Why the controversy on a bill to protect Islam?

The Punjab Assembly on 22 July passed the Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam Bill 2020 which gives the Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) powers to visit and inspect any printing press, publication house, book store and confiscate any book, before or after printing.

Objectionable material

Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam Bill bars the printing and publication of objectionable material and also bars the publisher, editor or translator from printing or publishing any book and material that consists of photographs or pictures of suicide bombers, terrorists, except as required by law enforcing agencies for purposes of investigation. 

Khatam-un-Nabiyyin

The new law has also made it mandatory that “the blessed name of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) shall be preceded by the title Khatam-an-Nabiyyin or Khatam-un-Nabiyyin followed by ‘Sallallahu alaihi wasallam’ (darood) in Arabic text.

The new law also states that “every publisher of books shall be bound to provide memoranda of all books, published by him, to the authorized officer, after every three months with other details.”

The “book” according to the law includes “every volume, part or division of a volume, and pamphlet, in any language and every sheet of music, sign, map, chart or plan separately printed or reprinted or reproduced, lithographed or produced in any soft form, disc or any other similar device, etc., used for digital or electronic storage, other than a newspaper, magazine, journal, newsletter and the textbook defined under the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board Act.”  

The punishment for failing to comply with the law would result in imprisonment of either descriptive for a term which may “extend to five years and with fine which may extend to Rs500, 000.

Aims and objectives of the law

Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi after the passage of the bill said the Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam bill will prove to be a milestone in the protection of Islam and its supremacy.

The speaker said that a bill like this should be passed by the Centre and provinces and should be enforced all over Pakistan.

He added respect for all religions, including Islam which is a vital part of our Constitution. With the approval of this law, the Constitution of Pakistan has become stronger.

Pervaiz Elahi expressed hope that after the enactment of the law, incidents of sectarian aggression would be reduced and an atmosphere of religious harmony, literature and respect would be promoted.

Widespread criticism

Various sections of society have criticized the passage of the Punjab Tahaffuz-i-Bunyad-i-Islam (protecting the foundation of Islam) Bill 2020 by the Punjab Assembly, warning that such trends would fan extremism.

According to human rights groups, section 3F of the new law will be used as a weapon to target minorities and sects. The law also gives the DGPR power to refuse permission to import, print or publish a book if it is prejudicial to the national interest, culture, religious and sectarian harmony.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has said that giving the power to DGPR to object to the content is unacceptable.

According to the head of the commission, Dr. Mehdi Hassan, there is no need for new legislation in the presence of Section 505 (2) and anti-terrorism laws already in the country.

Concerns of Women Democratic Front

The Women Democratic Front (WDF), a civil society organization working for women’s rights, also expressed deep concerns over the bill and said the blatant attempt at increased state censorship through the Tahaffuz-i-Bunyad-i-Islam Bill.

It said the bill was a transparent ploy to attack the already shrinking space for intellectual independence and religious freedom by threatening to monitor and censor books, magazines, pamphlets and other reading material published and imported into Pakistan in the name of protection of religion.

It called upon all progressive forces in the country to join hands in calling upon the legislators to repeal this bill with immediate effect and stand with the forces of freedom rather than against them.

Opinions of scholars on the bill

Shia organizations condemned the Tahaffuz Bunyad-e-Islam Bill and termed it an encroachment upon their basic faith and conspiracy against the liberal kind of Pakistan envisioned by Quaid-i-Azam.

Majlis Wahdat Muslemin (MWM), announced withdrawing political and electoral support in future to all those parties who backed the bill in the assembly, another Shia organization, Shia Ulema Council (SUC), warned of sectarian strife and protests just ahead of Muharram if their reservations on the bill were not removed.

According to them,  both Shias and Sunnis greatly respect and honor the companions of Holy Prophet (PBUH) and had always been writing ‘Alaih-e-Salam’ with their names as a mark of love and respect, adding both Shias and Sunnis have reservations against this bill.

In a statement, National Party’s Punjab president Ayub Malik said the new law would fan sectarianism besides stoking hatred against minorities in the largest and most populous province of the country that had a history of religious hatred against the marginalized sections of society.

On the other hand, President of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat Karachi Division Allama Rabb Nawaz Hanafi, Central Leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Allama Hamad Madani, and others said that the country was burning in the fire of terrorism for a long time.

The Protection of the Foundations of Islam Bill should be made part of the law immediately. Jamiat-e-Ahl-e-Hadith Pakistan chief and senator, Allama Prof Sajid Mir while supporting the passage of the bill, said that political differences should be kept in their place but Islam gives priority to politics.

Sectarianism and religious extremism

In a couple of years, an environment has been created in the Parliament, particularly in the Punjab Assembly, where every other member comes up with a motion on a daily basis warning that Islam will be in danger if it is not passed. This is a dangerous trend and it will plunge us deep into sectarianism and religious extremism. 

Islam in Pakistan is neither facing any danger from modern technology nor from books. We are facing danger because of the division on the basis of sectarianism and extremism. Those living in palaces must exercise caution and do not fan the fire that burn themselves.

The country had already suffered a lot due to the retrogressive policies of military dictator General Ziaul Haq and religious contractors that encouraged obscurantist elements of society to badly damage the vision of Jinnah’s Pakistan.

Now with these new trends, the concept of Jinnah’s Pakistan has been pushed towards the verge of complete destruction, paving the way for more hatred against minorities and other sections of society.