Intolerance is root of all evil, curse for society: governor

Hosting the introductory ceremony of Paigham-e-Pakistan at the Governor House on Tuesday, Sindh Governor Mohammad Zubair said terrorists have no religion because they are the real enemies of religion.

Zubair said intolerance is the root of all evil and an intolerant person is a curse for any society, adding that it is our duty to respect our neighbours even if they are non-Muslims.

He lamented that some people are preaching hatred on the basis of their own versions of religion, stressing that it is important to spread Islam’s true messages of peaceful co-existence, brotherhood, tolerance and harmony.

Paigham-e-Pakistan, launched at the President House on January 16, is a government initiative in collaboration with the International Islamic University (IIU), Islamabad, and comprises a unanimous fatwa as well as a joint declaration against terrorism issued by heads of all major schools of thought in the country.

The basic purpose of the follow-up event was to disseminate the Paigham-e-Pakistan fatwa and joint declaration, which was endorsed by 1,829 religious scholars from all schools of thought in the country, and to build consensus on the document.

The governor said Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s August 11, 1947 speech should be our guideline for moving forward, as it clearly brackets all Pakistanis together when it comes to their rights.

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said miscreants hiding behind slogans of hatred are enemies of peace and must be brought to book, while Sindh Assembly Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza said terrorism has affected women the most because they have lost their fathers, brothers, sons and husbands in such incidents.

IIU Rector Dr Masoom Yasinzai briefed the meeting on Paigham-e-Pakistan, while Mufti Taqi Usmani, Mufti Muneebur Rehman, Maulana Yousuf Kusuri, Maulana Faizul Hassan Naqvi and Mumtaz Hussain praised its efforts as well as highlighted its need and importance.

The event was also attended by Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar, Sindh Rangers Director General Maj Gen Muhammad Saeed, heads of various schools of thought, religious scholars, vice chancellors and other stakeholders.