Educational Media Reviews Online

In some ways, this film records another chapter is a long running story. Men take control of a society. They try to subjugate the women. At some point, the women gain an education and learn that they, too, have rights.

This film focuses on a Muslim community in India. The women have begun to receive education and learned that the Quran gives women certain rights that men had been trying to deny them. Some of the women began training as Qazis which are Muslim clerics who interpret and administer the personal law.

One particular issue that they tackle is referred to as Triple Talaq. If a husband says Talaq three times, he is granted an instant divorce; no courts, no lawyers. He walks away a free man, and the wife is left with the children and no alimony. In recent years, men have been pushing the envelope on this such as sending the Talaqs in a text message.

There is a definite bias in the slant of this film. The Qazis are strong women; all others are victimized but learning. Most men are portrayed as either shallow and self-indulgent or as militantly opposed to women’s rights. Undoubtably, there are many happy marriages in this society, but we are only shown one such.

With Islamophobia remaining prevalent in some parts of the U.S., I am worried that some might dwell on the negativity of the problem rather than the hope offered by the solution of these female Qazis. I think it would be necessary in any classroom discussion to emphasize that this film is focused on a particular problem in a particular area and should not be taken as a commentary on the whole of Islam.

Awards:
The Prestigious President's Indian National Film Award for Best Film on Social Issues; Impactful Film of the Year at Vancouver International Women in Films Festival; International Documentary Long at Regina International Film Festival & Awards

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