On Feb 7 this year Jamaat Amir Sheikh Ghulam Hassan said that the Jamaat was primarily established for the propagation of Islam. “Our first duty is to fulfil this obligation. Resolution of Kashmir is secondary for us,” he told a national daily
Jamaat-i-Islami is Kashmir's grand old religious-cum-political outfit and the parent party of Hurriyat’s hardliner hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
Jamaat-i-Islami is Kashmir's grand old religious-cum-political outfit and the parent party of Hurriyat’s hardliner hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani. According to Jamaat spokesperson, Advocate Zahid Ali, Jamaat was introduced to Kashmir in 1945 through Moulana Sadudin Tarabali, Moulana Ghulam Ahmed Ahrar, Qari Saifudin and in Jammu through Abdul Majeed, Moulana Abdul Rehman Jamvi, Choudhary Mohammad Shafi and others. Abdul Majeed introduced Jamaat to Doda when he was posted in the forest department. Since then it started gaining support and more people got attracted to its programmes.
As Jamaat believes Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory so its constitution for the state was drafted after the partition of the country separately from that of the Indian chapter of Jamaat. At the time of partition Jamaat was not a prominent organisation in the state and people associated with it considered the state as a disputed territory after Indian forces landed there. This was the reason that the Jamaat of Jammu and Kashmir became a separate and independent organisation from the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, the Indian chapter of the organisation.
Attitude towards Jihad
Jamaat has established itself predominantly as a pro-Pakistan party here in the state. It follows the path set by its founder Moulana Mawdudi. He criticised Pakistan government in 1948 for ignoring what Jamaat believed were established principles of Islam regarding Jihad and considered Jihad in Kashmir as violation of Islamic teachings. This issue was explored in Moulana Mawdudi’s book, Maslai Kashmir (Kashmir Problem).
Although Jamaat Islami has always highlighted the Kashmir issue but at the same time its members stress on that Jamaat is not any political organisation. Constitution of Jamaat is “to establish the religion of Allah as was established by the last messenger of Allah (PBUH). It has not been founded for the solution of any political problem.”
Jamaat advocates for the permanent resolution of Kashmir issue as per the aspirations of its people in a peaceful and democratic way.
On February 7, earlier this year Jamaat-i-Islami, Amir (Chief) Sheikh Ghulam Hassan said that the Jamaat was primarily established for the propagation of Islam. “Our first duty is to fulfil this obligation. Resolution of Kashmir is secondary for us,” he told a national daily.
He further added that there was no restriction on the propagation of religion and religious views under Indian Constitution. “We can continue with our primary job of spreading the message of Islam. The Constitution of India doesn’t bar it. Otherwise, how could Jamaat-i-Islami, Hind, function in this country?,” he said.
He also distanced Jamaat from the hardliner faction of Hurriyat Conference, led by Geelani. “We are not part of any Hurriyat faction. Let all factions come under one umbrella and formulate a common approach on Kashmir. We would like to be a part of such a formation,” he added.
Elections history
Though Jamaat constitution says it is apolitical organisation but Jamaat has been participating in elections regularly in the past. In 1969, Jamaat participated in Panchayat elections (Municipal elections). In 1970 it contested parliamentary elections in the state and again in 1972 contested assembly elections in which it won 5 seats. In 1979 also, Jamaat contested Assembly elections against the likes of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and Mirza Afzal Beg, two stalwarts of National Conference but except Syed Ali Shah Geelani no candidate of Jamaat won any seats.
In 1983, Jamaat again contested assembly elections but could not win any of the seats. In 1986, Jamaat along with other religious and political parties formed a joint political forum, Muslim Mutahid Mahaz, or the Muslim United Front (MUF). In the meantime National Conference led by Farooq Abdullah and Awami Action Committee led by Molvi Farooq, who had been sworn enemies in the past, joined hands and contested assembly elections jointly against the MUF.
