Islamic Revival

a call to a realistic, rational and scientific picture of Islam

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‘Muslim Camp’ draws teens to combat extremism

August 19th, 2009

COVENTRY, England (Reuters) – Like any rousing Islamic preacher, Muhammed Tahir ul-Qadri’s voice rises to a shout and his index finger jabs as he hammers home a point.

But rather than angry calls for jihad (holy war) or a vitriolic denunciation of the West and its aggressions against Islam, Qadri’s message, equally forcefully delivered, is about moderation, peace, inclusion and understanding.

Addressing a packed auditorium from a raised platform, his words beamed on to large screen behind him, more than 1,000 young followers hang on his every word, even as his lecture moves into its fourth uninterrupted hour.

“Islam is not a religion of seclusion, it is not a religion of detachment,” he thunders from the dais, occasionally pausing to wipe the sweat from his brow or adjust his spectacles.

“Any killer of a non-Muslim citizen, he will go to hell. Those who are committing terroristic acts from Pakistan and Afghanistan and claiming it is jihad — they do not know what jihad is. It is forbidden. There will not be janna (paradise) for them,” he hollers, to shouts of approval from his listeners.

Qadri, 58, who was born in Pakistan but now lives in Canada, is a renowned scholar of Sufism, a long tradition within Islam that focuses on spirituality, emphasizing peace and moderation.

The author of more than 400 books on Islamic scholarship and law, Qadri travels the world delivering sermons to Sufis, while his organization, called Minhaj ul-Quran, has spread to 80 countries, from Greece to Fiji, since its founding in 1981.

In Britain, he is the main draw at a three-day retreat for young Muslims called “Al Hidayah” (Guidance), which over the past five years has grown into the biggest spiritual camp of its kind, with more than 1,200 attendees from a dozen countries.

Qadri believes camps like his, which attract teenagers — girls and boys wearing traditional dress who sit separately in the auditorium — as well as their parents and children as young as six, can play a part in combating extremism within Islam.

For Britain, that has been particularly important since 2003, when the country joined the invasion of Iraq, and 2005, when four young British Muslims carried out suicide bombings on the London transport network, killing 52 people.

“I feel it is my duty to save the younger generation from radicalization,” Qadri said quietly over lunch on Sunday, shortly after finishing the second of several lectures and question-and-answer sessions, which concluded on Monday.

“We need to prepare them mentally and academically, intellectually and spiritually, against extremist tendencies and radical and terrorist attitudes. We need to provide them with an awakening of the true picture of Islam,” he said.

TACKLING EXTREMISM

Around the world, and particularly in the United States, there has been a steady increase in adherence to Sufism in the past decade. Governments keen to tackle the spread of more radical branches of Islam in their countries have worked with Sufi scholars and tried to emphasize their teachings.

In Britain, home to around 1.7 million Muslims, the bulk from Pakistan, the government at first worked to promote Sufism, supporting the creation in 2006 of the Sufi Muslim Council, a group that took a strong stand against Islamist extremism.

But since then, it has moved away from explicit support, saying that working via the Sufi community — whose exact number in Britain is not known — is just one element of a wider approach to countering Islamic radicalism.

“It’s part of a broader engagement. We don’t want to isolate any one group over another,” a government spokeswoman said.

Supporters of Qadri, though, are adamant about the benefits of his teachings, with students coming from as far as Denmark and Canada to hear him speak during the three-day retreat. Women in particular like his emphasis on female equality within Islam, an element not always touched on by other Islamic scholars.

“What he says is mind-opening, it makes you feel good as a woman,” said Sofia Saeed, 27, a legal assistant who traveled from Manchester to attend the retreat with a friend.

“There’s no discrimination here. It makes you feel like a stronger believer, a stronger person,” she said, comfortably mixing designer sunglasses with her full hijab head covering.

Qadri, a former minister in Pakistan and close associate of Benazir Bhutto, the assassinated former prime minister, does not believe his teachings can change radical minds overnight, but he is a believer that intellect can ultimately defeat extremism.

“If the terrorists are 10 people and the peaceful are 1,000, then they are more powerful than us with their arms, even if we are 5,000,” he said. “But the point is that we have to make the 5,000 more powerful not with arms, but by the communication of the right message of Islam.”

