Jamaat Cannot Be Called an “Islamic” Party: Charmonai Pir

Ameer of Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Charmonai Pir, Mr. Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim, has remarked that Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami cannot be called an “Islamic” party. He claimed that Jamaat had removed the phrase “Akimuddin” (establishment of religion) from its logo, meaning the word “Islam” no longer remains in it, and that they therefore cannot be called an Islamic party.

The Ameer of Islami Andolan made these remarks while speaking to journalists yesterday, Tuesday, afternoon, after a workers’ rally at Fazlul Ulom Madrasa in Kushtia town. Referring to a statement made by the Home Minister in parliament, Charmonai Pir said that Jamaat-e-Islami had removed the phrase “Akimuddin” from its party logo, meaning the word “Islam” no longer remains there. He said that in its manifesto for the last election, Jamaat nowhere stated that it would run the country according to Islam, and that at the time, the Jamaat Ameer had also said they would not run the country according to Sharia, but according to the prevailing law. Taking all this together, he said, it could be said that Jamaat is no longer an Islamic party, and cannot be called one.

Charmonai Pir also raised questions about the 11-party long march. He said that Jamaat-e-Islami had carried out a long march over demands including electricity, but that after returning from it, the party’s Ameer said in parliament that “the electricity problem was not created by the current government” — asking why, then, they had burned so much fuel and gas for the long march, and why such double standards.

The Ameer of Islami Andolan also raised allegations against the ruling party, BNP, claiming it was breaking its promises. He said BNP had pledged before the election that it would not pass any law contrary to Sharia if it came to power, but was not keeping that promise, adding that parliament had already approved a law contrary to Sharia.

He issued a further warning, saying that if the government did not withdraw from laws contrary to Sharia, they would be forced to take to protest.