News
Monday, August 08, 2011
Religious parties likely to regroup on one platform
* During last several months former JI Amir Qazi Hussain Ahmed and JUI central leaders, including JUI-F chief Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman, engaged in talks to revive MMA
By Asad Farooq
KARACHI: Religious parties of the country are likely to revive a political platform like defunct Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) for upcoming polls. They are making contacts among themselves through front and back door channels, however, diverse interests and mindsets present the core obstacles.
During the tenure of former president Pervez Musharraf, religious parties gathered on a platform of Pak-Afghan Defai Council over the issue of the US invasion in Afghanistan and later the consortium concluded on the establishment of MMA. Religious parties have recently launched an initiative to gather on a platform of ‘Ulema Peace Council.’
At the same time, several representatives of religious parties were of the view that a platform for joint political struggle was the need of the hour. It is pertinent to mention here that during last several months former Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Amir Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) central leaders, including JUI (F) chief Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman, had been engaged in talks to revive MMA.
When contacted, JI Sindh Amir Asadullah Bhutto said that the chances of MMA’s revival are good. Bhutto said though time was passing speedily, contacts were being boosted among religious parties in this regard.
Talking about hurdles in the revival, he said that the core hurdle was the political stance of Maulana Fazal as he was avoiding leaving the coalition government, but now the issue had been resolved. Similarly the dispute of opposition’s head in the Senate was another obstacle in this regard. He further elaborated that JI had already agreed with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) over the issue but JUI was insisting for Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri. Now all those issues have been resolved and only small hindrances are remaining, which will hopefully be resolved soon, Bhutto added.
Another major component of defunct MMA, JUI leader Qari Usman, when asked about the revival of MMA, told Daily Times that he was of the view that MMA would be revived and the nation would be provided with good news soon in this regard. He termed the forum of Ulema Peace Council as a small MMA.
Renowned religious scholar and Sunni Ittehad Council of Pakistan (SICP) leader Haji Hanif Tayyeb was of the view that revival of MMA was not impossible but very hard as the forum was presented as a consortium of six religious parties but practically it was a coalition of two major religio-political parties: JI and JUI (F). He further added that both parties have quite different strategies as after the 17th Amendment, JI excused before the nation, but JUI insisted that they were doing well.
To a question about his party’s inclusion in the platform, he said that SICP, which was a joint platform of religious parties having a particular school of thought, had decided that the supreme council of the coalition would decide about political relations, if and when MMA or some other platform is formed.
Mufti Usman Yar of JUI (Sami group) also said that a joint platform was the need of the hour. However, he said that if the experiment of MMA was revised in ditto then noting would be found except stigma and losses. He criticised the policies of JUI (F) and held the party responsible for the defeat of MMA. He was of the view that if JI and JUI are serious and honest for the formation or revival of MMA then they should invite all religious parties without any discrimination to their size. It was the only way to a successful revival of MMA, he said adding that if it was done, it would bring a positive change to the face of religious parties in the countries.
Renowned political analyst, Farooq Moin said while commenting over the situation that he is not hopeful for the revival of MMA. Talking about the ongoing situation, he said, “There is an urgent need for religio-political parties in the country to invite all segments on one agenda to combat extremism, which is against the real teachings of Islam.”
Moin said that efforts being reportedly made for revival of MMA, could be encouraging only when the diverse views among component parties – JI and JUI (F) - are resolved in a manner, which helps the country in its continued war against terrorism.
Moin said that in past MMA increasingly contributed to promoting religious and sectarian harmony in the country.
This was mainly because the religio-political parties of MMA belonged to all sects of Islam as well as all Islamic schools of thoughts. He was of the view that it was the religious obligation of our scholars to play their due role for preaching the message of tolerance and pursuing those who are engaged in suicide attacks to return to the fold of Islam so as to ensure that Pakistani women, men and children are not killed by their ruthless actions. That is what, religio-political parties should and can do, he concluded.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk