Jamaat-e-Islami

This article is about Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan. For other organizations of similar name see Jamaat-e-Islami (Disambiguation)

Party name	Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan
Name native	جماعتِ اسلامی
Party logo
Leader1 title	Ameer-e-Jamat
Leader1 name	Syed Munawar Hassan
Secretary general	Liaqat Baloch
Leader2 title	Naib Ameer
Leader2 name	Khurshid Ahmed, Abdul Ghafoor, Siraj-ul-Haq
Colorcode	green
Colors	Green, white, blue
Foundation
Founder	Sayyid Abul A'la Maududi
Ideology	IslamismMuslim Nationalism
Website	http://jamaat.org

The Jamaat-e-Islami (Urdu: جماعتِ اسلامی, Jamaat-i-Islami, "Islamic Party" Jamaat, JI), is a Muslim political party in Pakistan. It was founded on 26 August 1941 in Lahore by Muslim theologian Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi and is the oldest religious party in Pakistan.

Founded during British rule in India, the Jamaat moved its organisation after the partition of India to the newly created Muslim state of Pakistan. The members who remained in India regrouped to form an independent organization called Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh, but established itself there as an independent political party, the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh after 1975. The Jamaat maintains close ties with international Muslim groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood. Within Pakistan, the Jamaat lead the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal alliance of religious parties. This alliance was broken before the February 2008 General Elections when Jamat-e-Islami boycotted the elections while some parties of the alliance insisted to participate in elections. A vanguard party, its members (or arkan) form an elite with "affiliates" (mutaffiq) and then "sympathisers" (hamdard) beneath them.

The Jamaat's objectives are the "Iqamat-e-Deen" or "Nizam-e-Mustafa" - the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. The Jamaat opposes Westernization, ideologies such as capitalism, socialism and secularism, and practices such as bank interest and liberalist social mores.

History

The party was founded in British India on 26 August 1941 by Syedd Abul Ala Maududi as a movement to promote Islamic values and practices. It is not simply a religious or political party. It bears the logo from a verse in the Quran " Ud-Khulu Fis-Silmi Kaffa" meaning "Enter In Islam Full Fledge" - Take Islam as a complete way of life.

This movement and its constitution has following major notable points:

1)) Human kind will find peace and growth only when it will accept and practice true teachings of God "Allah" in all spheres of its life, from individual level to national and international levels. These teachings are presented by prophets in different ages and Muhammad has left the last book of God - The Quran - in its original form and his personal teachings are recorded in different hadiths which are sufficient to establish a complete code of life.

2)) This movement will not adopt any illegal or underground means to come to power. It will educate people in the first course about real Islamic Values and participate in elections.

With the support of common Pakistanis, the JI organized a movement in 1948 to convince government to initiate Islamic Constitution. As a result, The Constitution Preamble, commonly known as "Qaraardad e Maqasid" was approved by the national assembly which in principle accepts that all laws and amendments will be Islamic or made Islamic.

The writings of Maududi gained a wide audience. It is to be noted that in JI no body asks for any position or responsibility. It is the movement which elects its top leadership to lead. On health grounds Mr. maududi excused to lead the movement in 1972 and requested the Top Elected Body of the movement "Shoura" to select someone else to perform the duties of Chief " Ameer".

Liberal groups in Pakistan raised the question of whether the JI could be regarded as a political party or a subversive group. The Pakistani supreme court ruled in favor of the JI as a "legitimate political group". They became an opposition party from 1950-1977.

By 1976 Jamaat's street power multiplied by 2,000,000 new entrants when it swore to organize marches to Islamabad for implementing Sharia. In 1977, Maududi cobbled together a grand alliance of rightist parties and launched a "civil disobedience campaign", leading to his arrest. So powerful had [Jamaat] become in Islamist ranks by then that the Sunni government of Saudi Arabia personally intervened to secure Maududi's release by dangling the specter of "revolution" in Pakistan.

Initially supporting the incoming President of Pakistan, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, they had conflicts with the decade-long Zia regime when he chose to ban student unions in 1988, including the ones under JI, such as the IJT. The IJT became major recruiting grounds for the ranks of the JI and they havoc the concept of student unions.

In their aggressive support for Islamization of Pakistan, they piloted the Sharia bill through the Pakistani Senate in 1986. Over the course of the 1990s their influence diminished somewhat. In the 1993 national elections, the JI captured only 3 seats in the national assembly.

