Who are the Pakistani group proposing to ‘lightly beat’ women?

What is the Council of Islamic Ideology?

It is a 20-member constitutional body that advises the government on religious aspects of the law and society – but its recommendations are not binding.

The council was created by a military government in 1961.

The constitution states that CII members should be well-qualified. It specifies that the council should have at least two retired judges, in addition to four members with a minimum of 15-years experience in Islamic research and teaching, and adds that members should have an “understanding of the economic, political, legal or administrative problems of Pakistan”.

In practice though, the constitution’s definitions have often been stretched to include men from religious pressure groups whose careers have been limited to administering or teaching in religious seminaries where contemporary knowledge is looked down upon.

As a result, many of the CII’s proposals have not been taken seriously by leaders.

Read More- BBC

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