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Tag: Sharia law
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Taliban’s moderate face aimed at legitimacy: Experts
Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Ever since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, the widespread feeling was it would impose strict Sharia law. However, in a surprising turn of events, the Taliban has seemingly presented a moderate face. Their spokesperson was seen interacting with a woman journalist on live TV and they also announced general amnesty for government officials.
Experts are still divided over this so called new avatar of the Taliban. While a few say the change is genuine and a bid for legitimacy, others say the group’s association with extremism and human rights violations cannot be ignored.
“The Taliban’s commitment to extremist frameworks is well known. The scale of human rights violations in the run-up to the takeover of Kabul cannot be brushed under the carpet based on a few statements. Therefore, the talk of Taliban softening stand is premature,” said Sanjay Pulipaka, senior fellow at Delhi Policy Group.
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Russia-based analyst Andrew Korybko, however, had a different take. He said the gradual change in the group’s functioning was not taken seriously. “But its latest press conference shows it is at least very serious about signalling its intent to change. The optics certainly help to build the case for its legitimacy as Afghanistan’s de facto rulers, but there’s also a pragmatic dimension to it. The group knows it can’t sustain its rule if it doesn’t change its style. Its prior history of leadership over 90 per cent of Afghanistan for half a decade taught it some valuable lessons in this respect,” he said.
A researcher at Jawaharlal Nehru University, who did not wish to be named, pointed out the Taliban is wary of social media because any atrocity it commits would be out in the open through these platforms. “Hence, they are careful about what they are doing or at least about what they are portraying to the world, especially at a time when their legitimacy is at stake. It is very plausible that the Taliban could go back to its old ways once it is recognised by powerful nations,” said the researcher.
Korybko is of the opinion that the militant group is also showing a new avatar in a bid to integrate Afghanistan into the region. “To this end, the Taliban must present themselves as respectable and responsible leaders in order to not scare away regional partners like Russia, China and Iran. It must convince them it will respect minorities’ and women’s rights and will not do anything that could potentially threaten their trade and investments through and within Afghanistan,” he added.
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Inter-faith marriage illegal as per Sharia law: Muslim law board
Express News Service
LUCKNOW: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has suggested the Muslim community not to enter into any matrimonial tie-up with non-Muslims. The Board has said that marriage between Muslims and non-Muslims is “invalid” and “regretful”.
Issuing a document in this regard, AIMPLB’s acting general secretary Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani underlined the steps parents, guardians, representatives of mosques, and madrassas across the country should take to stop inter-religious marriages.
Marriage between a Muslim and a non-Muslim was considered invalid even if it appeared to be valid by societal standards. “It is not considered legal as per the norms of Sharia,” said Maulana Rahmani while talking to media persons.
The factors like co-working spaces, parental nurturing and lack of religious teaching led to such relationships to take place wherein Muslims entered into a wedlock with non-muslims, said the board member.
ALSO READ | Protocols in place to protect inter-faith couples
Giving a reason to issue the guidelines, Maulana claimed that it was imperative to take steps in that direction as a number of Muslim girls went away with non-Muslim boys but later had to face hardships or ended up losing their lives.
In the seven-point directive to the Muslim community, the board said that parents should be watchful of the use of mobile phones by their children and not admit their children, especially girls in co-education schools.
The Muslim parents are advised not to delay marriage of their children, especially girls since “late marriages give rise to more such problems.” It also asked for weddings to be solemnized with simplicity.
It further asked the religious leaders of the community to take Friday sermons on regular basis and clerics to hold gatherings on teachings of the religion on marriage within the Muslim community.
“Generally when such marriages take place, a notice is put up outside the marriage registry office with their names. It is an appeal to religious organisations, social workers, madrasa teachers, and other responsible citizens, to visit the homes of these youngsters to motivate them against falling into a fit of passion. Not just after death but in life, too, such marriages of momentary passions are falling apart,” the document read.