During the democratic interlude of 1988-99, the Jamaat continued to act as an "eternal opponent" of non-Islamic rulers, while grabbing power-sharing chances, especially under Nawaz Sharif. The 1999 Pervez Musharraf coup was welcomed by the JI, but once Musharraf started reforms, they turned against him and started preaching radical Islamism, warning that "Pakistan's destiny lay in the Islamic revolution" and that party workers "were ready to sacrifice their lives for the cause of Almighty Allah and His Prophets".

In the legislative elections of Pakistan on October 20, 2002, [Jamaat-e-Islami] got 53 out of 272 elected members.Jamaat give though time to President Pervez Musharraf and oppose him in many issues. Jamaat was also very much against the decision of President Musharraf to be a part of war against terrorism. Jamaat-e-Islami's senior Minister of Pakhtonkhave Province resigned from his ministry against the drone attack on madrassa in Bajour Agency. Jamaat participated actively in the struggle of restoration of Judges. Jamaat was also against the operation of Lal Masjid and Ameer-e-Jamat Qazi Hussain Ahmed gave his resignation from the National Assembly when visiting the camp of victims of the Operation. In General Elections 2008 Jamaat-e-Islami announced to boycott the elections held under President General Musharraf with almost all other political parties of opposition. Only Jamaat, Lawyers, Imran Khan and Mahmood Achakzai stand with the decision. http://massmediapk.blogspot.com

Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal

JI was a member of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA, United Council of Action, United Front), a coalition between religious-political parties in Pakistan. The MMA has denounced President Musharraf for "betraying" the Taliban and siding with the U.S. against them. The MMA also denounces the presence of American troops and agencies in Pakistan. .

Views and platform

The JI website gives the party's position on various matters in a statement on "Objectives, Goals and Approach."

War

JI believes that war and organized violence "...flows from man’s lack of complete allegiance to God Almighty as a supreme Creator."

Kashmir and India

Pakistan and India have fought three wars, in two of them the casus belli was the disputed Kashmir region.

In 2002, President Musharraf prohibited the movement of armed militants across the Line of Control that divides the disputed territory. His pledge to stop militants from crossing the line was a significant factor in the easing of tensions with India.

Prejudice

"The Jamaat-e-Islami is an ideological party, devoid of any trace of expediency, power-politics, prejudices of caste, colour, country, language and nationality."

Human rights

JI sets forth that, "Islam has laid down universal fundamental rights for humanity which are to be observed and respected in all circumstances." They state, "...it is not permissible to oppress women, children, old people, the sick or the wounded; women's honour and chastity must be respected; the hungry must be fed, the naked clothed and the wounded or diseased treated medically irrespective of whether they belong to the Islamic community or are from amongst its enemies."

Non-Muslim rights

"The life, property and honour of a Non-Muslim is to be respected and protected in exactly the same way as that of a Muslim citizen. Nor is there difference between a Muslim and a Non-Muslim citizen in respect of civil or criminal law. The Islamic state may not interfere with the personal rights of Non-Muslims, who have full freedom of conscience and belief and are at liberty to perform their religious rites and ceremonies in their own way."

Women's rights

Jamaat-e-Islami states, "The Muslim woman is accorded full spiritual and intellectual equality with man...", their position on women's rights is from a "Islamic point of view" which, the party claims, is more dignified than international beliefs of equal rights.

"Anything a wife earns is her own to dispose of, either to use it herself or to contribute it to the family budget if she wishes.", however she, "is to recognize her husband as the person responsible for the running of the affairs of the family, and thus to obey him even if his judgment is not acceptable to her, in a particular matter, provided he does not go beyond the limits of Islam."

Jamaat-e-Islami feels that Muslim woman have the right to property after a divorce. However, the man receives twice the amount of the woman of their joint property. Since the man is supposed to provide for the maintenance of all the women and children in their family, it is considered fair since the woman's share is for herself alone.

Adultery and Rape

Failure to prove rape places the woman at risk of prosecution for the accusing an innocent man of adultery, which does not require such strong evidence or the woman could be accused of adultery herself, if she is married. However, Muhammad Taqi Usmani who was instrumental in drafting the Hudood Ordinance, claims that, "she cannot be punished in case she is unable to present 4 witnesses."

