Fazl wants democratic not Jihadi Islam

Says ban on Tablighi Jamaat ridiculous

ISLAMABAD: Ameer of Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that they do not want a Jihadi Islam but a democratic one. 

He said that institutions were instigating Maulvis (religious scholars) so that they might become emotional and come in the grip of the law. He said that the image of Madaris was being tarnished in the name of security and it was ridiculous to impose ban on Tableghi Jamaat while ban was also being enforced on religious seminaries in the Punjab. He said that the policy to resolve the issues through the use of force should be reviewed as desired results were not being achieved against terrorism through this policy.

Fazlur Rehman expressed these views while talking to media men at his residence after meeting of Majlis-e-Shoora of JUI and while addressing Azm-e-Thehufiz-e-Harmain here on Sunday. 

He said that madaris and mosques were being targeted by making Lal Masjid an issue. He said, “We are not demanding Jihadi Islam but wanting democratic Islam.”  He said that there were such organisations against which action should be taken but Ulema were being harassed by targeting madaris. He said that such a move was not used even during Martial Law. He said this was against the Constitution and who was being hoodwinked by targeting the madaris. He said that it should be made clear that they did not want religious institutions. He said that such bans on Ulema and madaris had not been imposed by India government.

He said that protection of common man was the responsibility of the state. He said that today the people were expressing reservations over National Action Plan (NAP) but he had already expressed these reservations during the meeting of APC at that time in which the approval was being given on it. He said that it was a discriminatory law and it could not be implemented but at that time he was isolated.

Fazlur Rehman said that during the meeting of Majlis-e-Shoora the efforts of prime minister and chief of army staff for defusing tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran were appreciated. He said that the role of Pakistan was impartial in the confrontation between Saudi Arabia and Iran. He said that they were not in favour of war but in case the hands which moved towards the Harmain Sharifain would be cut off.

Fazlur Rehman said that war of words and confrontation between PML-N and PPP would become the thing of past.  He said that religious sects were being pit against one another through sectarianism.