LAHORE: Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan, Senator Sirajul Haq has said that the women in Pakistan could be empowered only by granting them all the rights given by Islam and the Shariah.
Addressing the Women Shoora of the JI at Mansoora on Saturday, Sirajul Haq urged the womenfolk to join the struggle for the Islamic revolution and the enforcement of the Shariah.
He said that no other religion had given more rights to the women folk than Islam. He said that the secular women working on the dictates of the western NGOs wanted to drive the women out of their homes and to deprive them of the protection of Chaddar and Chardiwari, (modesty and home).
The JI chief said that all religions other than Islam had exploited the women and instead of making her the queen of the household, had made her a market commodity and burdened her with the responsibility to earn for herself.
Islam, he said, did not confine the womenfolk to the four walls of her house. But it wanted her to shun mixed gatherings to protect her modesty and honour.
Sirajul Haq said that the women folk comprised half of the country’s population must be given the facilities of education, health, and employment according to their ratio of their population. He said at present, the number of girls schools, colleges and universities were totally inadequate. The government hospitals did not have sufficient number of lady doctors and adequate facilities for the women patients.
He said that short sighted rulers had kept the girls from education. No attention had been given in the past to establishing women educational institutions and medical colleges in far flung areas and tribal areas.
The JI chief said that no action had ever been taken against the big land lords who deprived their women folk of their right of inheritance. The land lords generally did not timely marry their daughters for the fear of the division of their land. Similarly, he said, the banks were not ready to give loans to the widows for the look after and education of their minor children although they eagerly gave huge loans to the billionaires who might not return the same.
He repeated his call to the Election Commission to debar all those from contesting elections who failed to produce a certificate of having given their sisters and daughters their share of inherited property.
Sirajul Haq said that the JI on coming to power, would establish separate universities and medical and engineering colleges for women. Women would be given interest free loans to start cottage industry.
INP