An interesting MMA perspective and it’s agenda
By: Raza Rahman Khan Qazi
Mufti Ghulam- ur- Rahman is a known religious figure of Pakistan. He hails from Bailian, Manshera. He did his masters from Peshawar University and M. Phil from AIOU Islamabad. He also got a certificate from Egypt’s Jamia Al Azhar in Islamic teachings. He remained a teacher of Islamic disciplines for 24 years at Darul Uloom, Akora Khattak. Since 1996 he has been associated as head of Jamia-e-Usmania, Peshawar. He was appointed Chairman of the Nifaze Shariah Council (NSC) after Muttahida Majlis e Amal formed government in NWFP and is also the Chairman of its subordinate body for reformation of higher education commission in the Frontier province. Excerpts follow:
While asked what change implementation of Shariat Act has brought to the province Mufti Ghulam-ur-Rahman said that Shariah has two aspects; one is the implementation of Shariah the other is bringing about reformation in the light of Shariah. It could be implemented with the change of system that requires amendment in the constitution, which is a federal subject. The Shariah Act, which was enforced through provincial assembly, is only an effort to reform the system that is under NWFP’s purview, he explained. The Mufti admitted that with this act no sea change in the society has effected. “I cannot say that with the enforcement of the act people have been provided with jobs or the malady of corruption eliminated.”
However he said that an important change regarding Shariah act which has transpired or gradually revealing are the recommendations of three commissions established under it viz: education, economic & financial and legal commission for provincially administered tribal areas (PATA).
Regarding the educational reforms he said that the first aim of the commission was to establish the goal of education. “There is a social misconception about education that it is for earning a livelihood. My own view is that to pursue education for economic reasons is to deprecate education. Education is not a means towards an end of livelihood but an end in itself.”
The Mufti defended the Islamists by telling that another aim of the education commission was to allay “social delusion” that mullahs were against liberal education or learning of modern disciplines. “We want to clarify that according to Islam the pursuit of modern disciplines like computer, modern economic theory, genetic engineering is Farz-e-Kafaya (a religious obligation) and it is a worship. According to Islamic teachings if the learning of contemporary disciplines is not imparted the whole society is held responsible for it.”
He said one of the requirements for an Islamic Mufti is that he should also be an expert of contemporary disciplines that is why “in my own Madrassa lessons on legal and economic affairs are arranged.”
“Another of our recommendation,” he said “is that the formulation of syllabi should be in the light of aim of education.” The third recommendation is on the ratio of female education. “I am ashamed to say that female literacy ratio in NWFP is pathetic. What we have concluded from our surveys and other findings is that even despite of facilities many girls are not allowed to attend schools. So the reason for lack of female education is not economic but societal narrow-mindedness.” He advocated that it also shows that mullahs are not against female education.
It is strange that to different religious scholars laws of Shariah have different interpretations. This was evident from the view of Ghulam-ur-Rahman that the Shariah regulation, which was enforced in the PATA were only Islamic in name. Summing up he said that all the above shows that the Shariah Act of MMA definitely has an impact. Although he admitted the impact is not on the level of a common man.
He argued that the Hasbah bill presentation was necessary because in the society there was no system of justice for the redressal of the grievances of the innocent and the down-trodden. He clarified: “the basic institution that can brought any changes in the society is the judiciary and constitutionally it is a federal subject. So, Hasbah law would not play the role of a parallel judiciary but in fact it is an administrative system. This would make sure that if a poor and oppressed person goes to an office his complaints and needs must be lent an ear to. Likewise, a doctor does not know about his responsibilities and accountability because he/she knows that no one would ask him.” Administrative problems like these were being addressed under the office of ombudsman in other three provinces. While, there was no such office in NWFP and we want to have one for the reformation of administration, he said. However, he again made the matter complex by saying that with it “we also want that in society there should be proliferation of religious teachings.” For instance, he said that in Pakhtoon society no one gives share to the daughters and sisters; “don’t we need an institution to hear the agonies of these women”. “We have done nothing else but have taken out leaves from federal and provincial ombudsmen and the section 23, which has been incorporated for the Islamic aspect has been taken from the Islamic Ideological Council. So it is not a parallel system which would render the society topsy-turvy.
Taking a somewhat different stance from his earlier admission he said that a change has been effected and claimed that if the aim is to prevent corruption than he is sure that none of the MMA’s minister could be accused of having indulged in it. “Yes, we would have loved NWFP ministers to have sit at people’s feet like the Caliphate of the Great Umar but for this there we must also have governed like the age of Umar (RA)”.
On the unchallengeable role of ombudsmen he said that it is naive to think that decisions of the ombudsmen could not be challenged. On the contrary, he said, the decisions of the ombudsmen would be rectified by the normal judicial process. “In no way it is a martial law of Mullahs it is just a reformation of society for instance, the local governments are also meant to control price hikes but can any local member would go to his locality and ask someone that why he is selling goods on higher rates? No. So there is an administrative vacuum, which the ombudsman would fill.
Dispelling the impression that the Hasba force would be somewhat like a la Taliban body, he said that only it has its Islamic name while it would be manned by personnel from regular police force.
About Islamic concept of development he said that society has rights over the state; as a society progresses the provision of resources and facilities thus needed is the responsibility of the state. “Islamic concept of development is mufti-faceted. Alas we may have conceived it,” the scholar regretted.
The mufti was optimistic bout the future of madrassas and said that madrassa is not mere a concept but it is a 1400 years old educational-research institution. “The traditional aim of the madrassa was a pure society. In Prophet (SAW) age the madrassa played its role in the economic, agricultural and diplomatic affairs of the Islamic state through research of the scholars residing with in it. In fact the madrassa is solely a place of research and directly has no role in the Jihad.”
About Jihad he said that it is the way to defend Islamic way of life and Muslim territory. Pointing towards the Western concept of Jihad, he asked whether there would be no one in the US or the Britain who would take up arms to defend their motherland if they are attacked? “In fact both of them are doing to protect their way of life and values. He explained that the madrassa is not equated with Jihad but with terrorism; it is a basic mistake not to make a distinction between the two. Terrorism is Haram (forbidden) in Islam while Jihad is an obligation. Explicating terrorism he said it is a course of creating violence and panic in a society. “In Islam a Muslim is not allowed even to scratch a non-Muslim or to do him any injustice. On the impression of establishing a Taliban like governance in NWFP he said that nothing like such happening in the frontier.
However, he said that the Taliban had two facets: their system was exemplary because there was absolute peace there. But one might differ with the way of governance with Taliban and the scientific explanation of their attitude was the social conditions in Afghanistan prevailing for decades. “During the time of the Shah the beards of Ulema were shove off, then there was rampant obscenity there. So when Taliban came they compelled people to grow beards and shut out female education, it was a reaction. When Mullah Omer asked for the fatwas from Ulemas apart from others I gave the fatwa that you should not closed down female schools and should reform them instead.” Making the distinction, he said, NWFP government is all out for female education and thus the notion for Talibanization in NWFP is totally unfounded. So far we have fulfilled all the legal procedures and it is a proof that NWFP’s society there are no such conditions.
The mufti laughed when told that there might also be a connection of empirical obstinacy among the contemporary Mullahs and Ulemas of the past who used to be quite liberal in many matters. “I think the teachings of Islam has always been for moderation and balance”. God has called Islam a moderate religion.
Mufti was queried whether suicide attacks are allowed in Islam, he said” “Absolutely not! because, there is risk of waste of precious lives. However, Islam definitely calls for the addressing of the root causes of such attacks.” All must be reminded that the very literal meanings of Islam means “life”, he said.
(Courtesy The News on Sunday)
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