Religious scholars for action against elements targeting state institutions

ISLAMABAD: Religious scholars from different schools of thought have asked the government to take to task the elements campaigning against the state institutions and ideology.

In a joint statement, leadership of different religious schools of thought and leading Ulema-Mashaykh of the country said that a baseless propaganda was spearheaded in the 'Asma Jehangir Conference' regarding the maltreatment of minorities.

The clerics reiterated that the religious leadership of Pakistan and Darul Iftaa have repeatedly issued 'fatwas' (decrees) against forced conversion to Islam or forced marriages, adding, “In this regard, the decision from the US State Department is also politically motivated, which has nothing to do with facts and ground realities.”

They also said that blaming the state institutions over the mistakes of individuals and using derogatory language against them was not right in any case. They claimed that an aggressive attitude was adopted for the judiciary, armed forces and security agencies in the conference other than running a negative propaganda under the pretext of minority rights. “Those in denial of Khatam-e-Nabowat were given podium to misrepresent the facts while the Muslim representatives were not even invited to the conference to present the actual facts,” they said.

The statement stated the US Commission on Religious Freedom’s report was based on the baseless propaganda hatched by some non-governmental organisations and those who were in denial of Khatam-e-Nabowat, adding that the report was contrary to the realities.

The religious leadership also appealed to the representatives and members of the Supreme Court Bar Council and Pakistan Bar Council to take action against the propagandists who targeted Pakistan and Islam in the Asma Jahangir Conference.

The religious scholars said that the protection of the rights of non-Muslims living in Pakistan was the responsibility of the state. “Minorities living in Pakistan are more secure than many other countries in the world,” reads the statement.

The clerics said in the statement that it was worth noting that the atrocities against minorities in India were not even mentioned in the conference, which exposed the real face and agenda of the organisers of this conference.

The prominent among those who names were mentioned in the statement included Chairman Pakistan Ulema Council Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, Maulana Asad Zikriya, Maulana Nauman Hashir, Allama Tahir-ul-Hassan, Maulana Muhammad Aslam Siddiqui and Allama Abdul Haq Mujahid.