JUI leaders oppose setting up Ladies exclusive Shopping Market

Chitral: A meeting of Jamiat Ulama Islam leaders was held in Chitral, chaired by district Amir Qari Abdul Rehman Qureshi. The meeting discussed various organisational matters and finalised different event programs.

The meeting expressed opposition to the proposed setting up of an exclusive Ladies shopping market in Chitral. The speakers asked the people to reject this proposal as it was a conspiracy to drive people away from Islamic and Chitrali culture and introduce the western system in Chitral. They said no such market was set up any where in KP.

They warned the district administration and concerned parties of deterioration of law and order in case the project operated and both would be responsible for it, speakers said. .. BH Azad, 18 Feb 2018

18 thoughts on “JUI leaders oppose setting up Ladies exclusive Shopping Market

  1. 100 percent female population and 95 percent male population have welcomed this idea. These few who have spoken against it are like those who first gave fatwa against printing press, against radio, against loudspeaker, against TV etc. Now they themselves are biggest users of these facilities. The district administration and Ulema Kiraam must take action against those who do not want Islamic pardah for women and who want women to continue doing their personal shopping with men shopkeepers.

  2. I still can’t believe this is an authentic news. But Chitral News being one most authentic online news portal of Chitral have to believe it.

    Ladies, it is your right and your need. No one can stop you. You have a very good District Administration this time. Stand up for your basic rights.

  3. These same mullahs never advocated for womens inheritence rights based on shariah. The only shariah they see is the way to oppress women.

  4. Dear God!
    Please send some enlightenment to my people whose brains are under constant hibernation. Disgusting!!!

  5. These JUI mullahs are opposing it because it was originally proposed by JI. It is more of a ‘Bughz e Muawia’ than ‘Hub e Hussain’. Nothing to do with Islam or culture .

  6. These few mullahs who are opposing the Ladies market should visit the below link and see for themselves how their mentor patron Saudi Arabia is giving freedom to women. We cannot keep ourselves tied to the chains of regression.
    http://www.arabnews.com/node/1248781/saudi-arabia

    1. Firasat – Knowing that you will come with this argument, they purposefully used the term “Chitrali Culture” in addition to the religion. They will try to sell the cultural phenomena, if the other nuskha does not work.

  7. I would rather suggest this market should have been away from the main bazar. Opening a market right at the centre of a busy bus stand is not a good idea at all. As far I know, the proposal was already under consideration by the clerics who were looking for a suitable place for a women exclusive market. And the district government had already passed a resolution in this regard. Instead politicizing the issue just for the sake of petty business, the owner of the market who is no other than owner of this website must not put the blame on the clerics. Do appreciate if a cleric is doing something good.

  8. Sibghatullah sahib, I was hurt to read your negative remarks about my intentions. If I needed business I’m being offered three times the rent than what I’m giving these shops away for. I’m doing it purely for the sake of humanity and to give back to society in whatever way I can. I want to give a chance to women to do their shopping in Pardah and in an all female atmosphere instead of visiting male manned shops.
    How can a market that is away from the city as you suggest, help when women from all over are coming to the city. How will women from one end of the city visit the market at the other end when you don’t want bus stop nearby. Have a heart!
    By the way the market is not in front of bus stop but behind the bye pass road at an appropriate place in all respects. -thanks

  9. Shukria Wing Commander Fardad for printing my piece. I thought you were gonna trash it right away. After all a faujis are faujis who seldom give a second thought to something constructive. I am a molvi and I fullye endorse what you wanna do for the woemn of chitral. But the place you have chosen is not suitable at all. Calling the market women exclusive next to the bus ada where you can any kind of pathan is certainly not a good idea. After all we are Chitralis and it is foremost responsibility to protect the honor and dignity of our sister. Then idea is is excellent for women empowerment. There are needy women, widows and so on and so forth. But asking them to get a shop on rent right in front Peshawar-Chitral bus stand to make a living is like inviting obscenity. And I am sure a man of your stature will definitely drop this idea. And instead go for a more safer place if you wanna do something for the women folk. I would also suggest you to consult Captain Siraj, a very good friend of mine, whether this place is suitable or not. The present day clerics like Maghfirat Shah, Maulana Chitrali and a dear Maulana Shakoor are progressive people. I would also like to commend the step taken by Maghfirat led district government for conceiving the idea of women exclusive market. It is in fact district government’s brainchild, for which we should admire them. With due apology to some of the commentators above, who have tried to give the impression as if the clerics are monsters. It is not like that! They are human and they would definitely support if you are doing something good for the betterment of Chitral. So my advice to the immature commentators is that they must not use a news website like their personal facebook page where we often seen all the rubbish is said. Good luck.

