المجلس الإسلامي العلمائي: البيان الختامي للمسيرة الجماهيرية Our Position Towards The Family Provisions Law

البيان الختامي للمسيرة الجماهيرية
حول قانون أحكام الأسرة

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة على أشرف الخلق محمد وآله الهداة الميامين.

تشهد الساحة استنفاراً وتحشيداً في اتجاه إقرار قانون لأحكام الأسرة فاقد لكل الضمانات الشرعية والدستورية.
وهذا ما فرض على العلماء وعلى كل الجماهير المسلمة إعلان التعبئة في مواجهة هذا المشروع الخطير.
وهذا ما فرض على المجلس الإسلامي العلمائي أن ينطلق بفعالياته المكثفة استنهاضاً لغيرة الجماهير في الدفاع عن الدين وحماية شريعة سيد المرسلين (صلى الله عليه وآله).
وفي هذا السياق تحركت هذه المسيرة الجماهيرية الحاشدة يتصدرها علماء الدين الأفاضل.

وإننا من خلال هذا التجمع الجماهيري الكبير نؤكّد ما يلي:
أولاً: إننا لن نساوم على أحكام الله سبحانه، ولن نقبل بأيّ قانون يتنكر لشريعة الله، وسوف نتصدّى وبكل إصرار إلى كل محاولات الهيمنة على دين الله، وإن كلفنا ذلك غالياً، وإن مسؤوليتنا الشرعية لا تسمح لنا بالصمت والاسترخاء في موضوع يمسّ الأعراض والأنساب.

ثانياً: إننا نطالب الجماهير المسلمة أن تواصل الرفض والاحتجاج، فإن موقف الجماهير وإصرارها هو الرهان القوي لإسقاط كل المشروعات التي تناهض الاسلام وتصادر الشريعة.
كما أن هذه الجماهير مطالبة أن تملك أقصى مستويات الوعي والاستنفار والاستعداد في وقت تتحرك كل المحاولات التي تهدف الى تزوير وعي الأمة، وتخدير إرادة الجماهير.
ثالثاً: إننا نطالب المرأة بالخصوص أن تكون على درجة كبيرة من الوعي والبصيرة، فإن حملة التضليل المستنفرة تحاول أن تختزل كل أزمات المرأة وأزمات الأسرة في مشكلة (القانون) متغافلة وعن عمد كل العوامل السياسية والاقتصادية والاجتماعية والثقافية والأخلاقية والتربوية والإعلامية.
كما يجب على المرأة أن تؤكد انتماءها إلى الاسلام وأن تؤكد ثقتها بشريعة الله، فلا خلاص لها إلا من خلال دين الله، وما عداه زيف وخواء وضياع، وتكريس للمشاكل والأزمات.

رابعاً: إننا نطالب كل النخب الثقافية والسياسية والاجتماعية أن تستنفر كل الإمكانات والقدرات والطاقات في معركة الصراع مع محاولات العبث والمصادرة والتحريف، فلا يسوغ أبداً في مرحلة تحمل كل التحديات أن تعطل هذه النخب ما تملك من كفاءات وقدرات وإمكانات، ولا يسوغ أبداً أن تبقى نخبنا السياسية والثقافية والاجتماعية على الحياد، فإن في ذلك تقوية للباطل والانحراف.

خامساً: إننا نطالب مؤسسات وجمعيات المرأة أن تتفهم موقف العلماء من منطلقاته الدينية الصادقة، وأن تتفهم الهوية الإيمانية والروحية والأخلاقية لهذا الشعب، حتى لا تنزلق هذه المؤسسات والجمعيات في منزلقات صعبة تقود الساحة إلى مجازفات خطيرة ستكون المرأة هي ضحيتها الأولى.

سادساً: إننا نطالب كل الجمعيات الإسلامية وكل المواقع الدينية من مساجد وحسينيات وحوزات أن تمارس حضورها الجاد والفاعل في هذا الظرف الحساس، وفي هذه المرحلة الصعبة بكل ما تحمله من استفزازات ضد الدين والقيم والأخلاق.

سابعاً: إننا نطالب علماء الدين سنة وشيعة أن يوحّدوا مواقفهم وخطابهم في وقت أصبح الإسلام مستهدفاً، وأحكام الله مهددة، وقيم الدين محاربة، وفي وقت تتحرك المشروعات التي تحاول أن تسرق هوية الأمة وانتماءها وأصالتها، فمن المحرمات المشدّدة أن تنبعث صيحات التفرقة والتشظي والخلاف، وصيحات الطائفية البغيضة التي تهدّد وحدة هذا الشعب وتزرع الفتنة العمياء بين أبنائه.

