EXTERNAL FORCES ARE TRYING TO DIVIDE PAKISTAN: ALTAF HUSSAIN
5 April 2024
Pakistan is not a haven
for devout and genuine followers of Islam, but rather a nation brimming with
infidels, deceivers, and hypocrites.
At the commencement of
today's intellectual gathering, I am compelled to inquire whether Pakistan
truly embodies the ideals of devoted and faithful Muslims.
Regrettably, I must
assert that Pakistan is not a nation of sincere and faithful Muslims, but
rather a breeding ground for disbelievers, deceivers, and hypocrites.
A majority of Pakistan's
scholars and clerics are steeped in hypocrisy.
If Pakistan were a haven
for true adherents of Islam, would the previous military generals of the
Pakistan Army have orchestrated the massacre of countless Bengali Muslims in
East Pakistan?
Would they have violated
the honour and modesty of numerous Bengali Muslim mothers, sisters, and
daughters?
Not only did the Pakistan
Army subject 5-year-old girls to rape, but they also inflicted this heinousness
upon elderly Bengali women.
Yet, did any of the
self-proclaimed scholars and clerics of Pakistan raise their voices against
these injustices? Did any of them denounce the systematic killing of Balochis,
branding it as an unequivocal injustice?
Did any of them insist
that the perpetrators of the deaths of over 25,000 migrants in Karachi, as a
result of military operations, be held accountable by facing the gallows?
Did any of them proclaim
it sacrilegious for Pakistani military generals to grant permission to the
United States for drone strikes, which stand in contravention of Islamic
principles, advocating that those generals involved should be hanged?
Did any of them highlight
the plight of innocent Pashtuns being massacred by drone attacks in tribal
areas, an emblem of the army's extensive injustice?
It was only a few days
ago when six judges of the Islamabad High Court penned a letter exposing the
undue influence exerted by the ISI, but did any of these scholars take a firm
stance through a fatwa in response?
Let us not forget the
mass killings that transpired on May 9th, 2023. Women were forcibly dragged
through the streets, becoming victims of violence, with their veils forcibly
removed.
Yet, did any scholar
issue a fatwa condemning such acts of injustice and formally expressing our
protest against them?
Did any scholar declare
their resignation from the Islamic Ideological Council and the Moon Sighting
Committee as a form of protest against these injustices?
It is incumbent upon me
to comprehend that it is religiously forbidden to pray behind a religious
leader who witnesses such oppression and remains silent.
Today's era is not
markedly different from bygone times. When the legitimate Caliphate came to an
end, and the accursed Yazid ascended the throne, an era of widespread
oppression ensued.
During that time, the
Chief of Judges, without remorse, issued a fatwa, compelling individuals to
pledge their allegiance to Yazid, warning that failure to comply would result
in beheading.
Sadly, the role played by
most religious leaders today is equally Yazidi, reflecting the abhorrent
actions of the Yazidi scholars of that era.
If hypocritical scholars
and clerics regard corrupt military generals with utmost respect, then I
implore all scholars encompassing various ideological factions in Pakistan to
unanimously issue a fatwa, decreeing that the individual who assumes the position
of Chief of Army Staff shall also hold the esteemed positions of Grand Mufti,
Chairman of the Senate, Speaker of the National Assembly, and Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court.
In the past, the people
of Punjab would label Balochis, Sindhis, Pashtuns, and Muhajirs as traitors.
However, the people of Punjab are now awakening to the reality that corrupt
military generals are instigators of division among us.
It is my fervent prayer
that Allah Almighty bestows greater courage upon the people of Pakistan,
particularly the people of Punjab, to unite in a powerful movement for change,
prepared to make any sacrifice in pursuit of revolution.
With utmost sincerity,
Altaf Hussain