Foreign Policy
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind does not agree with the current direction of our foreign policy. We are under pressure from world powers and becoming a tool of global imperialist blocs. During the Cold War, India played an important and leading role on the world stage as a leader and a powerful voice of the Third World against the imperialist powers. We strongly opposed the illegal existence of Israel and we were at the forefront of advocating the legitimate rights of the Palestinians for their own land. Our stand on this issue was not due to some temporary vested interest but it was due to the high values of human liberty, freedom and equality as enshrined in our Constitution. In order to play an effective global role in the new global context, it is also important that we focus on improving relations with our neighbours and Pakistan in particular. Now the time has come for us to forget our old differences and extend a hand of lasting friendship to each other, to encourage the process of fruitful dialogue for the resolution of all contentious issues, including that of Kashmir. In addition, we do not allow the world powers and the common enemy of the two countries namely terrorism, to exploit this tension. We must increase the global stature of South Asia by organizing and stabilizing the SAARC.
Education
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind feels that one of the major causes of the current moral depravity, disorder, and corruption is the valueless education system of our country that is devoid of all moral and spiritual values. Our education system has failed in achieving academic excellence and developing the personality of the students in a holistic manner. Commercialization of education perpetuates the gap between rich and poor. The government is shirking from its responsibility towards providing quality education from KG to PG. The educational situation of backward classes, minorities and especially Muslims has deteriorated to a deplorable extent. Demanding the promotion of moral values in education, JIH condemns the efforts of certain groups to promote certain religious and cultural concepts along with unscientific and superstitious tendencies under the pretext of morality and spirituality. Jamaat feels that the entire education policy needs to be reviewed. The curriculum must accord moral education its due place. 8% of GDP should be spent on education. In addition to providing free primary education to every Indian, it will also help in making higher education easier to access. Discrimination between the rich and the poor must be stopped. The commercialization of education should be discouraged. The recommendations of Justice Ranganath Mishra and Justice Sachar Committee should be implemented immediately to address the educational backwardness of minorities and Muslims. Jamaat also urges the Muslims to pay full attention to their education and to establish their education system according to the teachings of Islam. There is also a need for proper Islamic training of Muslim teachers and administrators from educational institutions so that the standard of education of Muslim children is improved and they are educated along the correct Islamic pattern.
Economic Policy
Since the 1990s, the policies of globalization, liberalization and privatization have undoubtedly helped to create wealth but also brought its own set of complex problems. The policies only benefited the capitalists and a limited segment of the urban elite. The concentration of wealth increased and the poor became poorer and the rich became richer. As a result, despite being one of the world’s leading countries in terms of economic growth and the number of super-rich, we have not been able to erase the stigma of being the country with the largest number of poorest people. JIH supports the policies of free trade according to the teachings of Islam. It does not consider the influx of foreign capital into the country as something wrong. It also supports the steps needed for the process of creation of wealth, safeguarding the legitimate interests of the capitalists and the industrialists and building their trust. However, all these goals should be subject to the welfare of the people of the country and the vital interests of the country and the people. In the field of economics, the role of the government is not merely that of a coordinator or a regulator. It is the foremost duty of the government to ensure the welfare of the people and cater to the basic needs of the poor. The government is responsible to formulate policies that result in the equitable distribution of wealth. The government must ensure that the benefits of development reach the backward, the poor and those from rural areas. JIH demands that moving beyond just the right to food; the cumulative needs of food, clothing, shelter, medical care and education – i.e. The ‘right to livelihood’ should be recognized as a fundamental right of the people of India through a constitutional amendment. The traditional sectors of the Indian economy are being neglected on which the livelihood of crores of the poor and the middle class are dependent. At present, the rate of direct taxation is quite low in our country and very low compared to other developed countries. The principle of higher taxes on higher income should be adopted. Direct taxes should be increased and indirect taxes should be reduced so that the burden of inflation does not fall on the poor. Along with the poor, the government needs to pay special attention to the social classes that have lagged behind other classes in the race for development. In order to improve the situation of minorities, especially Muslims, it is necessary to formulate concrete and effective policies instead of ostentatious and superficial measures. JIH feels that interest and gambling are the main causes of economic woes. Financial speculation should be discouraged. Lotteries, gambling and futures trading should be banned. Vicious rates of interest on home loans should be strictly curtailed, interest free banking should be permitted and our country should seriously consider the just Islamic economic system that is free from interest and gambling. These principles should be seriously considered and experiments based on Islamic principles of microfinance and banking should be encouraged.
