ISLAMABAD-
Government’s top advisory body on religious affairs Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Wednesday called for a ban on hate speech pertaining to religious identity and urged for greater harmony between sects ahead of the holy month of Muharram.
Presenting a ‘Code of Conduct’ at the end of its two-day session, the IIC also condemned labelling any Muslim sect as ‘non-believers’ and ‘deserving of death’
“It is an un-Islamic and condemnable act to declare any Muslim sect a disbeliever and deserving of death,” it added, along with recommendations, to the Parliament, to curb hate speech and similar material in published form.
The recommendations by the advisory body come ahead of Islamic month of Muharram which is frequently marred by sectarian violence, with violence rising markedly in recent years.
CII also called for greater protection of non-Muslim minorities, which make around three percent of the population, and their worship places.
Meanwhile, CII Chairman Maulana Muhammad Sheerani, in a press conference, provisionally termed the Pakistan Protection Ordinance and National Security Policy against Shariah Law.
Sherani also said that court cases pertaining to Hudood and Qisas cannot be judged by women and that a marriage is only annulled if a husband leaves Islam and not when the wife converts from Islam.
CII’s final judgment on the subjects will be issued after consultation with the legal and political experts.
When asked about the letter written to the advisory body by Arsalan Iftikhar, son of former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, asking about Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan’s eligibility under Articles 62 and 63 of the constitution, Sheerani said that no such letter from Iftikhar was received by the council while adding that a similar letter, received without a signature, was not reviewed by the body.
The CII is more often known for its conservative pronouncements, declaring in March the prohibition of child marriage being incompatible with Islam and that a man does not need permission from his wife to marry again.
In a meeting on Tuesday, the Sheerani, said a Muslim woman cannot object to the second or subsequent marriages of her husband.
Formed in 1962, the CII’s remit is to advise parliament on the compatibility of laws with Sharia, though its recommendations are non-binding.
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