RAWALPINDI: Clerics from different sects at a convention held on Sunday stressed the need for the Muslim community to stand united against the prevailing challenges in the Muslim world.
The “Muslims Awareness Campaign Convention” was held at the Jamia Masjid Marhaba, Kuri Road, in Rawalpindi as part of an initiative by the Pakistan Ulema Council. The aim of the campaign is to create awareness among people on confronting contemporary challenges and to educate them against extremism and terrorism. Clerics and representatives addressing the convention urged the religious leadership to educate Muslim youth about the false propaganda of extremist organisations using Islam to lure them. They also pushed the leadership in Muslim countries to oppose elements responsible for missile attacks in Makkah and for the movement to ban prayer-calls in Palestinian mosques.
Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Hafiz Muhmmad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi emphasised that students studying in seminaries should educate themselves with conventional studies along with Islamic studies. He said extremism and terrorism have no association with Islam, adding that any such extremist would never get the opportunity to become head of state in Pakistan unlike in India and the US.
He noted that global leaders were demonstrating criminal negligence regarding the worldwide persecution of Muslims. He also asked for differences between Iran and Saudi Arabia to be settled peacefully with both countries ending their interference in Yemen, Bahrain, Syria and Iraq.
Pakistan Ulema Council President, Islamabad chapter, Maulana Abdul Hameed Sabri, called Islam a religion of peace and security, adding that anti-Muslim elements are hatching conspiracies to cause havoc in holy sites like Jerusalem and Makkah.
Maulana Nauman Hashir agreed also threw weight behind PUC’s chairman stance, mentioning that it was up to the leadership of Saudi Arabia, who had always stood up for the rights of Muslims globally. Maulana Muhammad Aqeel noted that Arabian madrassas are providing Islamic studies to thousands of students, adding that these seminaries are also encouraging students to focus on conventional studies. He mentioned that the ulemas had urged the government to identify seminaries responsible for fanning extremism and terrorism.
Participants also adopted a resolution endorsing the Kashmiri freedom movement. The resolution condemned the bill tabled in Israeli parliament to ban prayer calls and lauded the Arab-Muslim legislator who delivered prayer calls inside the Israeli parliament.
Another resolution adopted at the convention condemned Indian aggression at LoC stating that religious sections of Pakistan are ready to defend it. Maulana Muhammad Hafeezur Rehman, Maulana Sibghatullah, Qari Muhammad Usman, Mufti Muhammad Abdullah also addressed the convention.
