Improving relations between religious communities is part of the Jamaat's new four-year term plan.
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) will lay an added emphasis on dispelling misunderstandings about Islam and improving relations between religious communities in the country during the next four years.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, JIH President Syed Sadatullah Husaini unveiled the Jamaat’s policy and programme for the new 2023-2027 term. It was approved by the JIH Central Advisory Council (Markazi Majlis-e-Shura) in its meeting on Tuesday.
Emphasising that misunderstandings regarding Islam and Islamic teachings should be dispelled, the Jamaat chief said the new 4-year plan lays utmost importance to bring about a positive change in the country’s public opinion. Noting that the teachings of Islam are not for any particular sect or community, he explained that the well-being of all human beings, their worldly welfare, their salvation in the Hereafter, and delivering justice and fairness to all are salient features of Islamic teachings. “The JIH wants to spell this out before the people of the country,” he said.
He said great importance has also been given to improving relations between various religious communities of the country. He emphasised the need to create an atmosphere of dialogue and discussion, ending hatred. For this, he added, various activities and campaigns would be carried out at the national, state, and local levels, and forums for dialogue and discussion would be promoted at various levels.
Husaini stated that an atmosphere of joint action would be fostered for achieving welfare and justice for all while platforms would be created among intellectuals, religious leaders, common people, civil society, youth, and women, through which different religious groups would be brought closer to each other.
Giving details of the programmes, the Jamaat leader said regular campaigns would be conducted to root out the common vices found in the country such as casteism, bigotry, violation of women’s rights, foeticide, dowry, drugs, corruption, etc.
The JIH president said the Islamic perspective would be presented regarding the environmental crisis while different types of special measures would be taken in different cities to solve ecological challenges.
Focusing on reforms within the Muslim community, Husaini affirmed that special focus would be given to those aspects of Islam, to which the reformist movements had not paid much attention. “For example, marriage should be made easy, the ritual of dowry should be abolished, women should be given a share in inheritance, women’s rights should be paid, honesty in trade and financial matters should be implemented, cleanliness be observed, and good behaviour towards Muslim and non-Muslim neighbours must be practiced – such Islamic teachings will be emphasised and efforts will be made to harmonise the attitude of Muslims in their daily lives with the teachings of Islam,” he added.
Highlighting the main priorities of the Jamaat regarding education, Mr Husaini emphasised on creating an inclusive education system, free from the dominance of a particular culture, based on moral values and easily accessible to all citizens.
Asserting that the JIH will try to increase the ratio of education among Muslims and other backward groups, Husaini announced the establishment of new educational institutions in various regions of the country.
The Jamaat leader also announced that an important component of the new plan was the economic empowerment of the Muslim community and other backward groups and also improvement in various other domains.
__________
Photo: Jamaat leaders at the press conference held in New Delhi on Wednesday.