Shah Ahmad Shafi


Shah Ahmad Shafi is the present chief of Hefajat-e-Islam Bangladesh, present rector of Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam Hathazari and also the chairman of Bangladesh Qawmi Madrasah Education Board. He was born in 1916 in Rangunia, Chittagong and was educated at Hathazari Madrasah and Darul Uloom Deoband.

Early life

He was born in 1916 in Rangunia, Chittagong. He received his primary education from his family. Then he joined Al-Jamiatul Arabiatul Islamiah, Ziri and spent five or six months there. He was admitted to Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam in 1926 at the age of 10. In Hathazari Madrasah he studied for 10 years. Then Shafi went to Darul Uloom Deoband for higher studies in the field of Hadith and Tafsir.
He studied there for four years before returning to his homeland Bangladesh. During his study time at Darul Uloom Deoband he became close to Hussain Ahmed Madani and later he became his most youngest official successor from Indian subcontinent. Ahmed Shafi is the leader of Hifazat-E-Islam Bangladesh, a non-political Islamic organization).

Career

Ahmad Shafi commenced his career as a teacher at Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam Hathazari, Chittagong. In 1986/1987, he was elected rector of Hathazari Madrasah. Shafi is also the present chairman of Bangladesh Qawmi Madrasah Education Board.
Shah Ahmad Shafi will continue to serve as the director general of Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam, also known as Hathazari Madrasa, as decided by Majlis-e-Shura. "No one will be appointed as the acting rector of the madrasa as long as Shafi is alive," Press Secretary of the Hefazat chief, Munir Ahmed said.

Views

In 2009, Ahamd Shafi, Azizul Haque, and other Bengali Muslim scholars, in a joint statement to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed, condemned terrorism and militancy committed in the name of Islam.

Controversy

2013 comments

In 2013, a speech given by Ahmad Shafi at Hathazari, Chittagong was described as highly misogynist. He reportedly said: "Why are you sending your daughters to work in garment factories?... She goes to work after Fajr at 7/8:00am and does not come back even at 8/10/12 at night... You do not know which man she is hanging out with. You do not know how much zina she is getting involved in."
The comments caused outrage among woman rights activists who demanded his imprisonment. Sheikh Hasina, the prime minister of Bangladesh termed the statement "disgusting" and "distasteful".

Relationship with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami

Although the Awami League describes him as a frontman for Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, analysts say this is highly unlikely as Ahmad Shafi belongs to a band of Islamists that unlike Jamaat, did not oppose the independence of Bangladesh, and supported a united India and rejected the creation of Pakistan in 1947.

Works

Urdu