Tehreek-e-Jafaria (Pakistan)
Tehreek-e-Jafaria Pakistan (Urdu: تحریکِ جعفریہ پاکستان, lit. 'Pakistan Movement of the Ja'fari'; TJP), formerly Tehreek Nifaz Fiqah-e-Jafaria Arif Hussaini/Sajid Naqvi Group (TNFJ Sajid Naqvi Group) was the Shia political party in Pakistan from 1979 to 2000. Belonging to the Ja'fari school of Islamic jurisprudence, TNFJ (Arif Hussaini Group) was founded in 1979 by Allama Syed Arif Hussain Al Hussaini supported by Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Hussain Najafi Dhaku. Its creation coincided with the enforcement of controversial Islamic laws by then President of Pakistan, General Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq. At the same time, 1979 Iranian Revolution in Shi'a Iran added extra confidence and comfort in the movement.
In 1988, TJP under the leadership of Molana Sajid Naqvi contested in general elections but failed to win a single seat. After getting banned twice, TJP is working as Shia Ulema Council under the leadership of Allama Sajid Ali Naqvi.[10]
Jafaria Students Organization Pakistan, founded in 1997, was the student wing of TJP.
History
[edit]Foundation
[edit]It was founded by a committee of Shia ulema, and Syed Muhammad Dehlavi of Karachi was elected its first president. After his demise, Mufti Jafar Hussain was elected its president. After Mufti Jafar Hussain's demise, the young Arif Hussain al-Hussaini was asked by senior ulema like Marja' Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Hussain Najafi and Safdar Hussain Najafi to accept the leadership. After Arif Hussain's assassination, Sajid Naqvi was elected the next president. Hassan Turabi was the head of party in Sindh province, like Taqi Naqvi heads the party in Punjab.
Internal split and Deaths
[edit]After the death of Mufti Jafar Hussain, TNFH split into two groups: one headed by Hamid Moosavi, the follower of Ayatollah Shariatmadari; the other headed by Hussaini, the follower of Khomeini’s teachings. Under Hussaini, the party began to accept Sunni members, but it remained a religious organisation.[11] Respectively due to ideological differences between the two leaders. Arif Hussain Hussaini, a student of Ruhollah Khomeini who led the Iranian Revolution, was the group's leader.[12] According to BBC News, the creation of TeJ
coincided with the Shia revolution in Iran and enforcement of controversial Islamic laws by the military ruler of Pakistan, General Zia-ul-Haq. The revolution in predominantly Shia Iran around the same time gave an added boost to the organisation. Its leader, Arif Hussain Hussaini was a student of the leader of Iran's Islamic Revolution, Ruhollah Khomeini.[12]
Later in 1988, Arif Hussain Hussaini changed the name of his group from TNFJ-Arif Hussaini group to Tehreek-e-Jafaria (TJP) while Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi's group retained the name of TNFJ and has been operating under the same name since. After demise of Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi, Allama Hussain Muqaddesi was elected as TNFJ Chief in October 2022. [13] The TJP founder, Arif Hussain Hussaini was assassinated in 1988 by unknown attackers.
Arif Hussain Hussaini, the patron-in-chief of the TJP, was shot dead in Peshawar near his mosque/seminary while going to lead the morning prayer on August 5, 1988. Then T.J.P. was led by Hussaini's one of the foremost companions Syed Sajid Ali Naqvi.
On October 19, 2001, TJP leader Nazir Ahmed Abbas was shot and killed at his shop in the city of Vehari, located in the Punjab province.
