95% of laws are Islamic in Pakistan: Dr. Khalid

In Pakistan, 95% of the laws are Islamic; only 5% are those in which Council of Islamic Ideology have proposed changes as per Quran and Sunnah. Yet people of Pakistan, from a layman to an education person, think that there is no Islamic law in Pakistan. Such is the confusion around, a confusion created by the clergy.

These views were expressed by renowned Islamic scholar and former chair of CII Dr. Khalid Masood, at the launch of his book. The event was organized by Pak Institute for Peace Studies, a Pakistani think-tank.

The event was attended by former foreign minister Inam ul Haq, German scholar Dr. Dietrich Reetz, Muhammad Amir Rana, chairman of madrassa board Dr. Amir Taseen, Dr. Fazl ur Rehman, Dr. Khursheed Nadeem, and others.

Here are some excerpts from his conversation on the launch:

On the decline of the Muslims:

Until eighteenth century, the problem lay inside Muslims themselves. Yet, during the colonial rule, they thought that the problem lay with the demise of their power; hence, they concluded, until they get power, problems won’t wither away. But, when Muslims got power, a new confusion rose: will the state be Islamic or political?

On the imagination of the new state:

The author claimed that Maulana Maududi, a renowned Islamic scholar and political leader, had no structure of an Islamic state. The structure Maududi presented later was different from the one presented by Allama Iqbal. Even Iqbal couldn’t elaborate the picture of Muslim nationalism, Dr. Masood said.

Elaborating the point, Dr. Masood claimed that Jinnah and Iqbal were supportive of the post-Ottoman structure in Turkey, but Maududi had different views. Confusion prevailed, from which those forces benefited, which had opposed the creation of Pakistan. Because of being in opposition, such forces presented the religious concept of state with much vigour. Resultantly, a common man started thinking that an Islamic state will resolve their problems, the author said.

On recent global events:

Those leading Islamic movements are not scholars, but have taken help from them. This, he said, is pure politics. That is why and how non-state actors hijacked the movements for Islamic state.

Commenting on the recent turn of global events, Dr. Khalid Masood said that after 9/11, Islamic movements are on the war path. After Paris attacks, the West and Islamic State’s Abu Bakr Baghdadi share extreme thinking – that of extremism. Both are fighting wars for empires. On both sides, emotions are high.