Jamaat leader, Advocate Zahid Ali, claims that the elections were rigged at a very large scale and the Indian government provided full support in this ‘rigging’, due to which MUF could secure only four seats that of Syed Ali Shah Geelani (Sopore), Ghulam Nabi Sumji (Homi shalibug), Abdul Razzaq Mir (Kulgam), and Mohammad Syed Shah (brother of Shabir Ahmed Shah) from Anantnag constituency respectively.
The 1987 elections became a turning point in the history of Jammu and Kashmir which led to the start of armed struggle as most of the youth rose against the Indian government. The elected Jamaat members in state assembly tried to raise the Kashmir issue along with MUF members but they couldn’t win the majority.
JI Geelani dispute
In a statement from Jamaat Islami head office in Batmalloo, Srinagar which this reporter received says, “we have cordial relations with Syed Ali Shah Geelani and is also a member of Jamaat but he (Geelani) cannot participate in any policy making process of Jamaat nor can become any member of any policy making body or electoral college i.e. he can vote but cannot be voted. It is because that on his insistence, he was allowed to lead and formulate his own independent organisation that has been playing a frontal and proactive role in the struggle for resolution of Kashmir issue. Jamaat is not in a position to play any pro-active role in this regard as its main purpose is to struggle in a peaceful and democratic way for achievement of its objective of Iqamat-e-Deen, that has broader meaning encompassing the whole human life.”
Jamaat also sidelined itself from Syed Ali Shah Geelani when in April last year when Ali Shah Geelani’s biography was published critiquing Jamaat for its passive political role in the past two decades. Geelani said nothing in Jamaat’s defense.
While replying a question asked by Viewpoint with regard to Jamaat’s support for other parties in the Valley the Jamaat spokesperson Advocate Zahid said, “So far as other pro-freedom parties are concerned, Jamaat has a great regard for them but at the same time it is an accepted fact that these parties are simply meant for the resolution of the Kashmir issue and are in fact the creation of this very issue.”
Attitude towards Pakistan
Jamaat finds that the people of Pakistan support Kashmir issue but their government is not doing enough for the cause. Advocate Zahid Ali says that the role of Pakistan vis-à-vis Kashmir issue is that its (Pakistan) people have always backed the issue with full enthusiasm but the rulers of the country had shown no determination in its resolution. “Unfortunately the Pakistani rulers have utterly failed to formulate a national policy about Kashmir issue. Government policies change with government and also from situation to situation. The government of Pakistan has no constant or well defined policy regarding Kashmir issue,” says Zahid.
He thinks the United States has no sympathy for Kashmiris but they interfere according to their national needs and interests and keep both the countries (India and Pakistan) engaged in mutual strife for achieving its own designs. “Jamaat has no good or positive expectations from the United States regarding the resolution of Kashmir issue.”
Present leadership's policies
Jamaat established hundreds of schools throughout the state but Sheikh Mohhamad Abdullah, after coming to power in 1975, imposed a ban on Jamaat’s schools. In 1980 many new schools and trusts were established and their number is in hundreds. Some of the trusts are also working under which many Darul Ulooms are functioning in the name of Siraj-uloom, Jamiat-ul-banaat, Jamait-ul-uloom etc.
Many secular and liberal forces in the state and worldwide question Jamaat Islami’s working designs. Respnding to the criticism Jamaat states it always stands for propogation of the real teachings of Islam. “If they want Jamaat to give up its core objectives, they are misconceived. No secular or liberal force can stop Jamaat from the noble struggle towards the achievement of its noble purpose. But if anyone criticises Jamaat on a healthy line, Jamaat is always ready to improve its functioning and accept the healthy and positive criticism as far as the teachings of Islam allows it to do so. Jamaat cannot deviate from its path leading to its main objective,” said a Senior Jamaat Islami leader at the Jamaat headquarters, Srinagar, while talking to Viewpoint.
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The writer is a freelance journalist based in Srinagar, Kashmir. He has worked with reputed newspapers and magazines of the valley. Currently he writes for a local magazine and works with some international web portals. He is also the editor of online magazine, The Kashmir Walla (www.thekashmirwalla.com) |
