Why Malayalam actor C. Shukkur says marrying his wife was the right thing to do to protect daughters’ legacy

By Jeemon Jacob: Lawyer who remarried Malayalam actor C. Shukkur to his wife of 28 years, under the provisions of the Special Marriage Act, 1954, to protect the inheritance rights of their three daughters, has irked Islamic hardliners in Kerala and called for bullying and intimidation of couples on social media.

Shukkur and his wife Dr. Sheena, who heads the faculty of law at Kannur University and was formerly vice-chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam, chose International Women’s Day (March 8) to remarry. Shukkur revealed on social media that the move was made to ensure that the couple’s assets go only to their daughters, Khadeeja Jasmine, Fathima Jebin and Fathima Jesa.

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The marriage was registered at Hosdurg’s sub-registrar’s office in Kasaragod in the presence of the daughters. Shukkur, who had first married Dr. Sheena on October 6, 1994, had given advance notice of the remarriage on Facebook. Since then, the couple has been hunted. Muslim religious bodies and hardliners criticized Shukkur for apparently breaking Sharia law. The Council of Fatwa and Research at Darul Huda Islamic University in Malappuram issued a fatwa against the actor.

Police in Kasargod have stepped up surveillance around Shukkur’s home since March 9, as there is a danger that the family is being targeted.

Shukkur spoke at length to INDIA TODAY about his reasoning behind the re-poisoning. “We remarried to ensure that my daughters inherited my assets alone and decided to use the provisions of the Special Marriage Act. Under the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act 1937, leaving a will would not have helped my daughters to have full inheritance rights. According to Shariat law, our daughters are only entitled to two-thirds of our property. Besides our children, my siblings will get a lot – the only reason for that is that we don’t have a son. My children faced severe discrimination just because they are girls,” said Shukkur.

According to the actor, he is not the first Muslim to remarry under the Special Marriage Act to ensure full inheritance for their daughters. “Two former Supreme Court judges, an NRI tycoon and many high-ranking officials from our community have opted for the legal provision to ensure full inheritance to their daughters. But they never disclosed the remarriage,” Shukkur said.

Shukkur’s move may revive the debate in Kerala on a common civil law proposed by the BJP. Islamic bodies have strongly opposed it. The debate can only heat up in the coming days as opposition to Shukkur’s remarriage has offered the state BJP a political opportunity.

“Article 14 of the Constitution guarantees equality and no discrimination based on gender. My daughters were denied rights and privileges enjoyed by the sons of my siblings or women from other communities. The disparity happens because they follow Islam as a faith or they belong to parents who follow Islam. My children must have equal rights. The issue of inheritance of assets is secondary,” Shukkur said.

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