Radical Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam on Saturday said “atheists and their patrons” were spreading a YouTube video as a propaganda against its chief Shah Ahmad Shafi to disgrace him.
In a statement, four nayeb-e-ameers of Hefazat claimed that what Shafi said was not unfamiliar to rural people and his words were widely used in books, advertisements, health leaflets and booklets. One of them claimed that Shafi’s lecture was presented partly to mislead people.
Muhibullah Babunagari said atheists were spreading a video of Shafi’s lecture on Facebook terming it indecent and anti-women. “Several newspapers, online media and television channels have been engaged in diffusing propaganda against Allama Shafi…Some of the newspapers have been over-curious.”
Abdul Malek Halim said Shafi delivered lectures considering the place and time while citing explanations in such a waz was “a very old tactic”.
“Traditional rural language and examples and expressions-words seen in books cannot be termed indecent when they are presented in waz,” he said.
Nur Hossain Kashemi said there was no question of Shafi having given anti-women speech; he had rather spoken of putting women in a respected position. “He says these since women have been put into insecure situation as a congenial environment, which is proper and pro-Shariah, is not ensured. Because of this, women are facing rape and sexual harassment.
“Shafi highlighted the social degradation for not having separate Shariah-education for girls. He never asked to keep women confined at home,” Kashemi said.
In yesterday’s statement, Izharul Islam Chowdhury, said there was no question of getting confused over Shafi’s speech. “A particular quarter may create a video by recording his speech partly or fabricating it using modern technology. He has always talked about the 13-point demands of Hefazat,” he said.
The video of Shafi shows him speaking at an Islamic conference at Hathazari, Chittagong, where he is the principal of a Qawmi madrasa. A person named Akash Malik uploaded the video on July 6. It was distributed by Al-Arab Enterprise of 46 Madrasa Market in Hathazari.
