Amendment
to Hadood Laws
By Col. Riaz Jafri
(Retd.)
Rawalpindi, Pakistan
The
existing Hadood Laws of General Zia ul Haq were
discussed threadbare at on various TV channels
and other fora and almost all religious authorities
and scholars are of the opinion that in order
to provide protection to women certain amendments
to these laws are necessary. However, a strange
twist to these simple and straight forward amendments
in the Hadood Laws is being given by the religious
political parties.
They have taken the stance that any amendment
to these laws is tantamount to confronting and
altering the Hadood Allah. The government has
categorically assured that Hadood Allah are immutable
forever and the amendments will not affect them
in any way. But the MMA is not prepared to yield
even a little and is opposing the amendments tooth
and nail. In the process, the MMA is playing cleverly
on the naivety of the masses and inciting their
sentiments against the government. In it the MMA
has found yet another plank for their electioneering
in anticipation for the 2007 elections.
The question arises, is MMA a conglomeration of
political parties or religious parties? Did the
people elect them for their political manifestos
and platform or their religious knowledge and
authority? Though the masses were amply mislead
by them to take them to be Ahl-e Kitab for their
election symbol of the Book, which was portrayed
synonymous with Qura’n. Are its leaders
qualified Faqeeh of Islamic jurisprudence and
authorised to give an edict (Fatwa) on religious
matters?
What is presently happening is that they themselves
give a verdict on an Islamic issue and then they
themselves legislate it into a law and finally
they want to implement it also. This is like giving
the control of both the judiciary and the executive
to the same body, which is for obvious reasons
not encouraged in any civilized society or form
of government. If they have an objection to some
religious issue they should refer it to a recognised
institution or authority capable of giving the
authoritative verdict on it. They cannot sit upon
it all by themselves as the final authority.
The MMA must confine itself to its political role
only and refrain from giving the religious diktats
according to its own interpretation.
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