Following the death of Zia-ul-Haq, support for the TJP fell, as Pakistani Shias went back to pre-Zia-ul-Haq political loyalties, with many no longer feeling under threat.[citation needed] Furthermore, the elections of moderate Benazir Bhutto also gave increased confidence to Shia Muslims and they were no longer under threat and the discrimination ended even though it still exist against the Pakistani Shias.[citation needed]
Sanctions
[edit]On January 12, 2002, the TJP was banned along with three terrorist organizations, by the government of Pakistan.[14]
The TJP was banned twice by Pervez Musharraf's government and in January 2002, its leaders were arrested.[citation needed] The T.J.P. was banned again on November 5, 2011, while Pakistan's Shias experienced increasing attacks since 2005 by the Pakistani Taliban, Sipah-e-Sahaba, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Jundullah and Jaish-e-Mohammed,[15]
Although TJP has been designated as a "terrorist organisation", Qazi Hussain Ahmad, a senior member of Pakistani Parliament and the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan's oldest Islamist party, says he banned groups have no ties with the militants. He notes that one organization is part of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, the major opposition alliance of religious parties, which also includes Ahmad's group.
Ideology
[edit]According to TJP, Islam is and was the basic ideology of Pakistan; by deviating this ideology, a conspiracy was made to make Pakistan a sectarian state in the period of General Zia-ul-Haq, a dictator. At this stage, the formation of TNFJ was deemed necessary for the failure of this conspiracy.[citation needed]
The main objective of this organisation was to protect the rights of Shia Muslims of Pakistan and give them a voice in the Parliament of Pakistan. They do not advocate a Shia Islamic state and have cordial relations with Sunni organization including Sunni Ittehad Council, that is why they joined the coalition of religious political parties Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal that won 53 out of 272 elected members in legislative elections held on October 20, 2002.[citation needed]
Coalition
[edit]It was a part of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal coalition of Islamist political parties that won 11.3% of the popular vote and 53 out of 272 seats in the legislative elections held on October 20, 2002.[citation needed] In May 2008, it was reported that Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan's emir Qazi Hussain Ahmad was considered heading the six-party Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal. Qazi Hussain Ahmad said that he would consider rejoining the MMA after consulting with the executive council of his party and some other seniors. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F)'s chief Fazl-ur-Rahman had tasked Sajid Naqvi of TJP with contacting Qazi Hussain Ahmad and bringing him round to rejoining the alliance.[citation needed]
See also
[edit]- Jafaria Students Organization Pakistan
- Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen
- Shia Ulema Council
- Imamia Students Organization
- List of Islamic political parties
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Sixth attack on Shias in Parachinar highlights growing intolerance in Pakistan". April 2017.
- ^ a b "Muharram blood donations elixir for thalassaemia children". 12 October 2016.
- ^ a b "Gilgit Baltistan: That part of Pakistan where coexistance is a reality – The Express Tribune Blog". blogs.tribune.com.pk. Archived from the original on 2016-11-03.
- ^ Nasr, Mawdudi, Hussaini and Islamic Revivalism 1996, p. 49
- ^ M Nasif Sharani (2013). Esposito, John L.; Shahin, Emad El-Din (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Islam and Politics. Oxford University Press. p. 196. ISBN 9780195395891.
- ^ a b Alex Vatanka, Influence of iranian revolution in Pakistan: Security, Diplomacy Islamist Influence, I.B.Tauris (1989), pp. 148 & 155
- ^ a b c d e f Jafri 1979, p. 181.
- ^ a b Staff, Web Desk (July 25, 2022). "Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi passes away".
- ^ "Islami Tehreek Pakistan - ITP, Political Party Profile & Members Details". UrduPoint. Retrieved 2020-11-04.
- ^ Hijjah, Dhul (2022-07-02). "Central leaders of Shia Ulema Council meet Allama Sajid Naqvi in Rawalpindi".
- ^ "Tehreek-e-Jaferia Pakistan". www.satp.org.
- ^ a b "Pakistan's militant Islamic groups". BBC News. 13 January 2002.
- ^ "Muqadasi appointed new TNFJ chief".
- ^ "Pakistan: International Religious Freedom Report 2002". Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. United States Department of State. January 13, 2002.
- ^ "Suicide bomber kills 24 at Shia mosque in Pakistan". Long War Journal. 5 April 2009.