MURIC Advocates for Women’s Right to Retain Fathers’ Names After Marriage
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called upon the Federal Government to grant married women the right to retain their fathers’ names.
In a statement released by Prof. Ishaq Akintola, the Executive Director of MURIC, the organization denounced the prevailing practice that forbids married Muslim women from using their fathers’ names.
The statement labeled this practice as a form of coercion, a denial of fundamental human rights, and a disregard for parental identity.
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Prof. Akintola highlighted the resulting confusion and identity crisis faced by married women due to the expectation of adopting their husbands’ surnames.
He argued against this practice, emphasizing that women maintain their family backgrounds and that husbands should not solely dictate their wives’ identities through marriage.
“We condemn the current practice for generating confusion, creating identity crises among married women, and for depriving women of their fundamental human right to personal and parental identity in marriage,” Prof. Akintola stated.
Citing Islamic teachings, MURIC advocated for the adoption of Islamic practices allowing married women to retain their fathers’ surnames post-marriage, contrary to Western customs that mandate adopting husbands’ surnames.
The organization urged the Federal Government and relevant authorities to implement a policy change, granting married women the choice between retaining their fathers’ names or adopting their husbands’ names.
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Prof. Akintola clarified that this advocacy extends beyond Muslim women to all married women seeking to preserve their parental identities.
He emphasized the importance of women having the freedom to choose their identities after marriage, stressing that women’s liberation remains incomplete until they have this right.
MURIC appealed to the National Assembly, urging both the Senate and the House of Representatives to introduce bills granting Nigerian women the freedom to choose their names after marriage.
Prof. Akintola highlighted the importance of parental identity, urging authorities not to overlook this fundamental right and advocating for married women to be liberated from undue masculine domination in identity matters.
He concluded by stating, “Islam sets women free. It beats logic, fairness, and natural justice that a husband appears out of nowhere to commandeer a woman’s parental identity simply by marrying her. Such identity robbery also has its disadvantages.”