ثامناً: إننا نطالب الحكومة أن لا تتسرع في الإقدام على خطوة غير محسوبة النتائج في اتجاه تمرير قانون فاقد لكل الضمانات، فإن ذلك سوف يقحم الساحة في تداعيات خطيرة لها تأثيراتها على الكثير من أمن هذا البلد واستقراره وهدوئه، ومن تلاحمه ووحدته.

تاسعاً: إننا نطالب أعضاء البرلمان أن لا يتورطوا في إقرار قانون لا تحكمه ضمانات شرعية ودستورية، فإن ذلك سوف يضعهم أمام حساب عسير بين يدي الله تعالى، ثمّ سوف يحملهم مسؤولية صعبة أمام الشعب، وأمام كل الأجيال. عاشراً: إننا ومن هذا الموقع الجماهيري الكبير نعلن عن ثوابتنا التالية في مسألة الأحوال الشخصية وأحكام الأسرة:
• لا مرجعية إلا لشريعة الله سبحانه، مع احترام الخصوصيات المذهبية.
• مصادقة وإقرار الفقهاء المعتمدين (وقد اخترنا مرجعية النجف لاعتبارات وجدناها ضرورية).
• التوفر على ضمانة دستورية صريحة غير قابلة للتعديل تؤكد الثابتين الأول والثاني.

حادي عشر: نركّز بقوة على واجب الحكم في احترام الإرادة الشعبية الإصلاحية المتعلقة بكل الملفات الشائكة الأخرى العالقة وفي مقدمتها الملف الدستوري، وإننا لنقف مع هذه المطالب بشدة حتى تحققها.

وفي الختام نبتهل الى الله سبحانه، أن يفرغ علينا صبراً، وأن يثبت أقدامنا، وأن يجعلنا من الأوفياء لدينه، وأن يتوفّانا مسلمين…

وآخر دعونا أن الحمد لله ربّ العالمين

المجلس الإسلامي العلمائي
الأربعاء 6 شوال 1426هـ
9/11/2005م

What are the family provisions?
The issue currently debated is that of the Family Provisions or “Personal Status”. These are issues of devotion and religion, concerning marriage, divorce, living expenses, custody of children, wills and heritage. They are the same as provisions and rules of prayer, fasting and pilgrimage, which are all religious rulings, the position towards which is determined by Islamic Scholars.
What is happening?
– There is a move by the authorities to issue a written law for the family, through the parliament. They claim that it will be in accordance with the Islamic Sharia’a and they justify that by the of injustice some women are subjected to by some judges in religious courts. Non-existence of such a law is being cited as the root cause of the problem, and the existence of a written law as a solution.

ئ Our Opinion:

– The Islamic Scholars (Jurists) have no objection to a written law, provided it is in accordance with the Islamic Sharia’a, and not manipulated later and changed by the parliament as it wishes just like some Islamic states. We have no objection to such a law provided reference is made to the supreme religious scholars. We do not accept the authorities to impose upon us through the parliament a law concerning the rules of our own sect.

ئ Is the injustice to which women are subjected in religious courts, as result of non-existence of a written law?

– The problem is not confined to the non-existence of a written law as publicized by the authorities and those who call for codification. Religious rulings are already contained in the reference books of highest ranking Islamic scholars (the highest authorities in religion). Provisions to which judges and lawyers need to refer may be unified and written in a legal language, by adopting the opinion of the supreme religious authority. However, there are many reasons for what happens in religious courts. The main reason is the authority itself (the government) who appoints judges and controls the administrative aspects of their work with all its incorrect leniencies and complexities that hamper the progress of cases in courts.

Family problems and the increase in cases of divorce, have their many reasons such as social injustice manifested in unemployment and discrimination in housing, in addition to many other problems, whose price has been paid by citizens, both male and female. An added problem is the war raged against religion and its values, and the fact that doors are wide open to allow in all kinds of corruption and vice, while the authorities are no taking any serious measures to combat phenomenon such as narcotics — etc, thereby not leaving much room for the formation of a loving and secure family.

ئ The Civil Law is written where is its role?

