The Ulema-Mashaykh and religious scholars of different religious schools of thought Monday urged the government to hold accountable the elements campaigning against the judiciary, armed forces, security agencies and Islamic values.
In a joint statement, they said a baseless propaganda campaign was launched against minorities in ‘Asma Jehangir Conference’ held in Lahore the other day.
The religious leadership also appealed to the representatives and members of the Supreme Court Bar Council (SCBC) and Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) to take action against the propaganda against Pakistan and Islam in the said conference.
The clerics said the SCBC and PBC were unanimous forums and should not have been used for such conferences.
The clerics said the religious leadership of Pakistan and Darul Iftaa had repeatedly issued ‘Fatwas’ (decrees) stating that Islam does not believe in forcibly converting anyone to Islam or forceful marriages.
The decision on part of the US State Department was also politically motivated, which had nothing to do with facts and ground realities, said the statement adding associating the mistakes of individuals with the institutions and using obnoxious language against the respected state institutions in any case was not right.
In ‘Asma Jahangir Conference’, a woeful attitude was adopted towards judiciary, armed forces and the security agencies, the statement added.
The deniers of ‘Khatm-e-Nabuwat’ were given free rein to misrepresent the cases in the courts and the Muslim representatives were not even invited at the conference to present the actual facts.
The religious leadership said Pakistan’s religious leadership and Muftis had repeatedly issued fatwas stating that there was no concept of forced conversions or forced marriages in Islam and if anyone had any evidence in that regard, they should bring it to the light to address all such complaints.
The clerics said the US Commission on Religious Freedom’s report was based on the baseless propaganda of some NGOs and deniers of ‘Khatm-e-Nabuwat’, against Pakistan on account of religious freedom, which was against the facts and contrary to the realities.
The religious scholars said the protection of the rights of non-Muslims living in Pakistan was the responsibility of the state and Muslims.
