Confusion worst confounded

THE AMENDED version of the Bill to protect women’s rights has been passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan. While the religious parties were totally opposed to its contents, the “progressive” Pakistan Muslim League (Q), its allies and the People’s Party Parliamentarian MNAs supported its passage in the House on Wednesday, Interestingly, women’s activist groups who had been demanding repeal of all Hudood laws which they felt were anti-women protested outside the Parliament Building registering their opposition to the watered-down legislation. The Muttehida Majlis-e-Aural (MMA) which boycotted the proceedings in the National Assembly did not announce immediate resignation of its Members from the Assemblies, as threatened earlier, but chose to postpone its move pending examination of the Bill as passed to see if it offended against Islamic laws as laid down by the Holy Quran and Sunnah. PML (Q) President Ch. Shujat Hussain, also a Member of the National Assembly, announced to resign as MNA if the Bill as passed contained un-Islamic provisions.
However, leading religious scholars including Justice (Retired) Mohammad Taqi Usmani, Mufti Muneebur Raman, Maulana Hamid Ghmidi etc. have termed the Bill as un-Islamic. On the other hand, during his unprecedented address to the nation on Radio and TV on Wednesday night, President Pervez Musharraf congratulated progressive and liberal elements on successful passage of the Bill which in his view represented a significant development in the struggle against extremism and fundamentalism.
Any law which promotes general good will be widely accepted. However, this controversial legislation has, in the view of some experts, rendered Huddod laws, some provisions of which are surely oppressive, totally ineffective and accordingly the religious elements have been provided an opportunity to portray this step as a move by the present rulers to introduce unIslamic-laws. Religion plays an active role in the life of the common man. The masses in Pakistan can be provoked over allegations that certain developments run contrary to their belief and teachings of their faith. The passage of the Bill has presented an opportunity to the extremist elements to whip up an anti-Government campaign.
The Bill now goes to the Senate where hopefully concerns of the religious scholars and all right-thinking forces are addressed. Already, some scholars have made a fervent appeal to President Pervez Musharraf to withhold his assent to the Bill, as passed by the National Assembly, because in their opinion it s un-Islamic.
In hindsight, one mist empted to ask as to the rational for the haste with which this Bill was pushed through. After all, the Huddod laws remained on the statute book for quarter of a century. Successive Government had no courage to touch them because they apprehended a popular backlash. Only a microscopic section of the society was agitating for their repeal as some of their provisions were exploited by the police and the oppressors. The majority of female victims had enormously suffered because of some lacunae in the law. A consensus was required to be developed through a public debate. The amended Bill does not take into account views of eminent scholars, jurists and experts. It is hoped that serious efforts will be made not to allow public agitation on this issue which if it starts will have disastrous consequences. The Bill as passed has surely created confusion in the society.

Alternate reality

AL JAZEERA English has finally hit global airwaves. Having unveiled the project more than three years ago, the much-anticipated English news channel certainly took a while to shape up. But given the unusual and unprecedented challenge that al Jazeera English is faced with, it was only natural that the launch would be anything but smooth.
After all, this is the first ever media initiative targeting a global audience from a Middle Eastern perspective. Of course, the original Al Jazeera Arabic also reached and targeted a worldwide audience, it had been essentially seen as an Arab-Muslim perspective for an Arab-Muslim audience.
Al Jazeera English is a different ballgame altogether. It is consciously seeking to project itself and indeed is a global news network with a difference.
Without doubt, the advent of Al Jazeera English is a seminal, watershed event in the history of Arab and Muslim world. It is the most credible sign of the Middle East media coming of age. But more than the Islamic world, Al Jazeera’s arrival marks a new era for the world media.
Speaking and reporting in a language that is spoken and understood across the world, Al Jazeera English has reached out to a truly global audience. More importantly, it offers an alternate reality to the Western audiences and rest of the world — a reality that is decidedly different from the worldview offered by the likes of CNN and Fox News.
Broadcasting from four corners of the globe and four continents — Doha, London, Washington and Kuala Lumpur — the channel has put together a team that is known for its professional excellence and integrity. Famous names from the broadcasting world such as David Frost, Riz Khan, Rageh Omar and a huge network of producers, reporters and editors promise an excitingly fresh take on the Middle East and the world.
Al Jazeera’s identity itself is its biggest brand ambassador. It is widely admired and respected in the Middle East and around the world for its excellent reportage and extraordinary candour to take on issues that had been once perceived as taboo. Of course, reaching out to a world audience — especially the Western viewers — and winning their trust will not be easy for a network that is still panned as the ‘Bin Laden channel.’ It’s not impossible though. With its highly professional approach and its reputed persistence to report the other side of a news story, the network could eventually win this battle for Western hearts and minds. And hopefully Al Jazeera example would be emulated across the Arab and Muslim world.

—Khaleej Times