The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has been in the middle of stringent criticism for some time now. Most of it has been the result of the CII’s own doing as it has played a retrograde role, and in turn blocked any attempts towards making Pakistan into a progressive country. Whether it be steps to give women more rights and protect them against violence, or the admission for DNA evidence for rape cases, the CII has opposed all these measures with consistent resolution. Hence, it is not surprising that members of the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights on Tuesday recommended that it be disbanded. After all, the CII’s constitutional role has expired since it submitted its final report to parliament in 1997, and it is an undue burden on the taxpayer’s money. This is indeed an important moment for the CII as calls for its disbandment must be seen as a wake up call by the council. The CII must decide if it would continue down its regressive path or play a more positive role for the future of this country.
It is no secret that religion in Pakistan plays an important role in the lives of the public. The rulings of religious organisations on various matters of personal and public relations matter to the people. However, it is unfortunate that Islam has been misappropriated by the clergy in Pakistan and turned into an instrument for power and influence. Their anachronistic interpretations of Islamic injunctions coupled with their own regressive values has turned Islam into something that it is fundamentally not. Various segments of the clergy disregard those teachings of Islam that call for compassion, cooperation, peace, and harmony, and instead try to justify societal ills under the garb of religiosity. Moreover, as violence and bigotry continue to destroy the very fabric of Pakistani society, certain religious organisations both enable and provide fuel to these destructive elements. It is deplorable that in incidences of violence against minority communities there are some religious organisations that are at the forefront of perpetrating it, while others remain silent, not even issuing a statement of condemnation for the incidents.
The CII showed its myopic worldview by declaring that husbands can “lightly” beat their wives. This gave religious licence to those misogynists in Pakistani society who already treated their wives with contempt. Violence against women is an unfortunate reality in Pakistan, and as the world is moving towards empowering women and giving them more rights, that violence is in fact being perpetuated by the CII through such rulings. In light all this it becomes clear that the CII must redefine its role if it does not want to be brushed aside by historical forces, which inevitably move towards progress. The CII may gain publicity through its controversial rulings, but it may also result in its demise. Hence, unless the CII engages in introspection, and decides if it wants to help Pakistan on its way to progress, its disbandment would be the best option available to the government.*