Islam, Politics, and Democracy

The U.S. Institute of Peace and the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy are co-sponsoring a public event with a delegation from the Pakistan Council of Islamic Ideology. The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) is involved today in the controversial public debate over instituting shariah law in the Swat Valley, women's rights, legal reform, human rights, terrorism, extremism, Islamic banking, privacy, penal, and civil laws. CII publishes a quarterly journal entitled Ijtihad to highlight the diversity of intellectual thought within the field of Islamic jurisprudence. The CII leadership delegation, consisting of Chairman Dr. Muhammad Khalid Masud, Dr. Mohsin Mezaffar Naqvi, Dr. Faiz Bilgees, and Mr. Riaz-ur-Rehman, will discuss the role of Islam in Pakistani politics and the on-going struggle of sustaining democratic institutions.

The Pakistan CII is a constitutional body of eminent religious scholars that advises the parliament and the president on laws that are congruent or inconsistent with Islamic law. Established in 1962 as a research organization, the eight-member Council has evolved as one of the most influential institutions in Pakistan. The CII played a critical role in the 'Islamization of Laws' process of 1981-84, and in identifying laws contrary to Islamic law.