Religious scholars say Iqbal’s dream still unfulfilled

LAHORE: Religious scholars remembering Allama Iqbal on his birth anniversary expressed sorrow that country’s leadership has never sincerely tried to make it the realisation of the dream of his concept, a separate homeland for Muslims of subcontinent.

Tanzeem-e-Islami ameer Shujauddin Shaikh said the indifference of our political leaders towards the ideology and thought of the architect of Pakistan, Allama Iqbal, is appalling. He said Iqbal had envisioned the creation of an Islamic State in the North-West of the Indian Subcontinent in his Allahabad speech of 1930.

Tanzeem-e-Islami ameer Shujauddin Shaikh stated that the objective of creating that state would be to wash away the stains placed on the shining face of Islam during the era of Arab Imperialism, so that the world could be shown the benefits of the genuine Islamic System.

He stressed that Muslims were facing ignominy and disgrace in the world because of forgetting the message of unity and harmony of Muslim Ummah given by Allama Iqbal. TI ameer Shujauddin Shaikh that said the enemies of Islam are spilling the blood of Muslims around the world because of the internal strife and power hungriness amongst the Muslim rulers.

He said that the oppressed Muslims of Kashmir and Palestine were looking helplessly towards the Muslim Ummah for help, not to be found, while the rulers of Muslim countries were busy in servitude to the enemies of Islam. He said Muslims today can become an unassailable force by following the thoughts of Iqbal.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) supreme council chairman Allama Qari Zawar Bahadur said that the dream of an Islamic state envisioned by Iqbal is unfulfilled till date. The Islamic ideology on which founding fathers of the country like Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam created Pakistan has been pushed far behind by the rulers and bureaucracy of the country, he said while addressing a function chaired by Haji Naseer Ahmad Noorani in connection with Iqbal Day.

JUP supreme council chairman Allama Qari Zawar Bahadur said that unfortunately the rulers after Quaid-e-Azam and Liaquat Ali Khan forgot the real purpose of achieving this country and actually destroyed the country.

He lamented that the country has become the sanctuary of thieves, extortionists, plunderers and killers, and its economy, ideology, political stability, education and other spheres have been destroyed.

The country is trapped under a swamp of problems, debts, poverty, unemployment, inflation and street crimes. Prices of electricity, gas and petroleum products are increasing day by day and people are forced to commit mass suicides.

Maulana M Saleem Awan, Rashid Ahmed Rizvi, Prof M Arshad Meher, Qari Liaquat Ali Rizvi, Hafiz Mustanir Ahmad Noorani and others also addressed.

GCU VC visits Mazar-e-Iqbal: Vice Chancellor Government College University (GCU) Lahore Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi along with other teachers visited Mazar-e-Iqbal, laid wreaths and offered Fatiha on Wednesday.

On this occasion, the vice-chancellor paid tribute to Allama Iqbal in his comments in the book of visitors. He said that Iqbal Day is actually a day of accountability for us. Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi said that in view of the turmoil in the country, we should think whether we have understood the teachings of Allama Iqbal in true spirit or have we followed it in a correct manner?