Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
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Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) (Urdu: متحدہ مجلس عمل ) (United Assembly of Hope) is a Islamic alliance between religious-political parties in Pakistan.
In the Pakistani parliament, the MMA, is a coalition opposition, formed after Pakistan became a part of the "Global War on Terror". The coalition is united against the current government of President Pervez Musharraf because of his support for the United States' fight against what they consider to be global terrorism and allegedly putting the demands of the United States above the demands of his own people.
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[edit] Background
The MMA is the ruling party in NWFP province. It is comprised of several Islamic religious organisations:
- Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam or JUI Maulana Fazlur Rehman faction. The more hardline and traditional Deobandi stream of thinking - with popular appeal amongst clerics and the Pakhtuns and Balochis of NWFP and Balochistan
- Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam or JUI Maulana Samiul Haq faction
- Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan or JUP. A traditional Barelvi political party, whoch is more moderate in its thinking and is popular with traditional and folk Muslims in Pakistani villages in Sindh and Punjab.
- Jamaat-e-Islami is the largest and most organised is the protagonist of the coalition
- Tehrik-e-Islami the pro-Iran Shia group formerly known as the Tehrik-e-Nafaz-e-Fiqah-e-Jafaria TNFJ.
- Other groups, such as the Ahl-e-hadeeth jamaats of Pakistan have at times been members of the coalition.
[edit] Rise to Power
The MMA benefitted immensely from two factors in the general elections of 2002: the sidelining of major political parties as well as anti-American sentiment in Pakistani border provinces because of Afghan war in 2001. Since then, the MMA have been in power in two Pakistani provonces: NWFP and Balochistan.
[edit] Criticism
The MMA is the major Islamic political party of Pakistan. It is opposed by a number of secular political parties which reject the MMA's aspirations to establish a complete theocracy in Pakistan. Though Pakistan is a Muslim country and its constitution declares Shar'iah as the law, in practice a large number of Pakistanis are opposed to the implementation of further religious laws. The Pakistan Army is one of the enduring havens of Pakistani secularism and in recent years it has been one of the strongest opposing forces against the theocractic Islamic movements in Pakistan. The political strength of Pakistan's secular parties, which fundamentally oppose the MMA and other Islamic parties, indicates that secularism (in one form or another) is not only backed by the elite but also by a large percentage of the populace. Although the MMA has been able to exert a great deal of power over the poorest and least educated provinces of Pakistan (the NWFP and Balochistan), it has been completely prevented from imposing its views onto Pakistan's foreign policy, whereas the MMA is highly opposed to Pakistan's friendship with the United States and Pakistan's dedication to counter-terrorism and regional stability. Nor has the MMA been able to influence Pakistan's monterary and banking policies, whereas the MMA has demanded in Parliament that the interest banking system be banned (the MMA's opposition has pointed out that the government itself would be unable to continue to operate without borrowing money from foreign banks). Most Pakistanis are suspicious of the MMA, as the MMA, by virtue of its nature as a professedly religious Islamic party, openly states it desires the establishment of a theocracy, and does not believe in the Western notion of a democracy. The MMA's definition of democracy which is identical to theocracy is unacceptable to the MMA's opponents.
The MMA have sought to implement controversial legislation in NWFP, such as the proposed Shariat and Hisbah bills. The bills are disputed - many Pakistanis regard this as a serious abuse of government power and violation of human rights, while Islamic parties regard it as the implementation of legitimate Islamic laws, in line with the constitution of Pakistan, which makes it avowedly clear the fact that Pakistan is an Islamic republic with the law of Shari'a supreme. The Governor of NWFP has vowed that it will not be implemented and President Pervez Musharraf filed a reference against it in Pakistan's Supreme Court. The 9 member bench of the court declared certain clauses unconstitutional and directed the Governor not to sign it into law until it is revised. In a detailed verdict released on September 1,2005, the Supreme Court stated that other clauses of the bill can be challenged as well. However, the elected senate approved over 90% of the bill.
The MMA have claimed that since it came to power in NWFP and Balochistan, it's governance has been fair and not guilty of corruption and the abuse of power that marked the reigns of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif - and, in fact, this is true; the MMA rule has been marked by a great decrease in corruption at both local and regional levels. However, there has not been a significant improvement in the quality of people's lives in the provinces it has ruled since 2002. The NWFP and Balochistan are 2 of the poorest and most backward provinces of Pakistan, due to a lack of natural resources, poor governance and other economic factors. Widespread unemployment is currently rife. While the MMA have improved conditions slightly, no significant improvements in the quality of life in the provinces has changed. The MMA did not do very well in local government elections in 2005 and economic conditions may result in the MMA losing elections in 2007.
[edit] War on Terror
Aside of their severe criticism of the "War on Terror", ambigious attitude towards terrorism and opposition to President Musharraf, the MMA have not interfered in anti-terrorism operations, whether it is law enforcement or military or paramilitary action. The MMA has not supported the operations either.
[edit] Sharia rape law
The MMA threatened to resign from national and provincial assemblies in protest in protest after Pakistan's parliament amended laws to transfer rape cases from Sharia courts to civil courts.
Sharia courts in Pakistan, based on Islamic religious law, try rape cases under "Hudood" laws instituted in 1979. The laws say that a rape victim must herself face adultery charges unless she can produce four Muslim male witnesses to the rape. The maximum sentence for adultery is death by stoning.
The Hudood laws are widely condemned by women's and rights groups as an almost impossible burden of proof.
[edit] See also
- Qazi Hussain Ahmad
- Khurshid Ahmad
- Liaqat Baloch
- Politics of Pakistan
- List of political parties in Pakistan
- Islamic Fundamentalism
- Islamic Terrorism
