In the Face-to-Face column of the last issue [Issue No. 14, 2-9 July 2023], we published the first part of the interview with Syed Sadatullah Husaini, Ameer (President) Jamaat-e-Islami Hind conducted by Mrs. Rahmathunnissa, Secretary JIH. Thefirst part of the interview focussed on his personal life, his childhood, upbringing, parents, schooling, education, study and speech planning, time management, healthcare, and how he came close to the Tehreek, etc. The second part of the interview concentrates on the policy, mission and programmes of the 4-year term plan, what is new in this term plan and how the targets can be achieved. In this issue we are publishing a portion of this second part of the interview, which will be concluded in the next issue, in Sha Allah.
RN: It took almost two months and a half after the commencement of the new term (Meeqat) to finalise the policy and programme for the term. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind renews and changes the policy and programme once every four years. So, my first question is, is it that important to reconsider and renew the policy and programme like this? And why so much time has been taken to finalise it? Please explain the entire process.
AJ: JIH is an ideological movement. We want to impact the public opinion and overall socio-political scenario of our country. So, whatever we do is very much relevant to the existing conditions of our country, the kind of debates that are going on, the kind of political situation that we are facing, the kind of challenges that we are coping up with, etc. All these affect the course of action that we take up.
We cannot be irrelevant or detach ourselves from the ground realities of our country. As the situation of our country changes, obviously our policy and actions also change. We need to respond to whatever is happening in our country. Our basic values, objectives, mission are all intact but the course of action and the activities that we need to take up change because they are also dependent upon the situation of the country. So, we need to do a stocktaking of the situation and accordingly we need to change our policy and programme.
Because of that, at the start of every new term, we try to analyse the conditions existing in our country. We also analyse the journey that we have traced so far and accordingly we finalise our new term’s policy and programme. This term, the elections got delayed due to Ramadhan. We normally elect the new Ameer in the first week of April but because of Ramadhan, it had to be delayed and we could conduct it only in the last week of April. One month delay was because of this.
Apart from this, when new Ameer and Shoora get elected, the process starts. We try to conduct wide grassroots level discussions and debates with our cadre, we engage with other stakeholders, we also engage with other organisations, different sections of society, Muslim and non-Muslim intellectuals, journalists and so on. So, after widespread discussions and consultations the specially formed committee finalised its draft and that was presented to Shoora for discussion and approval with the necessary changes. That is the normal procedure followed. It takes normally one month to one month and a half. The delay is due to that. But, for this period also, we formulate an interim programme and activities are carried out and once the programme is finalised, according to that our activities start.
RN: You said there was a stocktaking and analysis of the situation and context. Can you briefly explain the findings of the Jamaat regarding the present scenario of our country based on which the present policy has been made?
AJ: Number one, this has been a very opportune time for our country. It has now become the most populous country in the world. This is a big opportunity because it has provided us with a huge human resource. We have our presence in every part of the world. Indian labourers, technocrats and professionals are working in almost every big, developed and rich country. So, our population and manpower has become a big strength.
Similarly, the economic development that has happened during the last two decades and the kind of wealth we have been able to generate also provides a big opportunity. Despite corruption, moral degradation and permissiveness in every part of the world, the cultural values that exist in our country have kept it insulated from the wave of materialism and permissiveness that has arrested the whole world.
So, we feel that these are very important strengths that we have. And if these strengths are properly utilised and properly explored, we could have become the source of inspiration for the whole world but unfortunately at the same point of time when we have been bestowed with enormous opportunities, the monster of communalism and fascism and the politics of hatred, divide and polarisation has become a huge problem and a roadblock for the whole country. So, we feel that this is a very big problem and unless this problem is tackled, this communalism and fascism is tackled, we cannot proceed and become a prosperous country. So, we identify communalism and fascism as a big problem and the vital challenge the country is facing now. This is point number two.
Point number three is about the Muslim Ummah. The Muslim community in the country should have been the torchbearer of justice, peace and if it has raised its holistic strength, it could have become a change agent for the whole country. It could have liberated the country from the onslaught of communalism, divide, polarisation, economic inequality, injustice and other similar problems but unfortunately the Muslim ummah is also facing so many problems.
