Mauritius: Politics and the Muslim

Political theory privileges democratic form of governance. A democracy works on the edifice of rule of law coupled with constitutional checks and balances and effectively functioning public institutions, manned by people who do their duties without fear or favour. Periodic elections ensure people's participation in the governance process in a democracy, nudging the rulers to listen to the aspirations and will of the people; formulate accomodative and  inclusive policies that adjust or settle diverging interests and specific claims of several communities and social groups inhabiting the land. In a progressive democracy, the interests and rights of all peoples/ social communities- including ethnic, racial, religious and linguistic minorities- find political accommodation and social recognition within the framework of national law and policy. 

It is against this ideal of a multicultural and multi-ethnic society reflecting the diversity of its peoples and respecting the equal rights of all communities that we can examine the lived reality of our nation-States. In his Friday Sermon of 25 October 2019~ 26 Safar 1441 AH, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) takes a closer look at the state of national politics in his home country, Mauritius, at a time when the Island-nation is gearing up for the general elections in the coming week. As responsible citizens, it is the duty of everyone to participate in the electoral process to ensure that good and just representatives are elected to  serve the larger cause of the nation and the people, reminds Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba). 

The forthcoming elections are also a time for  soul- searching for the Muslim community of Mauritius. Representation in all levels of government, including the civil services, is critical for ensuring that the legitimate interests and rights of the community are not overlooked. However, in the absence of prudential interventions to protect its identity, the minority community continues to see erosion of its political space and identity-related group rights, including the right to exercise its religious freedoms under the Shariah. 

Setting the agenda for discussion, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) highlights a number of social justice issues that need urgent political attention at this point of time. In a cultural environment where every community's sacred festivals are acknowledged and celebrated, it is scandalous that the country does not observe Eid-ul-Adha Holiday, the biggest festival day of the Muslims. One can only agree that the situation does indicate an appalling neglect and cultural insensitivity towards a minority community. Likewise, Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) also calls attention to the anomalous situation created by the virtual abandonment of Muslim Personal Law in the country, especially for the Mauritian women- those of them who are in religious marriages are deprived of the legal sanctity of a civil marriage. 

Women's Rights; Men's Duties

"Womenfolk in Islam”

History is silent as to whether there was any distinction in status between the male and the female sexes during the beginnings of human civilization. In later days no doubt the female sex was regarded as inferior to the male and the idea of inferiority developed to such an extent that the male sex not only claimed a complete superiority over the female sex, but further arrogated to himself the right to utilise and employ the female sex as he liked.

Surveying the history of the world on this point we find that in pre-Christian Europe and Greece, which was the centre of light and learning for a long time and which provided philosophical and scientific inspiration to the Europe of later days, regarded woman as something definitely inferior to man. She was a subservient creature who had come into existence solely for the purpose of breeding citizens for the state and soldiers for the army. Their opinion of women was that these creatures were deprived of any good and was instead the sources of many evils. Such degrading conceptions led to a moral degeneration which ultimately ruined the Greek society. The names of virtuous women scarcely appear in Greek history.

In pre-lslamic Arabia, the general conception of womanhood was of such a degraded type that her very existence was considered ignominious for the family. Female infanticide was consequently practiced on a wide scale. Those women who, however, escaped early death were allowed to live only on sufferance. For, an Arab woman had no rights; she could not inherit property; her person formed part of the inheritance which came to the heir of her husband, and he was entitled to marry her against her will. Hence, there sprung up the impious marriages of their sons with their stepmothers and others of an even worse character. Polygamy was universal and quite unrestricted; equally so was divorce at least as far as man was concerned.

Prophet Muhammad (sa) on Women's Rights

Such was the condition of the female sex in the world when the Holy Prophet of Islam, the Perfect Man, Muhammad (pbuh) the Saviour of womanhood, stood up in Arabia and, through the Divine Revelation of the Lord of the Universe Who created both the male and the female and Who loves them equally, preached to the world that females were just like males and that they have equal rights, equal honour and an equal status in life.

Islamic Family Values

In his special sermon of October 05, 2012 on the occasion of the Annual Conference [“JALSA SALANA”] of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius reflected on the fundamental values and structural norms on which the edifice of human society is constituted. The speech explains, in simple and eloquent manner, the Islamic family values which are designed to address all the vagaries of human nature and the complex contingencies of   man-woman relationships in society.

Read the Extracts from the Sermon:

Another infrastructural unit for human society is the family. To constitute a family, the most important part is the relationship between man and woman. Just as Islam has laid down certain rules for the honour and responsibility of man, it has placed woman also on the same footing with respect to man. The Holy Quran says: “They are a garment for you and you are a garment for them.” (2: 188)

Besides, the Quran has placed both man and woman on the same status of equality so far as their rights are concerned by declaring: “O you who believe! It is not lawful for you to inherit a woman against their will; nor should you detain them wrongfully that you may take away part of that which you have given them, except they be guilty of a flagrant evil; and consort with them in kindness, and if you dislike them, it may be that you dislike a thing wherein Allah has placed much good.” (4: 20)

Moreover, the following verse of the Holy Quran shows the basis of the relationship between men and women: “And one of His signs is this, that He has created wives for you from among yourselves that you may find peace of mind in them, and He has put love and tenderness between you. In that surely are signs for a people who reflect.” (30: 22)

The only means of creating a relationship between man and woman is marriage. In today’s world the choice of a partner is made on the following consideration: beauty, wealth and social standing. That’s the reason why difficulties arise and multiply, in social life. Our Holy Prophet (saw) has said: “The first thing to consider when a partner is sought for is virtue and moral standing.”

Islam and Polygamy

Polygamy as an institution has been discredited the world over in our times. Unlike in the medieval times, the patriarchal practice is now seen as an affront/insult to the dignity of women. In an age of increasing consciousness about human dignity and the basic rights of women, polygamy has gone against the grain of societal acceptance as an indulgence by men and worse. Critics of Islam always frown upon Islam for the perceived/alleged legitimacy it extends to men through the institution of polygamy. They argue that it militates against the notions of equality and women’s rights.

The Mujaddid of the Fourteenth Century, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian engaged with the arguments of the critics of Islam in several of his writings and even defended the practice from the point of view of individual liberty and human rights. While Islam recognizes the practice of polygamy and allows men to take more than one wife at a time, as the Promised Massih (as) points out, Islam has not made it a compulsory institution or an obligatory practice on the men.

Marriage is a bilateral agreement/contract under the Law of Islam. Hence, the parties are perfectly entitled to design the conditions of agreement/rules of engagement as well. Muslim women can, if they so wish, certainly determine the conditions of their marriage and not powerless, as is generally being thought of. In the search within the Islamic tradition for the empowerment of Muslim women against the abuse of religious doctrines by the men, the viewpoint of the Promised Massih (as) has been found to be singularly useful. It is pertinent to note that in the century that followed since these observations were made by the Promised Massih (as), the family law reforms in most Islamic countries have moved in this direction as well.