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| Bangladesh | |
| Jamaat claims confusing | |
| 2009-08-10 | |
| [Bangla Daily Star] Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, which calls for establishing the rule of Islam through organised efforts, has strongly claimed that its charter has never had any clause that contradicts the country's constitution. But Jamaat's claim does not match with the landmark Supreme Court verdict that the constitution of the republic does not allow establishing any rule but the rule of law in the country.
"The structural pillars of the constitution stand beyond any change by amendatory process. Any amendment will be subject to the retention of these basic structures," former chief justice Shahabuddin Ahmad, who was one of the judges in the then Appellate Division, said in the historic verdict on the constitution's eighth amendment case in 1989. Jamaat's aims and objectives for establishing the rule of Islam in the country as stipulated in its charter require bringing drastic amendments to the basic structures of the constitution. Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed in a statement on Tuesday said, "I want to make it crystal clear that there has never been any anti-constitutional clauses in Jamaat's charter." The two-page statement signed by Prof Tasnim Alam, secretary of Jamaat's publicity department, also accused newspapers of carrying misleading and "syndicated reports" and protested those. He said as a legitimate political party Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami submitted to the Election Commission its permanent constitution consistent with the Representation of the People Order (RPO). According to the RPO, a political party will be disqualified from being registered as a parliamentary party with the EC if provisions in its charter contradict with the country's constitution. "In some newspapers, Jamaat's commitment to establish an Islamic society has been labelled as contradictory to the democratic polity. This manifests their ignorance of democracy and Islam. Democracy might be honoured duly only when a truly Islamic society is established," Mojaheed said. He also claimed that there is no discrimination against women and non-Muslims in his party. But Jamaat's constitution does not ensure equal rights to all irrespective of sex, religion and caste. On women's representation, the Jamaat statement said it has finalised a provision of keeping 20-25 percent women in party committees at all levels. The RPO, however, says a registered political party's charter must have provision for keeping 33 percent reserved posts for women at all levels and achieve the target by 2020. In a special note incorporated in its charter, Jamaat claimed that it already has 20-25 percent women's representation in all its committees. But in reality, the two top policymaking bodies of Jamaat--the 51-member central working committee and 15-member central executive committee--do not have a single woman member. About non-Muslim members, the Jamaat secretary general said the party had non-Muslim members earlier and at present it has 20,000 non-Muslim associated members. The issue has been updated in the party constitution. The difference between Muslim and non-Muslim members is only religion-based. Muslim members say Bismillah at the time of taking oath, which is not applicable for non-Muslim members, Mojaheed claimed. "The objections raised through syndicated [newspaper] reports on religious issues are related to our religious belief. The mention of Allah, the prophet and the after world in Jamaat's constitution are very much part of our Iman [belief]. Our constitution and international law preserve this belief and rights. The Representation of the People Order does not create any obstacle to this. If it had, that would have violated the constitution," Mojaheed said. "We believe democracy is the only way to change a government in a multi-party democracy system. People of the country are catalyst for change of government," he said. Mojaheed expressed hope that following the statement "propaganda against Jamaat's charter" will come to an end. | |
| Posted by:Fred |