Religious leaders of Muslim world urged to help fight extremism, terrorism

Islamabad
Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) Chairman Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi has urged the Muslim religious leadership across the globe to rise and lead the Ummah in the right direction at this crucial juncture in the history when the peaceful religion of Islam is being portrayed in the wrong light.
Talking to ‘The News,’ Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi, who is a Member of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), said that he has written a letter to the leading religious leaders of Muslim world, urging them to guide Ummah, particularly youth about the evil of extremism and terrorism and how it is having adverse impact upon the whole Ummah the world over.
He said that he has sent this letter to the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Al-Sheikh Abdul Aziz, the prominent leader of Muslim world Al-Sheikh Yousaf Alqarzavi, the Imam of Jamia al-Azhar (Egypt), Al-Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayab, Mufti-e-Azam of Turkey, the Iranian leader Ayatullah Khamanai, the Grand Mufti of Jordan, the Grand Mufti of Oman, the Grand Mufti of Palestine and the Chief Administrator of Darul Aloom Deoband.
“This has become the prime responsibility of all these religious leaders of the Muslim world to take the leading role and guide the Ummah, especially the youth, about the evil of extremism and terrorism in light of the teachings of Islam and Sunnah. The Muslim youth the world over, particularly in Europe, has become very vulnerable to these elements in wake of provocation in different forms,” Tahir Ashrafi said.
“This is high time that the Muslim religious leadership shall come out with a clear stance and guide the people, focusing on youth, away from extremism and terrorism in light of the conditions prevailing in the present day and age,” he added.
He said that the Muslim religious leadership cannot shrug off its responsibility at the crucial time in the history when the religion of Islam is being presented as supporter of extremism and terrorism the world over.
“It would amount to disobeying the directions of Allah Almighty and Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), if the religious leaders of Muslim world will remain silent and not guide Ummah out of this turbulent situation in which it has plunged,” Tahir Ashrafi said.