  10. I appreciate whatever you are doing for the women folk. And let me clarify, given your family background, you will not do anything which can hurt the sentiments of our people, the people of Chitral because our women had no idea of running shops. What I am trying to say here tom provide a safer place for them to run business. Talk to the district admin, the district government and all other stakeholders. The JUI guys had always spoken highly of you. We are regard you and the services of your family for the the services your family rendered for Chitral. But taking a decision rather a decision at gun point to establish a market bypassing all other stakeholders, is you know, not acceptable because it involves the women. There is no denying the fact that it is a brilliant idea but some brainstorming is needed before going for such a venture. It can be beneficial for the women but at the same time disastrous – honour is lost all is lost. The thing I am taking a keen interest in this because it is not something difficult, challenging and needed security. Otherwise it will give birth to problems and once it is done, you can stop it. Then women will take to the streets as they will be making investments. And then who will be responsible? So we should proceed very carefully. Invite all the stakeholders to find the solution to the problem. The reason i am insisting for a dialogue is because i support your idea but it should be executed though consensus.

  11. Thankyou Mufti sahib, This is a better way to go about it. As it is a benevolent project and intends to do ‘khair’ not ‘shar’, there is no harm in removing the apprehension of the ‘genuine’ worriers. As for those wanting to blackmail, my recommendation would be a hard hand. Thankyou again for your encouraging words about me and my family. Will keep up to it, Insha Allah.

  12. No one should be allowed to challenge the writ of the state. The religious scholars should not make a mountain out of a molehill by creating rumpus over a non issue. They should rather talk about the rights of women in inheritance, speak against violation of their basic rights, give them due rights of expression and free will, ask their consent when marrying them off, curb the menace of drug abuse, raise voice against fraud, deceit, adulteration, jealousy, leg pulling, slandering, backbiting and should also launch campaign about cleanliness, brotherhood, fellow feeling, tolerance, mutual love and harmony. There are so many good things to propagate for the well being of the society.

  13. It is always a pleasure, Wing Commander! To fellow Abdullah, I would like say I am also a stakeholder and I have every right to speak my heart out. I do not support molvis who are exploiting the people. But the people at the helm of affairs are all good people with a positive approach. And you can not label all bad for all the bad things happening in your paradise Chitral. The molvis are not into drugs. They molvis are not into drinking alcohol,The molvis are not into theft. The molvis are not into timber smuggling. And so on and so forth. Got it? Read between the lines and I am dead sure you will get the answer. And I am sure you will realise who is responsible for the few things you have mentioned above. The molvi is ready to help you out. To assist you in finding a solution to the problems. But to say that I will do this at gun point, is I think is like a bit unfair. What the NGOs run by all the liberals are doing is no privy to us all. How billions of rupees that poured into Chitral through these NGOs were embezzled, wasted and destroyed, is no privy to us all. Can you blame the molvis for destroying these foreign dollars, pounds and euros? I think these were your liberal brothers who had it all by appointing their kith and kin. I will narrate things one by one if this remained the attitude of these so-called liberals who are responsible for spoiling the image of Chitral. Better do not test my patience!

