ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the popular representation of the triple talaq controversy. It examines the claims and counterclaims made by different political actors on three core issues – the practice of instant triple talaq called talaq al-bid’ah, the Muslim Personal Law (MPL) and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) – and their popular media representations. For the sake of analysis, the chapter divides these claims into two categories: those who support the government’s legal initiatives to ban and criminalise the practice of instant triple talaq (the supporters); and those who oppose the triple talaq bill and criticise the government for its overt politicisation. The binary between the supporters/opponents, the chapter tries to show, produces a dominant media-driven discourse. The chapter argues that the nuanced arguments, especially made by the Muslim women’s organisations, do not find any space in these highly charged political debates.
