Daily Times

The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), a product of 1962, re-structured in 1973 under the government of the PPP, is notorious for passing ridiculous edicts or religious fatwas to give recommendations to the legislating bodies or advising the judiciary to help give out their anti-people judgments. Though constitutionally it is not an implementing authority, it does hold a great deal of influence in policy making for which they are often referred to for advice by the government. The CII is known for often passing anti-people policy verdicts that come into clash with common sense and human conscience of trying to make lives easier for the people suffering from injustice and the hegemony of society.
The CII was once referred to by a court of law in the case of the rape of a victim whose violation was proved by irrefutable DNA scientific evidence, for which the CII gave its edict that DNA evidence does not matter unless the victim produces four witnesses to the horrendous crime committed against her. The CII has also called for the revival of controversial Muslim family laws that are against the rights of women. Quite recently, they have given fatwas saying that a man can marry again without the consent of his first wife. Their most horrid edict is that the minimum age bar of marriage for girls (which is 18 at present) be lifted, making child marriages permissible by law. In response to this, the Sindh Assembly passed a resolution banning child marriages, amidst protests by the CII.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), civil society and some political parties like the PPP have condemned the new edicts by the CII, crying for the need to disband the CII for making ridiculous suggestions, some of which have been approved by the prime minister himself, which are threatening and debasing for women who are already victims of societal and constitutional invocations to demerit them of any decision making role. There is a long way to go for women to reach the elusive status of equality but they are deprived of this right, especially in this male-dominated society.
It is true that in many spheres, women are making advances in their professional and personal lives but the weight against their progress is getting heavier as society is becoming more and more radicalised. There are many religious parties that are against female development and have openly condemned working women. We can witness from time to time their anti-women campaigns, like misogynist stickers on the rear of auto-rickshaws.
The CII seems to be working to appease the radical elements to gain more power and legitimacy through them. If the CII stays an entity much longer, it will have a dangerous impact on any societal, scientific and moral progress of this society. The sense of right and wrong has already become misplaced, especially when it comes to serious crimes like rape where the impetus is laid on the victim — woman or child — instead of on their molester who can get away with the crime. Common sense also says that it is impossible for the victims to produce four witnesses to the crime.
The need of having a CII is only there to harden the already religious edicts that are subject to controversy due to different scholars’ interpretations of Islam. It must also be noted here that the CII does not have representation of all the sects of Islam in Pakistan. Because there is no uniformity in religious interpretation, the implications of the CII’s verdicts actually lose ground but they sure seem intent on becoming an instrument of arbitration by appeasing the mullahs. The CII looks to improve its chances of becoming a legislative, or at least an implementing, body in Pakistan.

The writer is a freelance columnist and may be contacted at zeeba.hashmi@gmail.com