  14. @Mufti Sibghtullah sahib. I have respect for those Molvis who are always there to project the true picture of Islam evidenced from Quran and Sunnah. These Molvis are the ones who always talk about the unity of the Ummah and have no personal interests to serve. On the other hand, there are also the ones who issue a ‘Fitwa’ at the drop of the hat declaring a fellow muslim ‘Munafiq, Kafir, Mushrik etc’. You might be well aware that there are Molvis in Pakistan who even consider it ‘Haram’ to pray ‘Namaz’ behind the Imam Kaaba. The likes of Molvi Rizvi are also there who even go to the extent of hurling abuses at fellow Muslims causing great harm to the essence of Islamic teachings. There are the likes of Molvi Populzai who are causing a rift in the Muslim society by taking a solo flight when it comes to the sighting of the Moon. Does it not amount to creating ‘Fasaad’ on the Earth.? Coming to the issue of the ‘Exclusive shopping mall for Ladies’, If it’s forbidden in Islam with evidences from the Holy Quran and the Hadidh we are with the Molvis to oppose this move. If it’s not, then these Molvis have no right to disturb the peace of the region for their petty self-interests.

  15. @ Mufti Sibghatullah What you are mentioning is a general bus stand and if women are not allowed to go close to it, how do you want them to travel? They cannot magically disappear and reappear at their destination. The standards that you are trying to maintain are not for this planet. Even in Makkah and Madina women can go to bazaar. I respectfully disagree with your analysis. Women in Chitral have the highest rate of suicides and mental depression due to the absence of healthy outlet for them.

  16. @Fawad: Fair enough. Let me explain things to you in a bit simple manner. I am a molvi and I will not be able to explain how to take a machine to the sky. Right? It is only a man like you, a helicopter pilot, can better explain. Similarly, a young man like you who is well educated will not comprehend the intricacies of a society like Chitral. If we want our women to be EMPOWRED, the only thing which can be helful is: QUALITY EDUCATION – quality education at school, at seminary etc. But call it our bad luck our people pay NO attention to this. Establishing a women exclusive market is too big a challenge. We have not learnt even roperly using facebook despite claiming to be so well educated – in fact majority of our you is pakhti pass. So a gigantic task like this must not be undertaken in haste. Let me repeat I really want there should be such a separate shopping mall for women. It is a brilliant idea and hats off to Wing Commander Fardad for taking the lead but it must be made operational after deliberating upon its pluses and minuses. At the same time, let me clarify that I am not a hardliner molvi and strictly against issuing fatwas like most of the clerics do. As far my understanding and information, fellow clerics are not opposing to opening of a women exclusive market. What they want is such a venture must not disturb the overall environment of the area because it is bazar. Bazar is not a good place. Bazar is a place where you find every kinf people. Good people, bad people. And bad people outnumber the good ones in every bazar and Chitral bazar is no exception. I tend to disagree with you that there is no harm in chosing a place for such a market near bus stand. You know bazar is bazar and a bus stand is the dirtiest place. Bazar is a place where even parents forbid children to visit frequently. And the people at adaaas are the ones who are considered the real cousins of the corrupt Pakistani police. And Chitrali bus stands and Chitral police are no exception no matter how hard Imran khan tries to protect these people. Chitral is not Canada, US or some other developed country where a woman is more secure. It is yours and my backward Chetrar. And neither a Chitrali can become a Canadian no matter for how long he his been living there. Can you deny the dilemna of Chitrali thugs staring women travelling around the city? Can you reject taxi drivers acting like Prince Charles while seeing school/college going girls? Haven’t you heard Chitrali thugs uploading their sick, dirty, filthy and rubbish songs on youtube? The area is 1000 years behind from places you are talking about. Mere increase in literacy rate and that too through cheating is not enough. To be frank, Chitrali society is not educated. It is the most backward. It is people are ignorant. And we are still living in stone age. The university graduates who claim to be bright and educated, are yet to go along way to be called educated in a true sense. The way these so-called educated youth are misusing the youtube is certainly the death of Chitrali culture rather the Chitrali culture is on ventilator if not compleyely dead due to sick literature and dirty poetry of the so called educated youth of our area. In such a situation, how a women exclusive market in such an environment could be feasible. Again I would say it is a brilliant idea and it must be executed after great deliberations – the district government, the local administration and particularly the people of Chitral must ensure that it must not become a place for women teasing. Cheers!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *