A group of religious scholars met the other day in Lahore to discuss the satanic acts of terrorism Pakistan has been facing for years. All the scholars in the meeting were on one platform to declare suicide bombings as illegitimate (haram) and un-Islamic and such bombers would burn in the hellfire. Obviously one would welcome such a clear statement on suicide bombings though several other scholars also condemn the same but attach strings of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’, a way to condone the terrorism in the disguise of condemnation. However, I find even the Lahore statement a bit incomplete and ineffective. What about the time bombs, assault attack on unarmed civilians and religious and sectarian minorities? Another major area to be addressed is issuance of fatwas to declare others as apostate and outside the circle of Islam. It’s not enough to condemn one form of terrorism while ignoring its other evil shapes.
Recently a group of religious scholars and Muftis have declared the Federal Information Minister, Pervaiz Rasheed, out of the circle of Islam and condemned him as a non-believer. Why? Because he dared talk some truth about seminaries in public. He has a valid point on centuries-old syllabus being taught in seminaries which is in fact not based on religion but compiled on sectarian grounds. Having different views on religious issues shall not bell the rings, but if that means hatred and incompatibility towards other sects then this issue shall be tackled today not tomorrow. Let’s force all the scholars, muftis, sheikhs of all the schools of thoughts to condemn every form of terrorism including death fatwas for opponents. We have already lost many noble faces such as Salmaan Taseer and Rashid Rehman; would not like to add more names to that grieving list.
MASOOD KHAN
Jubail, Saudi Arabia