– If the problem was the absence of a written law, whose existence we do not object to, provided sufficient guarantees are given for its religious legitimacy both at the initial stage and in continuation, then where is the justice in the implementation of laws which already exist such as civil laws, the laws of commerce and trade, and the criminal laws? Have all the crises and problems come to and end with the existence of these laws? Many rights were lost at the hands of judges who were supposed to implement these laws. We all remember what the State Security Court did to political prisoners. Wasn’t there a written law? Why was it tampered with, people were subjected to injustice and their sons thrown into jails and kept for long periods to time? What about financial and administrative corruption, fraud, bribery in government ministries and departments, all of which are subject to written civil laws?

ئ Does the Constitution really guarantee the Islamic nature of the Law?

– There is an article in the Constitution stipulating that Islam is the state religion. Those who call for codification through parliament have claimed that this article will guarantee the conformity of all legislation issued by the Parliament to the Islamic Sharia’a.

We say, in reply: That does no suffice. Civil laws are packed with violations to the Islamic Sharia’a. Alcoholic drinks are sold freely and vice is widespread, where does the state stand in relation to this article?

ئ The real aim of advocates of Codification?

– These people have made clear their ambition to reach at a secular law or one which is a mixture of the desires of secularists and some religious teachings. They expressed this at the beginning of their movement, and called for a unified law that includes both Shia’s and Sunni. This means the expropriation of a sect at the expense of the other. Sunis and Shia’s differ in some provisions concerning marriage, divorce, custody, living expense and others. So, we refuse to stand by and keep quiet. Our faith is more valuable to us than our blood.

They said that, they are calling for the family law, or the personal status law, to protect the family, defend women’s rights, guarantee fairness to women and save them from injustice. This law will protect the family, liberate the Bahraini women from their suffering, which has lasted for centuries and will reduce the cases of divorce.

Do you know what this means? It is a blatant accusation to Islam and its rules. This is what the advocates of secular culture promote. Unfortunately some people in our societies have been deceived by these claims.

There are many countries who have personal status laws and a high rate of divorce at the same time. Indeed their divorce rates are higher than ours. Divorce rates in America are very high, and the same goes for Egypt and Lebanon. Has the existence of personal status laws reduced the divorce rate in these countries?

ئ Yes to legislation which guarantees the Islamic nature of the law, in accordance with the rulings of each sect… But, why do we oppose this scheme? The answer is:

– We are opposing a scheme which attempts to tamper with the laws of God. We are not against women and their rights. Our opposition is to a law issued by a positive institution called the parliament. We fear for the legitimate rights of women guaranteed by religion.

– We are afraid that, sometime in future, this law will legitimize a provision that will nullify a religious condition in the marriage contract, leaving a woman under a man without a legitimate marriage contract.

– We are afraid that, sometime in future, this law will legitimize a provision that drops a religious condition in divorce, turning a woman into a relationship with another man, while she is still the wife of the first man.

– We are afraid that this law will permit abortion in the future.

– We are afraid that this law will permit adoption thereby tampering with origins and lineage.

– We are afraid that this law will, some time in future, allow the girl to challenge the legitimate guardianship of her father, thereby causing chaos in peoples honor.

– We are afraid that this law may, in future, deprive men or women of some of their legitimate rights causing disruption to married life.

– We are afraid of many other thing.

– So, does opposition to this scheme mean opposition to women’s rights?

ئ Finally .. what did they say, and what did we say?

Advocates of codification said: the family law we call for conforms to Islamic Sharia’a.

We said: We need guarantees that will keep it that way without any interference by the authorities to change and alter it in future.

They said: you don’t have a solution.

We said: this is our alternative and it will fulfill the same objective that you are seeking to fulfill.

We gave them the alternative which is codification of the family provisions in accordance to the Islamic Sharia’a, and add an article in the Constitution to guarantee that the law stays Islamic and is not changed without referring to the Supreme Religious Authority of the Shia’a sect.

They kept quiet for a long time. They did not reply, and suddenly insisted on their position with the support of the authorities and launched their publicity campaign which have cost millions of Dinars, in order to achieve codification in the manner desired by the authorities and aimed at insulting and weakening the religious leaders.
YES TO A FAMILY LAW THAT DOES NOT VIOLATE THE ISLAMIC SHARIA’A, TODAY OR TOMORROW
A SECUR FAMILY UNDER GOD’S LAW
YEAS TO THE LAW, BUT WITH PERMANENT RELIGIOUS AND CONSTITUTIONAL GUARANTEES
THE JUST LAW OF GOD = A SECURE FAMILY
Olama Islamic Council