A pleasant move to directly challenge the TTP’s (and other groups’) claim that democracy is haraam.
ISLAMABAD: Religious scholars form the Pakistan Ulema Council have issued a Fatwa which declares the non-casting of vote a sin, adding that voting is an Islamic responsibility.
The Fatwa further states that women have equal rights to vote, adding that it is not religion that bars them from voting but rather the feudal system.
Chairman Pakistan Ulema Council, Tahir Ashrafi said that misusing the name of Islam should be stopped immediately.
The decree from the competent Ulema Council has come at a time when Pakistan is heading towards May 11 polls amid a wave of terrorists attacks in its three of four provinces and threats to political parties from militants outfits.
It is pertinent to mention here that the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan earlier this month had also declared democracy ‘un-Isalmic’.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani clerics, belonging to different schools of thought of Islam, Thursday declared that casting votes during general elections is not un-Islamic at all but is a ‘religious obligation’ for all Muslims, DawnNews reported.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) Chairman Allama Tahir Ashrafi said that feudal lords forbid women to cast their votes and not Islam. He said politics is not a ‘forbidden fruit’ in the religion.
“After evolving a consensus among different muftis (clerics), we issue this fatwa (edict) that casting vote is a Shariah obligation and it is prohibited not to do so,” said Ashrafi.
Ruling out the perception that Muslim women are prohibited to use their voting rights, he said the religion does not discourage females to cast votes but feudal lords do.
The decree is issued in the wake of terrorist threats of sabotaging the historic May 11 polls – the first transition between democratically elected governments in a country that has a history of military coups.
The outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) also has distributed pamphlets on Thursday in Buner, Peshawar and different areas of Karachi warning citizens not to participate in the upcoming elections.
Speaking to Dawn.com, Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said that democracy was un-Islamic and was the agenda of secular forces in the country due to which they were opposed to it.
Re: Pakistan Ulema Council Fatwa: Failure to vote is a sin, women must vote
I understand that Taliban do not believe on democracy, and Fatwa that 'not voting is sin' goes against Taliban beliefs. On the other hand, just to put down Taliban, giving fatwa that it is ‘sin not to vote’ is not only absurd but it is making joke of Islam.
Vote could represent giving approval or disapproval. In democracy votes are about giving approval to candidates contesting (not disapproval). In such situation, sometime it is better, rather Islamic requirement not to vote.
Just imagine, if anyone ask Muslims to vote Nimrud [who persecuted Ibrahim (AS)], Fraun [who persecuted Musa (AS)] and Abu Jahal [who persecuted Muhammad (SAW)], who a Muslim should vote to give approval?
Obviously, a Muslim cannot give approval (vote) to anyone of them. Actually voting any of them to give approval would be a great sin, so if there is no option available (as could happen in democracy) than it is better to abstain, else one would be approving a devil, and that would be big sin.
On the other hand, voting in Islam could become obligatory only (and only) if appropriate choices are available, and one is not voting because one wants to deprive a deserving candidate from approval for personal reasons.
Holding vote of approval for personal reasons or just to deprive deserving candidate is sin ...but holding vote because one have no such choice to make that one can approve is not sin. On the other hand, approving a candidate who do not deserve to get approved is sin because not only one becomes partner to the consequence of that approval but because all what one does in this world, including vote of approval (or vote for disapproval), one is answerable for that on judgment day ... and this is no excuse that one voted lesser evil because there was no choice.
