Syed Munawwar Hassan | |
---|---|
سید منور حسن | |
Emir of Jamaat-e-Islami | |
In office 6 January 2013 – 29 March 2014 |
|
Preceded by | Qazi Hussain Ahmad |
Succeeded by | Siraj-ul-Haq |
Personal details | |
Born |
Dehli |
5 August 1944
Nationality |
British Subject (1944–1947) Pakistan (1947–present) |
Political party | Jamaat-e-Islami |
Occupation | Religious Leader, Politician, Foreign policy commentator |
Religion | Islam |
Syed Munawar Hassan (Urdu: سید منور حسن; born August 1944 in Dehli) is a politician and the former Ameer (President) of Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan.
Hassan was born in Dehli, British India in August 1944. At the time of the Partition of India, he migrated with his family and settled in Karachi. He obtained a Master's in Sociology (1963) and in Islamic Studies (1966) from the University of Karachi.
Hassan joined the National Students Federation (NSF) – a Communist student group – and was elected its President in 1959. The real change appeared in his life when he came closer to the activists of Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT) Pakistan and studied the writings of Mawlana Syed Abul Ala Maududi and Maulana Naeem Siddiqui. As a result, he joined IJT in 1960 and was elected President of its University of Karachi Unit, Karachi City Unit and member of the Central Executive Council. He became its national President in 1964 and served in that capacity for three consecutive terms. During his tenure the Jamiat organised several campaigns mobilising public opinion regarding education issues.
He joined the Islamic Research Academy (IRAK) and later Islamic Jerusalem Studies, at Karachi as a Research Assistant in 1963. He became its Secretary General in 1969. Under his supervision the Academy published 70 scholarly books. He also served as Managing Editor of the The Criterion and The Universal Message, Karachi.