Jamaat-e-Islami’s new riches and new challenges

Engineer Hafiz Naeemur Rahman has been elected as the sixth Amir after defeating senior leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, Siraj-ul-Haq and Liaquat Baloch. Maulana Maududi, a well-known contemporary scholar, founded the Jamaat-e-Islami in 1941, so the procedure for becoming a friend and member of the Jamaat was very strict, then the procedure changed.

Hafiz Naeem is 52 years old, thus the youngest leader to take over the leadership of Jamaat. He memorized from Jama Masjid Darul Uloom Latifabad Unit 10, Hyderabad. He matriculated from Hyderabad and obtained his degree in Civil Engineering from NED University. Hafiz Naeem was the moderator of Islami Jamiat Talaba. Major changes took place in Jamaat-e-Islami during the reign of Qazi Hussain Ahmad, the Jamaat started raising its voice on the problems of the citizens.

During his tenure, the leadership of Jamaat-e-Islami started raising public opinion on the problems of water and electricity in slums, Karachi and opposed the privatization of educational institutions and national industries. (The Jamaat-e-Islami manifesto of 1970 placed the greatest emphasis on the protection of private property.) A Jamaat-e-Islami intellectual used to say at that time that there could be alliances with other parties for the exploitation of multinational companies and the fundamental rights of the people. Is. At that time, the sub-organizations of Jamaat-e-Islami were carrying out the duty of sending youths for Jihad in Kashmir.

At the same time, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Sarfraz Ahmed and his associate Professor Saeed Usmani, a delegation of Indian civil society, led by renowned journalist Kuldeep Nair, organized a reception at a five-star hotel in Karachi in which Jamaat-e-Islami deputy Emir Professor Ghafoor Ahmed and Emir of Karachi Dr. Miraj Al Hudi also participated. This was an open deviation from Jamaat-e-Islami policy, perhaps never before.

A few years ago some clear changes were seen in the policy of Jamaat-e-Islami. Professor Mushtaq, the representative of Jamaat-e-Islami in the Senate, raised his voice against the allegations against the leadership of PDM. A nationalist organization can be called a new edition of Solidarity Party. Jamaat-e-Islami Balochistan Secretary General Maulana Hidayat Rehman started raising his voice for the demands of Gwadar fishermen. Led a movement to restore the right of Gwadar fishermen to catch fish in the sea. He won the February elections and is now part of Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti’s alliance.

When Hafiz Naeemur Rahman became the Emir of Karachi, during the Corona epidemic, he went to the places of worship of Christians and Hindus and sprayed them and distributed relief materials. This was a new attitude of the Jamaat compared to the past. First, the citizens of Karachi started protesting on the issue of identity cards. When the citizens were worried about K Electric’s bills, Hafiz Naeem organized a movement against the exploitative behavior of K Electric.

Voice was raised on water shortage and sewage problems in different areas of Karachi. When local body elections were held, Hafiz Naeem’s liberal attitude came to the fore. Now only Hafiz Naeem’s picture started appearing on the banners and posters of Jamaat-e-Islami. For the first time, Jamaat-e-Islami got the help of women in its election campaign on social media. For the first time in this campaign, actors were also seen asking for votes for Hafiz Naeem. Thus, in the 82-year history of Jamaat-e-Islami, such a liberal attitude of Jamaat-e-Islami came to light for the first time. However, such an attitude was not seen in any part of the country.

At the time when Hafiz Naeemur Rahman took over the leadership, Jamaat-e-Islami has become irrational in its traditional circles. Now Tehreek-e-Insaf has replaced Jamaat-e-Islami in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In Punjab, the popularity of Jamaat-e-Islami has decreased for the last 24 years, now Jamaat-e-Islami is not capable of winning any seats in the national and provincial assembly in any city of Punjab. The former Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami also kept his distance from Muslim League-N and after the experience of MMA, he could not try to form a new alliance again.

The leadership of Jamaat-e-Islami has participated in the meeting of anti-government parties in the past few days, but now the most important questions that will be faced by Hafiz Naeem are, apart from participating in the alliance against the current government, the Karachi edition of Jamaat-e-Islami will be organized in the whole party. There is also the challenge of implementation.

Professor Saeed Usmani’s father Dr. Masood Usmani was among the founders of Jamaat-e-Islami. Professor Saeed Usmani’s mother was also a member of Jamaat-e-Islami and Saeed Usmani himself was active in Jamiat-e-Islami. He says that it will be more difficult for Hafiz Naeem to oppose the Muslim League-N but he will continue his narrative against the People’s Party. Will avoid.

Professor Saeed Usmani further says that Hafiz Naeem’s status as a religious scholar is very low and his political experience is not much, therefore the bureaucracy will treat him coldly like the former Ameer Syed. Munawar Hassan was released after his statement against the armed forces.

Mass communication teacher Dr. Irfan Aziz says that Hafiz Naeem will not be able to make Jamaat-e-Islami a public party because the religious party is attached to a particular ideology, therefore followers of other ideologies do not support the party. From these analyses, it can be concluded that Jamaat-e-Islami has not been able to come out of the cover of its conservative policies, therefore Hafiz Naeem will not be able to make Jamaat-e-Islami a party like the Justice and Development Party of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. .