Imposing one’s wishes by force is not Jihad, says Sherani

Says jihadi slogans introduced in textbooks during the Afghan war in ’80s

ISLAMABAD: The head of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Thursday said attempting to impose one’s wishes through force is not jihad.

Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani made the comments when asked if the Taliban were engaged in a jihad or spreading fasad (mischief) on earth. Although he did not categorically label Taliban actions as fasad, the CII chairman hinted the group was not involved in jihad either.



“Implementation of one’s wishes by force was not jihad,” he said while addressing a news conference at the conclusion of a three-day session of the body.

On the other hand, Maulana Sherani said the establishment included jihadi chants in textbooks when the US needed “to rent manpower to further its cause in the region.”

“It’s a recent phenomenon. It was introduced [in syllabus] to please America,” he said, referring to the CIA-funded war Pakistan had fought in Afghanistan against the former USSR in the 1980s.

He concluded the debate on jihad with a question: “Were the funds Pakistan had been receiving from the USA under the CSF rent [to fight against terrorism] or jihad?”

While commending the government’s efforts to introduce the teaching of the holy Quran as a compulsory subject for schoolchildren, the CII had recommended inclusion of Madni chapters of Quran in textbooks.

According to a hand-out issued by the CII’s media wing, Madni chapters of the holy Quran would be introduced in the second phase that is in textbooks for grade 11 and 12.

“The CII will be able to give its final recommendation over the syllabus upon its completion,” the statement reads. The council recommended that teachers having good voices and Arabic dialect should be hired to teach the holy book to students at the primary level.



Maulana Sherani said that the CII had deliberated upon 21 articles out of 45 clauses of the Hague convention.

“Articles 12, 13, 14, 16, 18 and 20 are not only contradictory to the provisions of the constitution of Pakistan but also Sharia,” Sherani said, adding those articles were against basic norms of the Pakistani society.

He said the CII would consider the remaining articles of the convention in its next sitting and give its final recommendation then.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2016.