Respect and dignity: JI’s lure for minorities leaves others dumfounded

Party’s Christian members say lack of VIP culture and positive attitude attracts many

PESHAWAR: For the last 12 years, Munir Siraj has been part of Jamaat-e-Islami. However, he is unlike most members of the religious party.

Munir is a prominent member of the Christian community and is JI’s Minority Wing Town-I president. As the party that has fielded the most minority candidates for the local government elections, its secular rivals such as PPP, PTI and ANP have been left scratching their heads over their own lack of a similar lure.

The minority leader, who is also contesting for a reserved town seat in the local government elections, says the absence of a VIP culture draws people to the party. “They give us respect and dignity. One example of this is our selection,” he says.



“Four days before the nomination process started, our names were announced by party chief Sirajul Haq. Meanwhile, other parties were directing minority hopefuls to submit their papers for consideration and an application was no guarantee of a ticket,” he explains. Munir adds minorities in Pakistan have been at the receiving end of special respect and love from this party as compared to others.

“They consult us on every level before making any decision,” the minority leader insists. “The important part is that you have your say in a party which is considered religious by others,” he says.

JI Peshawar Minority Wing President Danial Samuel tells The Express Tribune he has been affiliated with JI for the last 15 years.

“It is a religious party, but does not interfere with the faith of other people,” he stresses, adding he served as a town nazim after the previous local government elections on a JI ticket.

He recalls the religious party, as part of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, was the first to give an MNA ticket to Pervaiz Masih back in 2002 and that is the reason most members of the Christian community support it.

Although not a candidate himself, Samuel is the man responsible for deciding all of JI’s 57 minority election hopefuls which are more than PTI and PPP put together. He says the names were sent to the JI leadership which approved them without batting an eye.

“The total number of JI candidates in Town-I is 264, 212 for Town-II, 116 for Town-III and 223 for Town-IV.”

Danial adds JI has supported them regardless of their religion or race; an outlook they have not found in any other party in Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2015.