THE Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Wednesday ruled that there were no constitutional or Sharia constraints against constructing a temple in Islamabad or any other place in the country. It also allowed the government to hand over the temple as well as its adjoining Dharamshala (community centre) in Saidpur village of the federal capital to the Hindu community “so it can perform religious services as per their beliefs”.
The verdict of the country’s highest platform for advice on Islamic injunctions and issues has sent yet another clear message that rights of the religious minorities are fully safeguarded in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. This is in sharp contrast to what is happening in neighbouring India where even historic mosques are being razed to the ground and temples are erected in those places with the approval of the Government and the Supreme Court. The issue of construction of a Hindu temple in H-9 sector of Islamabad became controversial after Prime Minister Imran Khan approved a grant of Rs. 100 million for the purpose with clerics expressing the opinion that funds of an Islamic State cannot be used for construction of a religious building that is idolatry in nature. The Government had aptly referred the matter to the relevant platform of CII for giving a well-considered opinion and the Council has come out with recommendations that are being welcomed by all. After hearing viewpoints of all stakeholders it not only allowed building of the temple but also directed the Government to hand over the temple and Dharamshala in Saidpur village of Islamabad to Hindu community, which is reflective of a non-biased attitude towards minorities. The Council has also given its sound opinion on the issue of state funding of the temple, observing that in Pakistan, there was no tradition in general for the government to provide funds for places of worship owned by private parties and said that the Council could not support the idea of providing government funds for this temple. However, it suggested viable alternatives including grants by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) and block allocations for minorities to resolve the funding issues for the construction of the temple. In addition, members of the Hindu community are also at liberty to raise funds for construction of the temple. The CII deserves credit for forming an opinion that would go a long way in promoting national unity and solidarity.