The first set of problems is related to the moral downfall and weakness. The second set of problems is related to its deprivation, exploitation and oppression that is happening against it. So, the Muslim Ummah is now very disempowered, weak, and vulnerable. The onslaught of communalism is mainly targeting the Muslim Ummah. Because of these problems, it is not in a position to become a torchbearer of justice and Islamic values. So, we feel that we need to make the Muslim Ummah stronger and enable it to fulfil its role as the torchbearer of Islamic values.
This is in brief the scenario and problems before the country and the Muslim community. Keeping this in view, we have formulated our term plan.
RN: Actually, JIH is not an organisation that believes in change for the sake of change or a paradigm shift for the sake of paradigm shift. Our vision remains the same. That is establishing Deen. I think the contextual change is starting from the mission statement for the term onwards. Can you briefly explain the mission for this term?
AJ: Yea, this is something new that we have initiated in this term. We have made the entire plan of this term based on a single mission. In addition to our long-term objective, we have a term mission. It is to bring about change in the public opinion of the country towards Islam. We feel that because of the rising Islamophobia across the globe, because of communal and fascist tendencies within our country, because of so many reasons, there are widespread misunderstandings about Islam.
In some sections there is even hatred about Islam and that results in many social problems like social conflicts and polarisation as an outcome of misunderstanding. The communal political forces are trying to spread mistrust and misunderstanding. We feel it is our urgent and most important priority to address this problem and bring about a positive change in the public opinion with regard to Islam.
So, the mission of this term is to bring about a positive change in the public opinion of this country with regard to Islam. We will explain Islamic teachings and we will also try to bring reform in the Muslim Ummah and with this dual means we would like to impact the public opinion of the country regarding Islam and Islamic teachings.
RN: In order to change the public opinion, some programmes are being specified as the important and compulsory programmes which are obligatory for every individual member from among the cadre of JIH in particular and the Muslim Ummah in general. Can you explain what are those main and compulsory activities, the focus areas and the priority.
AJ: We would like our cadre particularly and Muslims in general to: 1) Increase and strengthen their relations with fellow non-Muslim brothers and sisters. Have good connections with them and ensure positive outreach with the general non-Muslim community. Through their words and actions, they should introduce the true teachings of Islam to our non-Muslim brothers and sisters. The understanding of Islam in this country, the understanding among our fellow brothers and sisters should not be based on what the media is communicating to them. It should be based on what we Muslims communicate to them. So, the source of information about Islam should be the Muslim population, and the Jamaat cadre and the Islamic movement. If we increase our outreach and if we have good relations with our non-Muslim brothers and sisters, we will be in a position to directly communicate the real teachings of Islam to them.
Secondly, just communication through words is not sufficient but our action and our behaviour should reflect what we are communicating through our words. Islam is the message of peace, Islam wants justice for every individual and every section of society, it wants equality, it wants equitable distribution of resources, it wants the wellbeing of every human being, every servant of Allah. All these are the characteristics of Islam and Islamic teachings. So, our behaviour, our actions should also reflect this nature of Islam.
This particular work, we call witness through deeds (Amali Shahadat). Our behaviour, our lifestyle, our engagement with general society should also become a testimony of the teachings of Islam. Our institutions should also reflect what Islamic teachings are. Our educational institutions should reflect what kind of generation we groom in our schools. Our hospitals should reflect what kind of health system Islam promotes. Our financial institutions should reflect the benefits of interest-free financial vision that Islam has. So, every aspect of life whether it is individual or collective should be a testimony of Islamic teachings. We want our cadre particularly and Muslims in general to do all these. For that we need to reform ourselves. This is called Islah.
Thirdly, it is the spiritual development of ourselves called Tazkiya. Fourth one is service to humanity. In short, each one of us should take up as our personal mission these four things: Dawah, Islah, Tazkiya and Khidmat. They should become the charter of every individual.
RN: That sounds very holistic. They are not watertight compartments. Can you explain how they are interconnected? How one can do all the four activities at the same time. How do you think the cadre as well as the Ummah should get themselves prepared for these activities since it is a great mission (Ambiya’s mission) that we have taken up?
AJ: Yea, they all are interconnected. Because unless the Muslim Ummah becomes the model of Islamic teachings, you cannot communicate Islam effectively to your countrymen. You communicate through words that Islam wants purity, Islam gives justice to women but within the Muslim society if that justice is not given, if the Muslims mistreat women just like in other communities, obviously whatever you are telling will not be easily accepted. So, the Muslim Ummah should also become the embodiment or practical manifestation of Islamic teachings. So that is also needed for positive impact on public opinion.
