- Joe William
- S. Ratnavale – Attorney-at-Law
- Kalani Subasinghe
- Kanchuka Dharmasiri
- Kamani Jinadasa – Women’s Rights Activist
- Karuppaiya Sathiyaseelan
- Kathirkamar Hemalatha
- Kaushalya Fernando – Actress
- Kaushalya Herath
- Kayalvili Gnanasegaran
- Keerthi Welisarage – Author
- Kumudini Samuel
- Kurukularasa Janan
- Lakmali Hemachandra
- Linosha Krishnakumar
- Lucille Abeykoon
- Mahaluxmy Kurushanthan
- Mahendran Nirosha
- Mahendran Thiruvarangan – Lecturer (Probationary) in English Literature, University of Jaffna
- Manel Fonseka
- Mangaleswary Shanker – Attorney-at-Law
- Marini de Livera
- Mario Gomez
- Marisa de Silva
- Mariyarosari Siva
- Mohan Nagarajah
- Murukaiya Sivasuthan
- Muthucumaran Sugirtharan
- Nadie Kammallaweera
- Navaratnam Narmatha
- Nilshan Fonseka
- Nirmala Mahenthiran
- Niventhini Sadikanth
- Narasingham
- Paba Deshapriya – Sanwedi Sri Lanka
- Paramasivum Muralitharan
- Pasan Jayasinghe
- Piyal Kariyawasam
- Priyalal Sirisena – Attorney-at-Law
- Arjuna Aluwihare
- Arjuna Parakrama
- Camena Guneratne
- Carmen Wickramagamage
- Harendra De Silva
- Jayantha Seneviratne
- Kumari Jayawardena
- Neloufer de Mel
- S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole
- Savitri Goonesekere – Emeritus Professor of Law and Former Vice Chancellor, University of Colombo
- Sitralega Maunaguru
- Sutharsan Somasundaram – Eastern University Sri Lanka
- Puvanesasingham Jeevithan
- Radhika Coomaraswamy
- Rajany Rajeswary
- Ramya Chamalie Jirasinghe – Country Coordinator, Kindernothilfe
- Rathika Ariyakumar
- Rathnapillai Thavaselvi
- Dr. Jayasiri Peiris
- Fr. F. J. G. Croos (Nehru)
- Fr. Joseph Jeyaseelan, CMF
- Fr. Nandana Manatunga
- Fr. Oswald Firth – People’s Association for Peace and Development
- Fr. Samuel J. Ponniah – Archdeacon of Jaffna
- Fr. V. Yogeswaran
- Saman Perera – Samadana/m
- Sr. Eymard Marie Fernando
- Sr. Nichola SCJM
- Rishani Wijesinghe
- Roshni de Fonseka
- Ruki Fernando
- Ruwanthie de Chickera – Theatre Artist
- Sakthidasan Saktheeswaran
- Sakuntala Kadirgamar
- Sampath Samarakoon – Editor – vikalpa.org
- Sandun Thudugala
- Sandya Ekneligoda
- Sanjayan Rajasingham
- Sarah Arumugam
- Sarah Soysa
- Sarala Emmanuel – Researcher and Visiting Lecturer Open University, Batticaloa Branch
- Sarvam Kailasapathy
- Selvanathan Tharshan
- Selvaraja Rajasegar
- Selvarasa Thileepan
- Shamini Vibulan
- Shanthi Dias
- Sharmaine Guneratne
- Sheila Richards
- Shiranee Mills
- Shyamala Gomez
- Shyamala Sivagurunathan
- Sinnathurai Ketheswary
- Sinthuka Vivekanthan
- Sounthararajan Eswary
- Subha Wijesiriwardena
- Sudhagaran Rajitha
- Sudharshini Susmitha Pathmanathan
- Sumathy Sivamohan – University of Peradeniya
- Sunanda Deshapriya – Editor – Sri Lanka Brief
- Suren Perera – Attorney-at-Law
- Swasthika Arulingam
- Tanuja Thurairajah
- Tehani Ariyaratne
- Thambirajah Kalaivani
- Thanaraj Thilakeshwary
- Tharmika Sivarajah
- Thayalini Jegatheesan
- Thiyagaraja Waradas – University of Colombo
- Thrashini Somasekaram
- Thurka Jeyachanthiran
- Uda Deshapriya – Attorney-at-Law
- Udan Fenando
- Udaya Kalupathirana
- Valarmathy Thushikaran
- Vanie Simon
- Vanitha Mahendran
- Vasuki Jeyasankar – Artist and Women’s Rights Activist
- Venuri Perera
- Vidura Prabath Munasinghe
- Vimukthi De Silva
- Visaka Dharmadasa
- Vraie Cally Balthazaar
- Yalini Loganath
Organisations
- Affected Women’s Forum (AWF), Ampara
- Alliance Development Trust (ADT)
- Association of War Affected Women (AWAW)
- Centre for Equality and Justice (CEJ)
- Centre for Human Rights and Development (CHRD)
- Centre for Justice and Change (CJC)
- Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA)
- Community Welfare and Development Fund
- Human Rights Office (HRO), Kandy
- INFORM Human Rights Documentation Centre
- International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES)
- Law and Society Trust (LST)
- Liberation Movement (LM)
- Maatram Foundation
- Mannar Women’s Development Federation (MWDF)
- Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR)
- National Peace Council (NPC)
- People’s Alliance for Right to Land (PARL)
- Praja Abhilasha Joining Hands Network
- Rural Development Foundation
- Sisters at Law
- StandUp Movement Lanka
- Stop Child Cruelty Trust
- Social Scientist Association
- Suriya Women’s Development Centre, Batticaloa
- The Institute of Social Development (ISD)
- Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL)
- Vallamai – Moment for Social Change, Jaffna
- Women and Media Collective (WMC)
- Women Education and Research Centre (WERC)