DHAKA, May 6: Facing flak over its attacks on the Women’s Affairs Reforms Commission, Bangladesh’s Islamic outfit Hefazat-e-Islam has expressed regret over any “offensive language” at its grand rally on May 3, at the Suhrawardy Udyan, and has also denied all claims that it was anti-women.
The outfit’s remarks were heavily criticised by the Samajik Protirodh Committee – a civil society platform consisting of 67 women’s rights and human’s rights groups – who called the Hefazat’s remarks against the women’s reforms commission as “misogynistic, violent, and barbaric.”
In an official statement, Hefazat’s joint secretary general, Azizul Haque Islamabadi, distanced itself from many of the remarks made by the Islamist group, saying that the outfit does “not endorse the use of inappropriate language at the grand rally”, The Daily Star reported.
The Hefazat leader said that two speakers unexpectedly used offensive rhetoric, which the platform did not support. “If anyone has been hurt by this, we sincerely apologise to them.”
“At the same time, we call upon those from the so called ‘secular-progressive camp’ who constantly mock Islamic scholars and clerics with hateful labels like ‘Jongi (terrorist)’, ‘militant,’ ‘Moulobadi (fundamentalist),’ ‘religious exploiters,’ and ‘communal’ to refrain from such offensive terms,” he added.
Islamabadi went on to deny accusations that the group was an anti-woman outfit. “The very notion that we harbour hatred toward women is absurd. Portraying an ideological battle as ‘hatred toward women’ is sheer ignorance,” he said.
Reiterating that the Islamic body was willing to engage in reform efforts to protect women’s rights, he said that it has to be in accordance with their respective religious laws.
“However, from the outset, a women’s related reform commission was formed by sidelining Islamic clerics and other religious scholars and instead including a group of NGO-fueled feminists.”
He further stated that Hefazat’s role in expanding female literacy through free education and accommodation at its Qawmi madrasas is often overlooked. “Our work benefits thousands of underprivileged girls every year without any government funding,” he added.
The Islamic body’s leader alleged that the portrayal of religious scholars as misogynists was part of a long-running political campaign.
(UNI)
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