Jamaat e Islami and its Tryst with Politics

By Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander, New Age Islam 9 October 2024 Jamaat e Islami J&K (JeIJK), as a revivalist religious movement owes its origins to the Islamic ideologue and prolific writer, Syed Abul Ala Maududi (1903-79). Maulana Maududi believed that Islam is a holistic system and way of life, which is incomplete without participation in politics. The participation in elections was inevitable because Maududi believed in Democracy and evolved his concept of Theo-Democracy to describe the governance model in his Islamic State. Maududi, was against any form of violence, use of guerrilla or underground insurgent groups to create political change. He always believed that political change should happen through genuine electoral process, not through a coup, overthrow or military dictatorship. Despite these lofty ideals, JeI under his leadership in Pakistan could always win single digit number seats. JeI, after partition of Indian subcontinent got divided into JeI (Pakistan) and Hind (India). J&K being a disputed region had its own separate chapter of JeI, from its Indian counterpart. It started participating in elections from 1968, initially in local body elections and then State Assembly elections. JeIJK, was then portrayed to be working at the behest of centre (i.e. Congress stooge), because Plebiscite Front patronized by Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah spearheaded the boycott of electoral process. For the next two decades, they participated in all elections winning few seats particularly Syed Ali Shah Geelani, was elected as MLA three times from Jamaat’s ticket. In his later avatar, he was the strong proponent of election boycott and called participation in elections to be akin to selling the blood of martyrs. The martyrs included all those killed by the state for advocating the resolution of Kashmir issue, particularly the insurgents. The elected MLAs of JeIJK particularly Geelani always spoke about the resolution of Kashmir dispute. He called for the ban on liquor, prompting modesty and criticized vulgarity in the name of culture. The JeIJK, MLAs took an oath to defend the sovereignty of India and uphold the constitutional values. Once the armed insurgency started Geelani is on record describing the insurgents as ruffians and agents of India. JeIJK, would have to bear the brunt of the insurgents as they were targeting anyone who had taken oath on Indian constitution or participated in the electoral process. This prompted two JeIJK MLAs including Geelani to resign from their posts. Another JeIJK MLA, Abdul Razak Mir (Bachru) did not resign saying that he will resign only if Ameer (party head) of Jamaat will ask him to do so. The insurgency prompted Jamaat being hijacked by likes of Geelani and Syed Salahuddin who now continues to head United Jihad Council (UJC). Jamaat cadres and members then became an important assets of Pakistani state and Hizb ul Mujahidden (HuM) militant group. Although, Jamaat never officially endorsed HuM, but when Master Ahsan Dr, then chief of HuM declared it to be the armed wing of Jamaat, they did not rebut his claim. When HuM and other armed groups were decimated by the Indian state, then Jamaat under the leadership of Ghulam Muhammad Bhat could declare that they are not a part of insurgency, drawing flak from the likes of Geelani. Later, Geelani due to his endorsement of insurgency and secessionist politics was made to give up Jamaat membership. Then he along with other disgruntled JeIJK members formed Tahreek e Hurriyat (the). Even now JeIJK, officially claims that they have never endorsed violence or insurgency. However, the reality is that most local cadres and commanders of HuM came from Jamaat ranks. Till recent times most of the insurgents’ post 2010 came from the families affiliated with Jamaat. Since 1990s, Jamaat always called for election boycott. But from 2002 it used to clandestinely support PDP against NC because NC regime through the use of irregulars, renegades targeted a lot of Jamaat members, eliminating them physically. Till 2014, they were helping PDP using their network to win few seats for it. It certainly felt betrayed by PDP when it entered into coalition with BJP. However, it was banned in the aftermath of Pulwama attack in 2019. Since BJP decided to conduct elections in J&K, some of its ex, retired, detracted and disgruntled members decided to contest elections. It started with Dr Talat Majid Alaie joining Apni party led by Altaf Bukhari in October 2023. Now he has contested elections independently along with few others in the name of Jamaat. The official Jamaat remains banned with its Ameer, Abdul Hameed Fayaz imprisoned. There is no official statement from Jamaat either endorsing or condemning the act of participation in elections. It is similar to Jamaat’s stance that they upheld during insurgency. Later, if these candidates are successful Jamaat will be benefitted, but if they lose then Jamaat will declare that they never officially supported them as they were incarcerated, silenced and banned. Hence, both ways Jamaat is able to save its skin endorsing both boycott and participation in elections. With the changed political scenario, Jamaat may have to reconsider its decision like it did in case of insurgency. To remain relevant as a political party they may officially endorse participation in elections, a stance they held before 1990s. But that decision will come at the cost of credibility as they will have to own the failure, bloodshed and violence they supported, encouraged and endorsed in these three decades. In their personal conversations, Jamaat members and leaders do confess about their bad decision of supporting insurgency and populating numerous graveyards with victims of their own Jamaat, rival political parties and ideologies. Jamaat has to swallow the bitter pill and condemn the insurgency too, changing its narrative from violence and politics of boycott to participation in electoral process. Jamaat is at crossroads at this critical juncture in history. They will have to choose between politics of accommodation that renders them mainstream while accepting the finality of accession with India, decrying violence and insurgency or shunning politics altogether. The other option for them is to mellow down their political activities, opting for a stance like Jamaat e Islami Hind, by retrograding to a socio-religious organization, that takes meek interest in politics. However, the fact remains that JeIJK has never been able to garner mass support in Kashmir and it still remains marginal, even with the endorsement of Engineer Rashid, its candidates will not be able to win double digit seats. ----- M.H.A. Sikander is Writer-Activist based in Srinagar, Kashmir URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-politics/jamaat-islami-tryst-politics/d/133394 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism