What will happen to ‘women’ if Jamaat comes to power? Party Ameer responds

Addressing growing fears about what might happen to women if Jamaat-e-Islami came to power, the party’s Ameer, Shafiqur Rahman, shared his views at a community event in the United States.

Speaking as the chief guest at a reception organised by the Bangladesh American Community, Buffalo in New York on Friday (local time), Shafiqur Rahman said, “Many people are anxious and frightened—what will happen to our women if Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami comes to power? What will happen to people of other faiths?”

Responding to those concerns, he said, “Yes, we see our mothers as mothers. This is my personal feeling. Allah creates both sons and daughters in human wombs. When a daughter grows up and reaches maturity, her parents hand her over to another family—to a man—to help build a new family. Parents nurture her, feed her, care for her, and raise her with love. But just when she reaches the age to serve her parents, they don’t take her service—instead, they give her away as a gift to another man.”

He continued with an emotional metaphor: “People are happy when they give gifts—when they give flowers or take pictures with them. But there is one gift that brings tears instead of smiles. That’s when the parents hand over the rose they have raised—the rose they planted, watered, and protected—to another person. When a father gives away that rose, he says, ‘Son, I raised this flower with love—please take care of it.’ Then the thought comes—will my daughter, my sister, be valued and cared for in her new home? That’s why tears fall from the eyes.”

He added, “If a man remembers that moment throughout his life, he will never be unjust to that ‘rose.’ My in-laws handed over their rose to me with tears. We want to see our mothers and sisters with that same honour. Just as we respect our mothers, we want to honour all women as mothers.”

Shafiqur Rahman recalled, “One clever colleague once asked me, ‘If I have to see every woman as my mother, then how should I see my wife?’ I asked where he was from—he said Feni. I told him, yes, you will see your wife as your wife and as the mother of your children. Just as you respect and love your own mother, your children too should see how their mother is loved and respected. We see all women that way. People say Jamaat will lock women away if it comes to power—we tell them, we don’t have the money to buy so many locks.”

On women’s employment, the Jamaat Ameer said, “The foundation of society is the family, and we want to see women in that role. But that doesn’t mean they can’t work. Women with talent and necessity will work and contribute equally to the wheel of civilisation. They will enjoy two things that they are deprived of today—respect and safety. InshaAllah, both will be ensured. They will pursue higher education and contribute to social progress according to their abilities.”

He also said the US government had granted him a five-year visa in 2012, but he could not travel because of the political situation in Bangladesh. Even after receiving a second visa, he couldn’t visit.

“I later learned that a particular country and the then fascist government of Bangladesh spread false propaganda against me worldwide. That’s why I couldn’t come earlier. Had the change of 5 August not taken place, I might not have been able to stand before you even today,” he said.

He urged expatriates to ensure voting rights for all Bangladeshis living abroad: “Help every Bangladeshi living here to vote—regardless of religion or party. We want to give everyone their due right.”

He further said Jamaat would work to ensure parliamentary representation for expatriates proportional to their share of the national population.

The Jamaat chief said the party wants to educate the next generation to become entrepreneurs or servants of the nation: “We want to give our children such an education that before they even receive their graduation certificates, they already have work. InshaAllah, they will either become entrepreneurs or serve the nation according to their abilities. We want to build that system so the queues of the unemployed no longer grow longer.”

Pledging to root out corruption, he said, “Whether or not we come to power is not the main concern. Our struggle will continue until corruption is eradicated from Bangladesh.”

On ensuring justice, Shafiqur Rahman said, “From village courts to the Supreme Court, there is no justice in our country. We have declared, placing our trust in Almighty Allah, that the justice which the Qur’an gifted to humanity will be guaranteed to every citizen. If the president or prime minister commits a crime, the law will not look at their face—it will look at their crime. Justice will not differ based on status. The scales of the law will remain balanced, InshaAllah.”

Accusing looters of wrecking the economy, he said, “The plunderers have looted everything. Now, even banks cannot pay depositors their own money. This too must be fixed.”

He promised to revive the economy if his party came to power: “Even if we inherit a skeletal economy, InshaAllah, Allah will help us restore its flesh and skin. This broken, sick economy can be revived—with sincerity and honesty.”