No doubt, a major source for the negative opinion is media and the global Islamophobic movement. But another major source is our own deviations. The deviations in the Muslim society are also miscommunicating about Islam and Islamic teachings. Unless that is corrected and unless the Muslim Ummah is reformed, you cannot change public opinion. Just oral communication is not sufficient but changing the way the Muslim Ummah is practising Islam is also very important. So, both Dawah and Islah are related.
Similarly, those who are working for this cause, the workers of our Tehreek should also become role models in society. So, our Tazkiya is also important. And regarding Khidmat: unless you become the well-wishers of society, and you are there at their hours of need as a support to solve their problems, unless that image is not created, people will not accept you and your views. So, we feel that all these four things i.e. Dawah, Islah, Tazkiya and Khidmat are all interconnected and they together form the holistic work that our movement has taken up. And that work we want every member, worker and associate of Jamaat to take up and it should become part of their routine activities, it should be compulsorily taken up in every unit of Jamaat. It should be the main identity of Jamaat, that it is working for changing the public opinion and making people realise the real teachings of Islam.
RN: Going through our meeqati program, one can easily comment that it’s a very ambitious mission or task that JIH has taken up and this question can come in everyone’s mind that JIH has very limited number of members and supporters in comparison with the whole community and also in comparison with the entire population of the country at large. So, how do you expect that we can achieve this target and fulfil the mission? How our cadre should work? How one should get oneself prepared to strive for achieving this target? What are your expectations from the cadre?
AJ: Number one, all our cadre should work tirelessly to achieve this because the onslaught and negative propaganda is very strong now. So, unless you come out with similar activism now, similar level of engagement with similar level of energy and activity, we cannot address the problem. So, the first and most important thing is we all – our members, cadre, associates, people affiliated with our organisations – should work tirelessly. It should become our personal agenda.
Our activities should not get confined to some programmes and events but day and night whatever engagements we have, whatever connections we have, we should try to influence them, use our maximum time and our maximum resources for this purpose. So, if we do this, this is obviously a cascading effort.
If you convince three persons, they can come out and convince 3 x 3 = 9 persons. So, with such geometrical progression, let our thoughts and ideas circulate in society. Every idea and public opinion change happens through such ways and dynamics only. They are always initiated by a small minority. But when they work tirelessly and that cascading effects happen then this gets circulated and the whole public opinion gets affected by this. So, we should become the agent of that change.
Number two, this work should not remain confined to ourselves. We should try to activate as many people from the Muslim Ummah as well as many non-Muslim brothers and sisters. For this is the message of truth and whatever we are telling is nothing but truth in the interest of every human being. So, there are many people even in the non-Muslim society who believe that whatever we are telling is truth and whatever is happening in the country is not in the interest of the country. So, if we activate them, mobilise them and motivate them to work with us, definitely we can have the manpower or force which is many times bigger than our cadre strength. So, we should try to make it the agenda of the Muslim Ummah as well as all righteous and right-thinking people of this country.
RN: As you said the greatest task in front of us is to activate the Muslim Ummah. But considering the present pathetic condition of the community in most parts of the country, is there any action plan designed to empower the Ummah and enable them to fulfil their duty as a Khair-i-Ummat as the Qur’an calls?
AJ: Yea, one important work that we have included in this programme is the overall development of the Muslim Ummah, which is now in a very bad condition in terms of education, economy, politics and everywhere because of the multifaceted pressures that it is facing. The situation is getting worse by the day. Different reports suggest that after the Sachar Committee Report, instead of positive development, there is in fact negative development with regard to the progress of the Muslim Ummah across the country.
We feel that it is a very important concern area for us. So, all the workers the Islamic movement will address this. We will work for the educational upliftment of the Muslim Ummah and their economic wellbeing. For this, we have included many initiatives. For example, we have included the target that we will formulate at least 300 interest-free societies across the country. These societies will obviously work for every section of backward and downtrodden societies and people but a very important beneficiary of these initiatives will be the Muslim community.
Similarly, we have included in our programme that we would work for bringing financial literacy and awareness about investment, capital market, entrepreneurship, etc. So, economic development, educational development and political empowerment of the Muslim Ummah is also included with due importance and weightage in the term plan.
(to be concluded)