Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has strongly rejected the newly formed Women Reform Commission, claiming it stands against national values, collective conscience, and divine law.
"We reject the Reform Commission because it opposes the faith and consciousness of the nation and the law of Allah. By rejecting the commission, we also reject its report." he said at a national seminar titled "Islamophobia of the Women Reform Commission and Our Responsibilities", held at the Institution of Diploma Engineers in Kakrail, Dhaka on Wednesday.
The seminar was organised by the National Olama Mashayekh A'imma Council.
Dr. Shafiqur Rahman accused the commission of misleading society in the name of representing women and attempting to incite changes in Qur'anic verses. "Why provoke such controversy now? This shouldn't even be on the government's agenda when there are so many unresolved issues," he questioned.
Criticising parts of the commission's report, he said, "Why raise the issue of rape within marriage? It will lead to judicial congestion and societal disruption. If women's rights are to be addressed, then representatives of the majority belief system in this country must be included. Sadly, no such representation exists in this commission. We categorically reject it."
Addressing the same seminar, Khelafat Majlis Secretary General Mamunul Haque said, "Islam grants women just rights, not equal rights. Equality would pit women against men in competition, which they cannot sustain. We urge the authorities to ensure fair rights for women without pushing them toward immorality or degrading the motherly role of women in society."
Principal Maulana Syed Mosaddeq Billah Al Madani, a presidium member of IslamiAndolon and governor of the Islamic Foundation, called the report "entirely anti-Shariah," claiming it contradicts at least 15 verses of the Qur'an. "Those who made these recommendations have taken a stance against the Qur'an," he said.
Meanwhile, AB Party Chairman Mujibur Rahman Manju criticised the commission for its lack of inclusivity and condemned its alleged recognition of sex work as a profession. "Just as begging cannot be considered a profession, neither can prostitution. This is an insult to womanhood," he said.
