‘Senseless women’ minting money in the name of bill: JUI-F

Activists dismiss accusations of hidden agenda as party vehemently puts its foot down.


Our Correspondent April 08, 2012

ISLAMABAD:


Announcing a countrywide strike against the tabling of Domestic Violence Bill, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) demanded legal action against NGOs, and female NGO workers in particular, supporting the bill.


The JUI-F, which has already declared its opposition to the passage of the bill in its current form, said it would fight its passage ‘tooth and nail.’ The group had earlier warned NGOs to stop supporting a bill which represents ‘western culture.’

“We will not let these senseless women, who depend on American dollars, work against the constitution and the Islamic shariah,” said statement issued by JUI-F Islamabad media coordinator Jamshid Abbasi. “Minting dollars in the name of women rights, (women) representatives of these NGOs are earning a bad name for Islam,” the statement said.

NGOs dismiss ‘agenda’

In response to the statement, leading human rights activist, Dr Farzana Bari, said that the allegations were completely baseless. She said that protection of women from domestic violence was the right and demand of every Pakistani woman. The bill, she said, was drafted by the country’s lawmakers in standing committees represented by all political parties including the JUI-F.

Earlier on Friday, opposing protest rallies took place outside parliament. Rights activists chanted slogans in favour of the passage of the bill, while religious activists raised slogans opposing it.

Human rights activist and filmmaker, Samar Minallah, said the protest was against the language and insensitivity shown by JUI-F Chief in parliament when the bill was introduced on April 4, 2012.

“It was a protest against a particular mindset. A mindset that tends to trivialise and politicise all women rights issues,” she told The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 8th, 2012.

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