MESSAGE OF PEACE, LOVE AND BROTHERHOOD SHOULD BE GIVEN IN RABIUL AWAL: ALTAF HUSSAIN
KILLING OF INNOCENT PEOPLE ON THE BASIS OF SECTARIAN DIFFERENCES SHOULD
BE CONDEMNED BY SHIA AND SUNNI ULEMA ALIKE

KARACHI: 30^TH JANUARY 2012

Founder and Leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) Mr Altaf Hussain has said that the message of peace, love and brotherhood should be preached during the holy month of Rabiul Awal. He said that the MQM has been making practical efforts for the religious harmony and unity among the Muslims. He was addressing a large gathering of Ulema belonging to different schools of thought in the Lal Qila Ground Azizabad in connection with the holy month of Rabiul Awal.

Deputy Convener of the Co-ordination Committee Anis Ahmed Qaimkhani and other members besides office-bearers of different wings of the MQM were also present on the occasion.

Mr Hussain said that Islam is the religion of peace and security but there were certain callous and hard-hearted people who were propagating hatred from the pulpit of mosques.

Mr Hussain said that conspiracies were being hatched to ignite Shia-Sunni sectarian strife in which lives of innocent people were being lost. He said that this was being done to undermine the environment of peace and unity for which the MQM had worked so hard.

Mr Hussain said that whether the murdered person belonged to a Shia family or a Sunni family, the grief of the mourning families was alike. He said that it was time that the people boldly denounced the preachers of hate and spoke clearly that such elements had nothing to do with Islam. He said that the elements conspiring to kill innocent people were, in fact, munafiqeen wanting to undermine the unity among Muslims by setting them against each other.

Mr Hussain condemned the murders of doctors, lawyers and Ulema of different schools of thought and said that it was being done to create Shia-Sunni tension in the city. Citing the killing Dr Mohsin Jafri, who was the trustee of an Imam Bargah and Taseer Abbas, he said that such senseless killing should be condemned by Shia and Sunni Ulema alike.

Mr Hussain asserted that targeting and killing innocent people on the basis of sectarian differences was barbaric and such persons did not deserve any leniency. He said that the government must provide adequate security to the people and bring the killers to justice.

Mr Hussain said that the Holy Quran clearly says that there is no compulsion in the matter of religion yet some elements always want to force their version of Islam on others. He said that there was no room for jabr (compulsion) in Islam. He said that the MQM had always been working for a society based on the social justice and freedom where everyone was free to follow his religion without any fear.

Mr Hussain asked the Ulema to educate the younger generation about the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the traits of his noble character in simple language.

Ulema present on the occasion included Maulana Tanvirul Haque Thanvi, Allama Akram Hussain Tirmizi, Allama Azhar Hussain Naqvi, Allama Ameer Abdullah Farooqi, Maulana Murtaza Rehman, Allama Abbas Kumaili, Maulana Hafiz Qadir, Maulana Saeed Qamar Qasmi, Allama Waqar Hassan Taqvi, Maulana Faisal Aziz, Mufti Abdul Aleem Qadri, Mirza Yousuf Hussain, Molana Asad Thanvi and many others.

The programme started with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Maulana Tanvirul Haque Thanvi.  The Ulema commended the efforts being made by the MQM and Mr Altaf Hussain for promoting religious harmony, peace and brotherhood.