Mrs. Rahmathunnissa is National Co-Secretary of Ladies Wing, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, and In-Charge of the 10-day (February 19-28, 2021) national campaign “Strong Family Strong Society” organised under Ladies Wing of the Jamaat. In an interview, she said: If people make unbiased studies, they can easily arrive at the conclusion that the family system of Islam can save families and eventually mankind from its present threats.
Jamaat has decided to organise a National Campaign from February 19-28 under the caption: ‘Strong Family, Strong Society’. What is the importance and relevance of this campaign in the present Indian scenario?
Not just in India, all over the world across countries and cultures we see a strong inclination towards neglecting family values and the onslaught of various trends and lifestyles which affect familial relationships very badly in the recent years. Lockdown due to Covid-19 has given us a chance or forced people to stay home and eventually focus more on the conditions of families. Many people instead of feeling safe at home started experiencing and complaining regarding the problems of staying together for long under one roof.
Home, a place where everyone is supposed to run back for peace and protection, care and share, joy and contentment have turned out to be just buildings where the inhabitants have no concern for each other and value relationship only in terms of monetary and other worldly benefits.
What do you think are the reasons for this shift?
Capitalism, Materialism, Individualism, etc. in the last two centuries have gradually influenced the way of thinking and beliefs of people. They motivated people to be after money and material benefits which are being taught as the basis of happiness and success. The foundation of the very institution of family which is based on love, care and sacrifice was shaken and people started counting marriage and child bearing also in terms of monetary benefits.
The elders in the family who are of no use in the worldly sense became a burden. Children especially girls were started to be considered a great financial loss. So the increase in the number of domestic violence and divorce cases as per studies are only the symptoms of an underlying problem which has affected people’s way of thinking.
Can you explain how Capitalism affected family as a system?
Capitalism considers and values everything in terms of money. “What will I get?” is what people are made to ask before doing anything, be it business or marriage. Moreover, everything that was available only in families were made available in market from food to shelter, night stays and even temporary sexual partners with no rights or responsibilities. This started making people think: “Why should I get married and bear all the responsibilities of spending on family, working for them, taking care of children and the old. etc.?” Happiness has been defined and presented through ads as procuring more and more commodities than living for others and love and care among family members.
What about Individualism?
Capitalism, Materialism and Individualism are all inter-related. Individualism makes people focus on one’s own likes and dislikes. It has made the youth think: ‘My life, my choice.’ People started becoming more and more selfish and started considering parents/children or other relatives as nuisance.
Communication plays a very important role in maintaining relations. Don’t you think in the modern world of science and technology people have got better facilities to communicate and maintain relationships?
That is what we believe. But, actually, what is going on is, people share their feelings and emotions in an artificial way to those who are far away from them but the feelings of the ones living under one roof or sharing the same bed are unheard and ignored.
How does the government play a role in aggravating the situation?
Scrapping Sections 497 and 377 of the Indian Penal Code and legalising extramarital sex and homosexuality in 2018 and other rulings and comments to justify live-in relationships have aggravated the situation. Now, as per these rulings, with mutual consent a man and a woman can have sexual relationship; if both the parties are okay and are adults, they say, there is no problem. But if the man has a wife and the woman has a husband, their rights are being stolen by these kinds of relationships. Also, legalising unnatural ways like homosexuality pose a threat to the very existence of humanity through families.
How do you think women get affected in this kind of situation?
Women have been treated as second class citizens across cultures and in the present scenario the capitalistic imperialism considers women only as a commodity. In the name of liberalism women are forced to come out of homes and reject family values. This has made their life more and more miserable in spite of being educated and becoming earning members. It got worse during lockdown. Domestic violence increased and divorce cases got three times more increase. This doesn’t mean that men are safe. They also face a lot of problems which do not come out usually. Atrocities are there against children, the elders and every member in families. But the ones affected most are women and girls.
Being an Islamic Movement, what solution do you present to the public through this campaign?
The Qur’ān and Sunnah presents a very natural, practical, simple and balanced family system. It is neither in favour of men nor in favour of women. It guides mankind to establish a family in such a way that within that system each individual finds a way to grow and develop fully and nourish and utilise one’s talents at its maximum. The family that the Qur’ān envisages is based on love and mercy. Justice is the underlying principle in an Islamic family system. If people make unbiased studies, they can easily arrive at the conclusion that this system can save families and eventually mankind from its present threats.
But the Muslim families are also facing problems. How do you justify that?
No need to justify. A mistake is a mistake whether done by a Muslim or a non-Muslim. Actually, Muslim families in general are far better compared to other communities in terms of family values and strength of relationships. But there are problems. They are due to the fact that in spite of being Muslims they do not give due importance to the guidelines and teachings of the Qur’ān and Sunnah but follow customs and traditions as well as fall a prey to the general trends. The more practising Muslims they become the easier it will be to maintain peace and harmony in family.
What are the programmes under plan during the campaign?
It is a result-oriented campaign that is being planned. With the help of experts thorough studies will be conducted among the cadre and a sample survey will be conducted in the Muslim society to picture out the real situation before the campaign itself. Based on the studies and survey the general trends will be identified and remedial measures will be taken as a long-term programme. This is to equip the cadre especially and the Muslim society in general on setting examples for everyone in conducting marriages in a simple and practical way and maintaining home as a haven of peace and tranquillity.
During the campaign there will be programmes like International Webinar, Interfaith Dialogues, Live Interviews and Q&A sessions with scholars, Panel Discussions with family counsellors, lawyers and educators, etc. at central and state levels. Focus is more on grassroots level programmes. Family meets, get-togethers, competitions for families, women and girls will also be held at local levels.
What is the response of the public?
We are receiving very good response from the public. Whoever we approached for support commented that it is the need of the hour. Various experts and scholars from different religions have promised their support in making the campaign a fruitful one for everyone in society.