As a result of these issues and on 15 November 2006. This Bill brings rape under the Pakistan Penal Code, which is based on civil law. The Bill removes the right of police to detain people suspected of doing unlawful things outside of marriage, instead requiring a formal accusation in court. Under the changes, adultery and non-marital consensual sex is still an offense but now judges would be allowed to try rape cases as a criminal case. That also requires the needs for the four witnesses and allows convictions to be made on the basis of forensic and circumstantial evidence.

The MMA opposed the Women's Protection Bill. Samia Raheel Qazi, MP and daughter of Qazi Hussain Ahmed stated, "We have been against the bill from the start. The Hudood Ordinance was devised by a highly qualified group of ulema (Islamic scholars), and is beyond question". The Jamaat-e-Islami believe that the bill did not need scrapping, but needed to be applied in a fairer way, and undestood properly by judges.

Hassan, the President of Jamaat-e-Islami, has come under criticism for suggesting that raped women, that cannot provide four Muslim male witnesses to the act of forced penetration, remain silent rather than file criminal charges. He has also attacked his critics on this issue as non-Muslims.

Hassan has also alleged that the 'Women's Protection Bill', a law that makes rape a criminal offense under the Pakistan Penal Code (which means that four witnesses are not required" does not protect women. He claims that 'it is meant to promote vulgarity and obscenity in the society'. Journalists have alleged that Hassan and the Jamaat-e-Islami promote a 'rape culture'.

Activities

The Jamat is very active in the field of Dawah (Missionary movement), Tarbiyah (Islamic education) and Tanzeem (organization) almost in all the areas of Pakistan. It has a strong body in each province which is further divided in district, cities, towns and village zones and sectors. Jamat has also its unions for doctors, teachers and workers and the same is in the female wing of Jamat Halqa Khawateen (circle of women).

Neither the "Islamic theodemocracy" nor the "Islamic economy" of the JI have been attained, and though their leader, Qazi Hussain rhetorically claims that "Allah will rule in Islamabad in five years", his organization still remains on the fringes within Pakistan.

Various Islamic groups are engaged in competition in trying to provide relief efforts to earthquake victims in Pakistan. Jamaat-e-Islami and affiliated groups have been involved in such efforts in the Pakistani city of Balakot.

Policy of Jamaat-e-Islami

The General Policy of Jamaat-e-Islami

Jamaat-e-Islami will see, every action it takes, whether it is in line with the injunctions of Islam or not and go beyond it, so far as permissible.

To get its objective Jamaat will not resort to those means and methods which are in conflict with truth and honesty, or anything which may result in mischief. Jamaat will try to bring revolution and reformation through constitutional ways i.e. preaching and propagation of its views and by moulding the minds, through character building, and by making the public opinion which conforms to its principles and policy. Jamaat will not implement its manifesto through underground movements; instead, it will do everything openly.

Kashmir

(Resolution of Central Majlis-e-Shoora (Advisory Council) Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan held on December 23–24, 2009 at Mansoora, Lahore.)

This session of Central Majlis-e-Shoora Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan expresses its grave concern on the recent wave of Indian state terrorism in the occupied State of Jammu and Kashmir. As a result of Indian atrocity, chain of custodial and target killings is expanding. India is continuing its genocide policy even in the wape of protest by National and International human rights organizations. In the last 20 years, nearly one hundred thousand people have been martyred due to Indian cruel polices. Lost graves of thousands of Kashmiri youths have been discovered in recent times and such events are increasing day by day.

In these circumstances, on one side India’s brutality in the occupied State of Jammu and Kashmir is increasing and they are building dozens of dams on the rivers flowing from occupied State of Jammu and Kashmir to make Pakistan a desert, while on the other side, India is continuously fostering destructive activities in Pakistan with the patronage of America and Israel. Therefore, this Council demands to stop the process of so-called comprehensive dialogues with India. Instead, the parliament should revive a national policy to motivate all National and International human rights organizations for unveiling of the despised Indian plans. Also for revival of mutual understanding with the Kasmiri Liberation’s supporters, parliament should reiterate its support the right of self determination for Kashmiri people in the light of UN-Resolutions.

This session admires the Peoples Republic of China for giving special status to the people of Kashmir and appeals the entire international community, especially the rulers of Muslim Countries to expressly support liberation movement of the Kashmiri people and to build pressure on India to give the right of self determination to Kashmiri people according to UN-Resolutions so that they may decide their future according to their own free will.

Members of Centeral Majlis-e-Shoora

1 Syed Munawar Hassan Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan

2 Qazi Hussain Ahmed Former Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan

3 Prof.Khurshid Ahmed Naib Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan

4 Prof.Ghafoor Ahmed Naib Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan

5 Ch.Muhammad Aslam Salimi Naib Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan

6 Dr.Muhammad Kamal Naib Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan

7 Sirajul Haq Naib Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan

8 Liaqat Baloch Qayyam Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan

9 Dr. Fareed Ahmed Paracha Naib Qayyam Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan

10 Mian Maqsood Ahmed Naib Qayyam Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan

11 Khalid Rahman Naib Qayyam Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan

12 Qamar Maiman Naib Qayyam Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan

13 Hafiz Sajid Anwar Naib Qayyam Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan

14 Prof. Muhammad Ibrahim Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Khaiber Pakhtoon Khah

15 Asadullah Bhutto Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Sindh

16 Dr.Syed Waseem Akhtar Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Punjab

17 Abdul Matin Akhunzada Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Balochistan

18 Shabbir Ahmed Khan Qayyam Khaibar PakhtoonKha

19 Nazeer Ahmed Janjooa Qayyam Punjab

20 Zahid Akhtar Baloch Qayyam Balochistan

21 Mowlana Abdul Haq Hashmi Quata, Balochistan

22 Mowlana Abdul Hayyi Madukhail Quata, Balochistan

23 Muhammad Husain Mehnti Karachi, Sindh

24 Nasrullah Shaji Karachi, Sindh

25 Dr Mirajul Huda Siddiqui Karachi, Sindh

26 Hafiz Naeemul Rahman Karachi, Sindh

27 Syed Muhammad Iqbal Karachi, Sindh

28 Rashid Naseed Karachi, Sindh

29 Shaikh Rafiq Ahmed Karachi, Sindh

30 Hamidullah Khan Karachi, Sindh

31 Niamat Ullah Karachi, Sindh

32 Abdul Waheed Qureshi Hyderabad, Sindh

33 Hafiz Lutfullah Bhutto Matyari, Sindh

34 Syed Shahid Hashmi Karachi, Sindh

35 Dr Mumtaz Ali Maiman Sakhar, Sindh

36 Hafiz Nasrullah Aziz Kashmor, Sindh

37 Sahbzada Haroonul Rashid Peshawar, Khaibar Pakhtoon Khah

38 Zarnoor Afreedi Bajor, Khaibar Pakhtoon Khah

39 Sardar Khan Bajor, Khaibar Pakhtoon Khah

40 Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Khalil Peshawar, Khaibar Pakhtoon Khah

Personalities

Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi- Founder Ameer

Mian Muhammad Tufail- 2nd Ameer

Qazi Hussain Ahmad- 3rd Ameer

Khurram Murad- Scholar and Ex Naib Ameer and Ameer

Syed Munawar Hasan- Present Ameer, Formal Nazim-e-A'la Islami Jamiat-e-Talba

Liaqat Baloch- Qayam Jamat

Khurshid Ahmad-Naib Ameer

Ghafoor Ahmed- Naib Ameer

Prof. Muhammad Waqas Khan- Naib Ameer

Dr.Syed Waseem Akhter - Ameer-e-Jamat, Punjab

Dr. Nazir Ahmad Shaheed - DG Khan

Ch. Rehman Ilahi

Sufi Raja Akbar hussain- Founder of Jamat-e-Islami Gujar Khan Wing

Mian Aslam - Ameer-e-Jamat Islamabad, Ex MNA

See also

Sayed Ahmad Khan

PAS

Masyumi Party

References

External links

Official site (English)

Profile: Jamaat-e-Islami & Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi GlobalSecurity.org

Bangladesh ruling party expels MP BBC, 25 November 2005

Pakistan rulers claim poll boost BBC, 7 October 2005

Who's afraid of the six-party alliance? BBC, 17 August 2005

Pakistan 'hate' paper crackdown BBC, 16 August 2005

Radical links of UK's 'moderate' Muslim group Martin Bright, The Observer, 14 August 2005

Congressional Report: The New Islamist International(from FAS site) Bill McCollum, U.S. Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, 1993-2-1

Tanzeem-e-Islami (Tehreek-e-Khilafah)

Category:Islamic organizations Category:Political parties established in 1941 Category:Islam in Pakistan Category:Islamist groups *Main Category:Far-right political parties in Pakistan