Bangladesh: Thousands of Islamists rally against proposed women’s right reforms, demand punishment for reforms commission members calling them anti-Quran

Thousands of Islamists gathered in Dhaka in Bangladesh, protesting against proposed reforms ensuring gender equality. Hefazat-e-Islam group organised the protest demanding the dissolution of Women’s Affairs Reform Commission, calling it anti-Quran. The Islamist group is protesting against proposals to give more rights to Muslim women, including property rights, saying that the such proposals are against Islamist Sharia law.

Over 20,000 people belonging to Hefazat-e-Islam rallied near the Dhaka University, some carrying banners and placards reading “Say no to Western laws on our women, rise up Bangladesh.” They have demanded that the interim government’s reforms commission be abolished. Not only that, they are also demanding that the commission members should be punished for the proposed changes.

Hefazat-e-Islam is a platform of mainly teachers and students of non-government or “kawmi” madrassa or religious seminaries in Bangladesh, and it is considered an influential pressure group.

Hefazat-e-Islam also announced a nationwide protest on 23 May, Friday, after the Jumma prayers. They also issued a 12-point declaration, and demanded the formation of a new women’s commission comprising of Islamic scholars and representatives from “devout segments of the female population.”

The Islamist leaders said that women’s social progress in Bangladesh should not be dictated by Western values but instead be grounded in the country’s religious and cultural traditions. “Men and women can never be equal,” a women’s madrassa teacher said during the rally, adding that the Quran has outlined specific codes of life for both genders and “there is no way we can go beyond that”.

They also called for reinstating “complete faith and trust in almighty Allah” in the constitution, urging the government to abandon the “suicidal concept” of pluralism and to protect the faith and religious practices of Muslims.

The group also opposed the iinclusion of terms such as “gender identity,” “gender diversity,” “gender equality,” “gender discrimination,” “third gender,” and “other genders,” saying that these terms are used to promote LGBT and transgender culture.

Hefazat-e-Islam further demanded laws prescribing the highest punishment for blasphemy against Allah and Prophet Mohammed. They have demanded to ban the Awami League, calling it a “terrorist organisation.” In another demand, they sought cancellation of bail granted to Chinmoy Das.

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