LONDON: The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) Quaid, Altaf Hussain, said on Thursday that the political leaders supporting terrorism wanted to impose their own interpretation of the Sharia in the country in order to become Amirul Momineen.
In the coming elections, the battle would be fought between liberal and progressive political parties against the parties supporting religious extremism. He asserted that the descendents of the founders of Pakistan needed no certificate of patriotism from those who were working against Pakistan.
He expressed these views while talking to a gathering of the Elders Wing of the MQM at the Lal Qila Ground. Hussain said that people who had taken an active part in the Pakistan movement or had attended public meetings at that time were also present at the Lal Qila Ground. These elderly people saw Pakistan emerging on the map of the world with their own eyes, he said, adding they witnessed the slaughter of two million Muslims during the struggle for creation of Pakistan, but they persisted in raising the slogan for Pakistan.
”Our forefathers crossed a sea of fire and blood for achieving Pakistan, but it is ironic that those who had opposed the creation of Pakistan are teaching us about patriotism. Those who betrayed the freedom fighters to the British in return for land and who remained loyal to the British are teaching us patriotism,” he said.
Hussain categorically denied existence of any militant wing in the MQM. “A leader (Nawaz Sharif) has said today in Karachi that he would end militant wings of political parties in Karachi after coming into power. If the militant wings are in Karachi, why lethal bullets of Kalashnikovs are fired in the Punjab,” he said.
There is no militant wing in the MQM, but it has wings of brave, determined and indomitable workers, including the elderly, women and young people, he said. Hussain said the day the MQM government comes into power, it will take over palaces in Raiwind and convertthem into schools, colleges and health centres.
He asserted that the MQM is the only political party in the country that is working for empowering people of the poor and middle-class segments of the society. The MQM is not only representing them in the corridors of power but also struggling for their rights, he said.
Everyone knows the elements behind ongoing bomb attacks and slaying of personnel of armed forces and the parties that support these terrorists, he said. The leaders condoning the terrorism of these elements never uttered a word that they would wipe out the terrorists behind bomb attacks on mosques, imambargahs, shrines, schools, and slaying of innocent people and personnel of armed forces, he said.
”We are the followers of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) who did not spread the religion by the sword. He preached the teachings of Islam gently and softly and with arguments. It is our belief that the elements wanting to enforce their narrow interpretation of Islam could not be true followers of the religion,” he said.
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) used to forgive even the worst enemies of Islam. He termed the heinous custom of burying alive of the female children as great sin and called it barbarism. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) enjoined upon men and women to acquire knowledge, but the terrorists were bombing girls’ schools in the name of Islam and lashing women in public, he said.
Hussain said that the terrorists wanted to confine the women to homes and take away their basic rights. He asked the audience if they would like to stop their women from getting education, driving or going out of homes.
The liberal and progressive forces in the country have firmly decided that they would not throw their women to the mercy of barbaric terrorists, he said. They have decided that they would foil any such conspiracy with their democratic, constitutional and legal struggle, he said.
Hussain said that attempts were being made to obstruct the path of liberal and moderate parties by carrying out bomb blasts. “But we would not surrender before these terrorists. We do not want to fight anyone. We believe in sectarian and religious harmony, and we respect all sects, schools of thought and religion. We do not want to give fatwas of infidelity against others,” he said.
He said that the election campaign was being run in the Punjab only and while parties in the remaining three provinces were not being allowed to run their campaign freely.Hussain hailed the statement of General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani once again and said that the MQM was with the armed forces against the terrorists carrying out bomb attacks.
He saluted the workers of the MQM on continuing the election campaign courageously in the face of terrorism, bomb attacks, targeted killings, and other hardships. He asked everyone to bury their differences and get united as the movement was once again passing through a difficult time.
Meanwhile, in a hard-hitting statement condemning the bomb blast occurred at MQM Burnes Road Sector and Haq Parast election office, Hussain said no matter how many attacks are carried out by terrorists, they would not back off. He said that terrorists stocks of bombs and explosive material will exhaust, but his party’s spirits will remain high and “we will face all the challenges boldly and courageously.”