Agencies Posted online: Friday, June 15, 2007 at 1313 hours IST Updated: Friday, June 15, 2007 at 1324 hours IST
Islamabad, June 15: A top Islamic organisation in Pakistan has said mosques and madrassas, including Jamia Hafsa that has been involved in a stand-off with the government over its attempt to forcefully implement Sharia, built on encroached land were considered illegal in Islam and ‘prayers offered there would not be accepted’.
Khalid Masud, Chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), said all mosques and madrassas (seminaries), including Jamia Hafsa, built on encroached land were un-Islamic, and ‘prayers offered there are not accepted’.
Masud said the Council had sent its recommendations to the government about the status of such disputed mosques, especially the Lal Masjid and Hafsa seminary in Central Islamabad, but had not received any response so far.
Pointing out that Islam supported moderation in everything, he regretted that valuable suggestions provided to the government on important issues went unheeded. During the last three years, as many as 72 recommendations were sent to the government but only 17 received positive response, Masud said.
The Councils suggestions on the Hasba Bill of the North West Frontier Province government, Women’s Protection Act and other issues were also ignored, he said.
He said the CII had supported amendments to the Hudood laws, labelled by many in the county as anti-women particularly in relations to the rape laws.
The Council has suggested to the government that amendments in all laws enacted from 1977 to 1990 be made consistent with the Quran and Sunnah.
The CII Chief said the Council was a constitutional body, independent, non-political and non-partisan tasked with the job to provide suggestions to the government on specific issues when approached.