National Politics
Today in our country, evils like corruption, dynastic politics, caste, hatred and sectarianism are becoming part of our political culture. Justice is pushed behind, looting and narrow-mindedness are inevitable and logical consequences of this culture and the growth of organic leadership is affected. Currently, the country’s major political parties are completely in the hands of the capitalists and their interests. A large number of corrupt politicians have infiltrated them at every level. The animosity towards minorities and totalitarian tendencies of a large political party are well known. Movements, which were traditionally considered anti-capitalist and pro-labor, are also either trapped in the clutches of the capitalists or their class politics and decadent political and economic ideologies are unable to fulfill the aspirations and needs of the people of the country. The smaller parties that could have replaced them have become confined within the spheres of interest of particular castes, classes or regions. At the root of this menace of corruption, sectarianism and vested interests lies the rampant materialism that has engulfed the entire country. After business, finance and bureaucracy, now politics and public service are under the clutches of the same greed and covetousness. According to JIH, the political disorder is responsible for many problems of the country. JIH has always been active in eradicating this evil. What is required is that the virtuous elements of the country should unite and struggle for value-based politics and a political system. Awareness among the people and voters should be created so that they do not encourage caste discrimination, sectarianism, class interests, crime and corruption in politics in any manner. Only value based politics founded on the fear true obedience of God has the potential to be the guarantor of justice for all and counter the powerful motivations of materialism and factionalism, which even good people easily fall prey to.
Religion
Indians are not antagonistic to religion, but God-fearing and religious. According to the Constitution of India, everyone has the same freedom of choice and the freedom to practice and preach his/her religion. One of the meanings of secularism is that the state will not be partial to the followers of a particular religion but will treat all equally and everyone shall have equal opportunities. It is a fact that the people of this world do not agree on a single religion or ideology and hence religious freedom is the only appropriate and workable approach. Reducing religion to just a private matter is unwanted audacity. The position of JIH is that this concept is not only antithetical to Islam but also would be quite oppressive for people of India, the vast majority of who believe in spiritual and religious values, to prohibit them from following the guidance offered by religion and impose irreligiousness on them instead.
Democracy
“Freedom of opinion” is a precious commodity for humanity. Implementing freedom of speech and conscience and for it to flourish requires a climate of openness called democracy. Democracy is the name given to the freedom and opportunity to present and reject ideas, to introduce and run the system, to accept, practice and preach religion, to serve humanity and to provide the freedom and opportunities to save it from the false ways of life. Democracy is alive where governments can be changed. Democracy is not the rule of the majority, but a guarantee and protection of the rights of minorities. Belief in and adherence to democratic values is a sign of a strong society. Extremism and destroying the rights of others is evidence of a weak society. Democracy, means a state in which the representatives in charge of its administrative affairs are elected by the will of the people, is a gift of Islam. Before the advent of Islam, very few examples can be citied, in which the ruler was elected by popular will. The Rightly Guided Caliphs were elected by the will and choice of the Ummah. Nonetheless, democracy refers to a government where the people are given opportunities and encouraged to express their views openly, where the people have social and political equality. This is also one of the teachings of Islam. Implicit in the freedom of expression is the freedom of religion, as well as freedom of the media, freedom to criticize government policies, accountability of rulers, answerability of rulers to the people, freedom of association and freedom to publish and publicize. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind is convinced that the establishment of democracy in politics is possible only when justice and equality in social life and co-operation and patronage in economic life are adopted. A society based on oppression, inequality, discrimination, enmity, rivalry, exploitation and in which a large section of the population is trapped in the quagmire of poverty, inequality, backwardness and ignorance will be deprived of its spirit even if it adopts the structure of democracy. Only through the promotion of piety and the values that emanate from it can we get rid of these enemies of democracy. The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind does not accept the particular notion of democracy in which people have unlimited power to run their own affairs. This unlimited power saw the rise of fascism in Europe, which came through the path of democracy. Jamaat is of the opinion that In order to regulate the will and decisions of nations, a higher and more lasting law and principle is needed. These enduring principles can only come from the Creator of human beings.
