British law borrowed HR concepts from Islam
By Our Reporter
ISLAMABAD, Sept 16: The present British law has borrowed many concepts of human rights from the Islamic teachings and traditions, but with the passage of time human rights have became a tool to lend support to criminals. This was stated by International Islamic University (IIU), Islamabad vice-president Prof Dr Anwar Hussain Siddiqui while talking to a 15-member delegation from University of Sindh, Jamshoro, led by Hanifa Kazi. The delegation is visiting the IIU under the inter-provincial university exchange programme of the Higher Education Commission.
Western thinkers tend to be sympathetic towards the criminals which resulted in disorder in the society, the IIU vice-president said. He said the basis of Islamic law was an eye for an eye, but it was the history that during the last 26 years of the introduction of Hudood ordinance not a single person was awarded the punishment of stoning or amputation of hands. “Hudood serve as a deterrent because the fear of punishment restrained the criminals to indulge in crime. The criteria of witnesses is very high also,” Mr Siddiqui said. Replying to a question, he said Pakistan’s economy and banking system was based on capitalism. It is a matter of pride for IIU that it established an International Institute of Islamic Economics under the leadership of Prof Khurshid Ahmed in 1983, he said.
The objective of the institute was to initiate research and education on Islamic economics and banking. As a result of this activity, Islamic banking was the fastest growing industry of the modern world, he added. Prof Siddiqui said many of the European and American banks were opening Islamic windows and feeling secured to invest their capital on profit sharing basis. Comparing the teaching of Islamic studies in traditional Madressahs and the Islamic university, he said students of the IIU were being taught Islamic studies from the traditional and modern sources of knowledge in English and Arabic. While the seminaries have neither developed nor changed their syllabus according to the need of contemporary Muslim society even after the independence of Pakistan, he added.
However, he said, in recent times a change had been witnessed in the situation, adding that “It is hoped that the teaching standards will be improved in future.” Dr Siddiqui said the IIU was planning to open new departments like mass communication, medicine, engineering and European and oriental languages. In reply to another question, he said the doors of IIU were opened to students irrespective of religion and race. “There is no discrimination on the basis of religion, race, language and gender. We have non-Muslim students on roll and some have completed their studies in the past.”
He categorically denied that the Islamic university was generating any ill-will or malice against other religions. He said according to the Islamic faith we believed in all prophets and their teaching so there was no question of preaching against any religion. Later talking to the delegation, IIU vice-president (academics) Dr Khalifa Mohammad Hassan said: “We are fast moving towards the point when the myth of the clash of civilisations and cultures might become a reality.” We are facing the challenges of clash of civilisations and even clash of religions, he added. The IIU is the leading university in the Muslims world and its fundamental objective is to teach modern subjects in the light of Quran and Hadith and we are successfully performing this crucial task, Dr Hassan said.
Source: Dawn
Date:9/17/2006
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