New man at the CII

Sherani is known to be a hard-liner who adheres to the same retrogressive views with which the JUI-F is associated.

After a long interval following the retirement of Dr Khalid Masood in May this year, Senator Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani of the JUI-F  has been appointed chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII). A commitment to this effect had been made months ago to the party. The decision to implement it comes as a means to appease an ally angered by the appointments to the parliamentary committee for the appointment of judges. There can be no greater contrast between Dr Masood and Maulana Sherani. This has already been pointed out by NGOs and a host of other persons concerned by the appointment. As a scholar, Dr Masood had a sound grounding in Islam and all its many dimensions. During his tenure some of the decisions taken marked extremely important steps forward. For instance, women were given greater guarantees of rights to property and recommendations made for changes in other laws that had a negative impact on their status in society. The same liberal interpretation was taken forward to other areas of life.

Many fear that under Maulana Sherani just the opposite will happen. He is known to be a hard-line conservative who adheres to the same retrogressive views with which the JUI-F is associated. This does not augur well as far as a move towards more enlightened times is concerned. The government may have a point when it says that the Chairman of the CII does not have a veto power and that all decisions within the body are taken collectively by persons representing all schools of thought. However, symbolism also has an important part to play in the way things are perceived by people. It is also true, as we have seen in the past, that the chairman does indeed play a role in setting the direction taken by the CII. It would be a pity if we saw the good work of the past reversed for the sake of political point scoring especially when this move comes from a party that prides itself on its progressive credentials.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 22^nd, 2010.