Munawar Hasan, a humble, courageous ideologue

LAHORE:Jamaat-e-Islami former Ameer Syed Munawar Hassan passed away died on Friday at 79, left deep imprints of his humble, upright, bold and ideological personality on the politics of Pakistan and his party.

Born on August 5, 1941, in Delhi to a family of educationists, his father Syed Akhlaq Hasan was principal of MB High School and his mother taught the holy Quran to girls. Munawar migrated to Pakistan suffering the wounds and agony of a bloody exodus at a tender age. He showed leadership qualities and debating skills by participating in debate competitions during his schools days and leading college student union. A keen learner and fiery orator, he developed an understanding of ideologies prevailing in the world, and first joined the secular-liberal student organisation National Student Federation and became its Karachi president in 1959. But there came a turning point in his life when he read the literature of JI founder Maulana Maudoodi and joined Islami Jamiat Talaba in 1960 and was elected as IJT Nazim of Karachi University in 1964. In later years he was elected IJT country nazim and re-elected for the post for next three years.

Having a penchant for literature, he contributed articles to many journals, and later served as editor of college and university magazines while he completed his masters in sociology and Islamiat.

He joined Jamaat-e-Islami in 1968 and served as its deputy secretary general and naib ameer for many years. He contested 1977 general elections and was elected MNA obtaining a record highest votes in the country, defeating PPP candidate Jamil Uddin Aali. But as the PPP regime arrested all opposition leaderships, he was sent to jail soon after being elected as MNA. However, General Zia later imposed martial law and declared the elections as illegal.

He served as director of Islamic Research Academy for several years and published over 70 books under his supervision. He also served as editor of renowned magazines, The Criterion and The Universal Message. He was elected as ameer of JI Karachi from 1989 to 1991. He was appointed as JI Pakistan secretary general in 1993, and was elected as party ameer in 2009 for next five years.

He was known as outspoken and ardent supporter of Islamic values and system of governance, and spoke on a wide range of subjects with impressive knowledge. He never hesitated to speak the truth in front of tough opposition, and political governments and establishments always remained uncomfortable with him for his hart hitting and pointed criticism. He did not budge from his principled stance on the political pressure of the governments and establishment, and even did not let the smart journalists to put their words into his mouth by dodging their loaded questions.

A simple and humble person from within, he led his life with modest and simple means. He held simple wedding functions of his son and daughter while he was JI ameer, inviting guests by handwritten invitation letters instead of fancy invitation cards. After the wedding functions were over, he refused to take the gifts brought by the guests on the plea that the gifts were there because of his political status and his children did not receive them in their personal capacity, and donated the gifts to JI Social Welfare Department.

He actively participated in the national political and religious movements like Nizam-e-Mustafa Tehreek, Bangladesh Namanzoor, Islami Jamhori Ittehad and Muthida Majlise Amal (MMA) from the platform of the JI. He was a committed ideologue and JI will miss the leaders like him for a long time.