About 6 in 10 Muslim women who have had traditional Islamic weddings in Britain are not legally married, according to a survey.
They have had a nikah marriage but 61% failed to go through a separate civil ceremony, recognised by the family courts.
If their marriage breaks down and they cannot agree on a division of assets, it means they must fight through the civil courts rather than start with a presumption that they will get an equal share.
The survey, of 923 women in the UK, was based on responses to community researchers rather than random sampling. The findings will be broadcast on Tuesday on Channel 4 in The Truth About Muslim Marriage.
Rukhsana Noor, a divorcée who appears in the report, told The Sunday Times that when she discovered her marriage in 2004 was not legally valid she pressed her then husband for a civil ceremony, but he refused.
The couple had a son in 2010 but split in 2011 when she discovered he was having an affair. “My husband refused to pay maintenance and I couldn’t get the house we’d bought, although the majority of the money used to pay for it — 80% — was mine,” she said.
“I couldn’t claim more than 50% because we were viewed as co-habitees. I had to move in with my parents and I’ve spent £100,000 on legal costs.
“The government needs to change the law so that everybody who has a religious ceremony must also have a civil ceremony.”