Leader Hafiz Akif Saeed Founded 1975 International affiliation Worldwide | Founder Dr. Israr Ahmed Headquarters Lahore, Pakistan | |
Ideology Pan-Islamism
Sunni Islam | ||
The Tanzeem-e-Islami is an Islamic organisation based in Lahore, Pakistan that advocates the implementation of the Quran and Sunnah in the social, cultural, legal, political, and the economic spheres of life; and the "refutation of the misleading thoughts and philosophy of modernity".
The organization has emerged as a "strong conservative force" within Pakistan. It opposes the development of a "modern secular curriculum" in universities, "friendly relations with the United States", and the influx of "Western values and vices" into Pakistan. While it supports jihad, it emphasizes the need for "passive resistance and perseverance", to first gain a "substantial foothold" and build momentum in society. While primarily active in Pakistan, TI has developed "affiliates based in the Indo-Pakistani Muslim communities in North America and Europe".
The organization was formed by author and Islamic scholar Israr Ahmed in 1975 following his break with the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party in 1957, after the JI entered electoral politics in Pakistan. Ahmed's son, Hafiz Akif Saeed assumed the leadership role of the organization after the voluntary resignation of the founder in 2002.
History of Tanzeem-e-Islami
According to the Tanzeem website, after Dr. Israr Ahmed quit Jamat-e-Islami in 1957 he continued his Quranic lectures, but waited for his former colleagues "to initiate efforts of Islamic renaissance through the revolutionary process". However upon realizing that this was not happening to his satisfaction, he decided to step-up this effort and call people to make a disciplined organization and he therefore laid the foundation of Tanzeem-e-Islami.
After TI's founding in 1975, it functioned as a "conventional religious organisation", according to Dawn.com, sharing Dr. Israr’s commentaries on the Quran and Hadith with "the few followers that it had gathered" after he quit JI. However, Israr's following began to grow after General Zia ul-Haq's 1977 military coup.
His first TV programme was called "Al-Kitab" and broadcast in the month of Ramadan of 1978. The other programmes were known as "Allf Lam Meem", "Rasul Kamil", "Umm ul Kitab", and "Al-Huda". These and various other speeches where telecast in Pakistan. In 1981 Zia ul-Haq asked PTV, the state-owned Pakistan television channel, to give Dr. Israr a weekly show. His show became one of the first in Pakistan in which an Islamic scholar would sit in front of an audience and give lectures on Islam. According to Dawn, Israr's irritation with the poor hijab of women in the audience of his show, became the basis for Zia’s Ministry of Information encouraging women newscasters, and actresses in TV plays on Pakistan state television to be ‘modestly dressed’, and use a minimum of facial make-up.
In 1983, Dr. Israr introduced his audience to what he felt was the pressing need for a worldwide caliphate or Khalifat. In that year he also surprised a TV studio audience by announcing (during a successful series being played by the Pakistan Cricket team), that ‘Cricket is making Pakistanis ignore their religious obligations .... I am convinced that cricket matches should not be shown on TV. ... Even after the showing of matches on TV is banned, only men should be allowed to go to the stadium to watch these matches.’ This episode was not aired on TV and his program was temporarily cancelled. Israr resigned in protest but continued to have a large following as middle class interest in the Islamic revival grew.
In 1975, 103 people attended TI's first convention and 62 became members. In 1992 there were 1778 members in Pakistan and 234 members in the Middle East. The ladies' wing of TI was formed in 1983, and as of 1990, there were 122 members.
As of 1994 TI had two regional branches in Sakkhar and Islamabad, and two overseas branches in Toronto and Chicago, Quranic academies in Lahore, Karachi and Multan, and plans to found a university.
In 2013, Tanzeem-e-Islam's name was associated with a campaign against Valentine's Day, featuring billboards around Pakistan emblazoned "Say no to Valentines Day".