Fraternity
The call given by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has two main points: devotion to God, accountability before God and the unity of mankind. Both of these points provide the right foundation for democracy. All human beings are slaves of God and they should remain as slaves of their Creator. This belief protects man from arrogance, selfishness, narcissism, vanity and from the assumption that his knowledge and thought is perfect and infallible. Greatness suits God. The Almighty is one. His knowledge is perfect and his wisdom is devoid of error. All His servants are in need of Him and all are inferior to God in knowledge and thought. In the same way, the concept of unity of humankind gives birth to the concepts of equality, cooperation and mutual consultation among human beings.
Fascism
The rise of fascism is the death knell of democracy. Fascism creates superstitious minds in the masses to reach and remain in power. Lies and mythological tales are the feet on which it props itself. Group and racial bigotry are her eyes with which she looks at social and political issues. Being reactionary and social brutality are its hallmarks. It draws sustenance from fighting, bloodshed and violence. Emerging fascist tendencies in our country are a serious threat to the whole country. According to Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, it is important that the people of the country unite to face this threat and put an end to it.
Terrorism
Incidents of terrorism, especially bombings and resulting massive loss of lives are undoubtedly one of the major problems of our country. This tragic sequence has been going on for many years and countless lives have been lost so far. This, in turn, creates a state of fear and panic, especially in the big cities. These heinous acts of terrorism are highly condemnable. Their perpetrators, be they individuals or groups, are enemies of humanity and deserve the harshest and most exemplary punishment. After these terrorist incidents, a special pattern is emerging. Within hours of the brutal violence, there are allegations by the police or intelligence agencies about the involvement of certain organizations whose names are Arabic, Persian or Urdu sounding. Then the roundup of innocent Muslims begins. Later, on the one hand, innocent youth continue to be oppressed while their families go through unspeakable torture. On the other hand, the media puts the blame for these incidents on the entire Ummah. A lengthy series of detailed articles on news, statements, letters, editorial analysis and the opinion of so-called security experts begins and vile attempts are made to make the entire Muslim Ummah appear guilty and suspicious (in the eyes of the public). One of the most heinous terms being used in the media is “Islamic terrorism” as if the lunacy of terrorism has something to do with Islam. Newspapers, radio, television and even some politicians have been using this fabricated term instead of adopting the correct way of thinking and understanding. Similarly, jihad, a sacred act of worship in Islam, has been denigrated in the media despite repeated clarifications by Muslim leaders as if jihad is a despicable and undesirable thing. These attempts to defame Islamic terms such as jihad and to introduce antagonistic terms such as “Islamic terrorism” are, of course, highly reprehensible and are intended to discredit and intimidate non-Muslims. JIH, while strongly condemning the incidents of terrorism, has repeatedly pointed out to the government and the media that naming a group without investigation is an unjust, biased and irresponsible act. Indicting a person before providing evidence is a form of terrorism against the accused, his family and his religious affiliation itself. Jamaat-e-Islami of Hind demands from the Government of India (GoI) to conduct a high level impartial inquiry into all incidents of terrorism through a credible commission and release all found innocent immediately. The GoI must offer reasonable compensation to these persons and provide them with respectable employment. All police officers who have have deliberately trapped innocent people, ruined their lives, created an atmosphere of hatred against a particular religion and threatened the peace and security of the country, must be prosecuted. The police and the intelligence system must be cleansed of bigoted and sectarian-minded officers. The recommendations of the National Police Commission in this regard should be implemented immediately.
Join Us
If you agree with our vision and mission and believe that, there is a need to rebuild our country. If you desire for peace and prosperity to prevail in the world and wish to strive for an ideal society by putting an end to all atrocities, exploitation of the underprivileged and violence in the name of caste, creed, class and religion; then let us join hands to work together. You may contact us through any of the below channels: