Forced marriage, conversion un-Islamic: Imran

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday said there was no precedent in the Islamic history for forced conversion of others and those indulging in this practice had no knowledge of the history of Islam, the holy Quran and the Sunnah.

Addressing a function at the Aiwan-e-Sadr in connection with the National Minority Day, he said the solution to Pakistan’s problems lay in the rule of law.

“Our battle is for the rule of law,” he emphasised.

For the Muslims, there was only one model state and that’s the State of Madina, he said and suggested that there should be a PhD on it as to how the Holy Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) established Madina as a model state.

Imran noted that if one looked at the modern day states, one could find so many things, which had been derived from the State of Madina.

“I have a vision for Naya Pakistan,” he remarked.

The prime minister made it clear that he had talked about the State of Madina after the 2018 general election and all knew those, who had run their ‘political shows’ in the name of Islam in Pakistan. “Those who convert others to Islam through force neither know Islam nor its history. There is no concept of coercion in Islam. How can we take into our own hands the matter of forcefully converting others to Islam by marrying women or taking them on gunpoint or killing someone because of their religion?” he asked.

"All these things are un-Islamic. If God did not give his messengers the power to impose their beliefs on someone, then who are we?" he asked and explained that the messengers' duty was only to spread the word of God. Imran said the life of Holy Prophet (SAW) was a road map for the entire humanity to follow until the Day of Judgment. He explained that the Holy Prophet (SAW) had given the minorities religious freedom and protected their places of worship because the holy Quran orders that there be no compulsion in religion. The prime minister maintained that since coming into power, he had been saying that the State of Madina was the only model for Pakistan, which had been created in the name of Islam.

He also shared that Poet-Philosopher Allama Muhammad Iqbal had said that when Muslims rise, they aspire to this model (the model of the State of Madina) and when they fall, they deviate from this model.

"This is why I want this model to be studied in the country. What was the State of Madina? We are trying that universities teach courses on the State of Madina".

He said the government was just implementing the law against the previous leaders but they were raising a hue and cry.

“Look at the ‘tamasha’ of those, who remained in power for 10 years. They were not ready to give answers with regard to Rs24,000 billion debt on Pakistan, whereas a party head is answerable that’s why I submitted detailed documents to the court of law,” he said.

Referring to the opposition leaders, he said they had facilities like AC and TV in jail.

“The bigger the criminal, the greater the facilities for him,” he said and assured the minorities that all possible measures would be taken for their protection and provision of maximum facilities to them. In this context, he said the government would also change the mindset of people.

Imran said the government would protect and develop worship places of minorities in the country and also facilitate them to the maximum level to perform their religious rituals.

He also assured the audience that the government was committed to opening Kartarpur Corridor for the Sikh community on the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak.

Addressing the event, President Dr Arif Alvi reiterated that the ideas of the State of Madina be brought to Pakistan and added that the government believed in pursuing the ideals of the State of Madina to ensure equal rights to all its citizens irrespective of their caste, creed, sect and religion.

The Holy Prophet (SAW), he noted, always raised voice for the rights of deprived segments of the society including the minorities.

He said the life and teachings of the Holy Prophet (SAW) served as a guiding principle for the Muslim Ummah as to how to treat the minorities”.

“Ours is the most compassionate nation and it has proved it by hosting millions of Afghan refugees for many decades,” he said.