Islam stands for protection of minorities, says Bilawal

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that Islam is the only religion in the world that ensures that members of the religious minorities are duly protected, while they shouldn’t also be subjected to oppression.

He stated this on Wednesday while speaking at the launch ceremony of a countrywide tree plantation campaign of the Dawat-e-Islami at Bagh Ibne Qasim in connection with the Independence Day celebrations.

Bilawal mentioned that August 11 was commemorated every year as Minorities’ Day in the country. “Islam teaches us that it is our collective responsibility as being the Muslims to protect the rights of the non-Muslims who live in our country,” he said.

He recalled that Pakistan had a leadership role for the entire Muslim Ummah during the past regime of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. “At that time, the leadership of the entire Ummah sat with Pakistan’s leadership in Lahore to make decisions about the Islamic world. Then, there is no question that Pakistan couldn’t do this role again in its region and Islamic world,” he said.

The PPP chairman said it was their desire that the Islam’s message of peace and serving humanity should be spread all over the world. “We will nullify the negative perception about our religion and country in the world media through our good deeds and hard work,” he said.

He acknowledged the public welfare and philanthropic work being done by the apolitical religious entities for the good of the society, nation and the countrymen, whereas, he said, the politico-religious parties in the country mostly did lip-service and little practical work.

He said the Sindh government and the newly appointed Karachi administrator would continue to provide cooperation in the welfare work being done by Dawat-e-Islami. He said the real benefits of the tree plantation campaign of Dawat-e-Islami would be reaped by the future generations. The campaign aims to plant two million saplings all over the country, while 7,000 saplings will be planted only in Bagh Ibne Qasim.