Disband the CII

KARACHI: The Women’s Action Forum (WAF) demands the immediate disbanding of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), which has been issuing a series of regressive and anti-women recommendations under its current head, Maulana Sherani. Instead of healing the religious divides and confusion prevalent in the country, it seems that the first word for the CII should not be ‘council’ but ‘crisis’. From bigoted recommendations against DNA testing in cases of rape, to bizarre recommendations regarding sex change operations, the CII is doing more damage than Pakistan can afford. The WAF reminds the people that the CII is a redundant body — legally and morally — and must be disbanded before its irresponsible statements start influencing the rationale behind protective laws, such as the Muslim Family Laws or any other rights for women, children or minorities, which the CII members seem intent on eroding.

Women’s Action Forum

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15^th, 2014.

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