Ulema reject Domestic Violence bill as ‘attack on family system’

ISLAMABAD: The religious scholars at a seminar Sunday rejected the legislation on domestic violence as an attack on the family system of the country.

“The Domestic Violence bill is a national issue and it is a direct attack on the family system of the country, which ultimately will result in break-up of society in this part of the world,” Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) naib ameer and ex-senator Prof Muhammad Ibrahim said while addressing a seminar, organised by his party here.

He said the state did not have the right to interfere in internal matters of any family and called upon the people to come out on the Constitution Avenue to register a strong protest against the un-Islamic and controversial legislation.

Prof Ibrahim pointed out that Dr Shoaib Saddal, in his report, had proposed uniform type of education system for Muslims and non-Muslims.

Regretting that implementation of the Domestic Violence bill had started in three provinces, the JI leader said that Articles 227 and 228 equally applies on the National and provincial assemblies.

Senator Mushtaq Ahmad said no religious leader supported domestic violence but, he added, they were never taken into confidence on religious matters on such issues and other religious matters.

He said if the head of a state held many powers, then the head of a family also enjoyed some discretion. “The legislation is against injunctions of Holy Quran and Sunnah and it will face strong resistance from people if put into practice,” he warned.

Other religious scholars including Dr Shahid Rafi, Maulana Khalilur Rehman Chishti, Allama Zahidur Rashidi, Abdul Rashid Muhammadi, Maulana Abdul Qadoos and Zulfiqar Abbasi Advocate also addressed the seminar.

All religious scholars rejected the bill and stressed seeking the opinion of the Council of Islamic Ideology on all religious matters.