(Reporting by Luke Baker; Editing by Jon Boyle)

This article is taken from http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5792AL20090810?sp=true

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Posted in From ignorance to the Reality, Islam is all bout Peace, Islamic Ideology, Minhaj-ul-Quran International

Tags: democracy freedom harmony human rights interfaith dialogue islam in europe kharji minhaj-ul-quran pakistan peace politics shaykh-ul-islam

Islam and Minorities

August 9th, 2009

Words fail to express the feelings of horror and grief one experienced while watching the scenes of mayhem, destruction of homes and the burning of seven people alive on TV channels in the Gojra city of Punjab. What made it all the more poignant was the fact that people, inspired by religious fervour and egged on by the so-called religious clerics having half-baked understanding of Islam, were doing everything our great religion condemned and ordained its followers against. Thus through their actions, these people brought a bad name not only to Pakistan but also Islam. Displaying sheer ignorance of Islamic teachings, they handed down a justification to those elements who are, otherwise, bent on demonizing Islam by invoking such incidents as the representation of what Islam stands for. It is high time we introspected ourselves and went back to the teachings of Islam vis-à-vis minorities.

Islam espouses values of universal brotherhood, tolerance and mutually peaceful coexistence ordaining its followers to be the source of peace for people around them. It aims at the establishment of such an ideal state and society where all citizens, irrespective of their association, religious identity, race, colour and creed, enjoy the similar rights and equality in the eyes of law. The Quranic injunction “There is no coercion in religion” (2:256) negates the element of coercion and oppression in religious matters and forms the basis for protection of rights of minorities. At another place, Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran: “(So) for you is your religion and for me is my religion” (109:6)

The importance and sanctity of rights Islam gives to minorities can be further gauged by the saying of the Holy Prophet (saw): “Beware! If anyone dared oppress a member of minority community or usurped his right or tortured him more than his endurance or took something away forcibly without his consent, I would fight (against such Muslim) on his behalf on the Day of Judgment.” (Abu Dawood 3:170)

This is not merely a warning but has the sanctity of a law, which was promulgated in the Islamic state during the blessed period of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) but which also continued to be implemented in the later period and is still a part of constitution of Islamic state. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) would always forewarn Muslims about the rights of the minorities. While talking of minorities one day, he said: “Whosoever killed a member of a minority community, he would not smell the fragrance of paradise though fragrance of paradise would cover the distance of forty years.” (Ibne Rushd, Badiya-tul-Mujtahid, 2:299)

Whenever the non-Muslim delegations would come to the Holy Prophet (pubh), he would extend them hospitality himself. Once a Christian delegation from Abyssinia came over to meet the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) in the blessed city of Madina, he took it upon himself to play host to the guests and made them stay in the Prophet’s Mosque. He said: “These people occupy distinguished and privileged status for our companions, therefore, I chose to extend them respect and hospitality myself.” (Ibne Kathir, as-Seertun Nabvia, 2:31)

Likewise, another 14-member Christian delegation from Nijran came to the holy city of Madina. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) made the delegation stay in the Prophet’s Mosque and allowed the Christians of the delegation to worship according to their religion in the Prophet’s Mosque. (Ibne Saad, at-Tabqatul Kubra, 1:357)

Such was the deep and penetrating impact of the Holy Prophet’s good treatment of the minorities that their interaction with him was also based on respect and reverence. When an ally Jew was about to die during a battle, people asked him about the possible heir to his huge property, he said that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) would be guardian of his property. This speaks volumes of the reverence the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) had in the eyes of the non-Muslims.

Imam Abu Yousuf writes in his magnum opus “Kitab-ul-Khiraj” that both Muslims and non-Muslim minorities were treated equally in respect of civil law and law of punishments during the Prophetic period and that of the rightly guided caliphs. Once a Muslim killed a non-Muslim during the period of the Holy Prophet (saw). He ordered the killing of that Muslim by way of Qisas and said: “The protection of rights of non-Muslims is my most important duty.” (Shaafi, al-Masand, 1:343)

In the like manner, the status of a Muslim and a non-Muslim is equal in civil law in an Islamic state. The non-Muslim would also deserve the same punishment which would be meted out to a Muslim in case of committal of crimes. Whether a non-Muslim steals things of a Muslim or otherwise, both would deserve the equal amount of punishment. No discrimination can be allowed in their treatment in the eyes of law.

Contrary to the teachings of Islam and the sayings of the Holy Prophet (saw), our actual conduct is shameful to put it mildly, which is responsible for bringing Islam into disrepute. No sane Muslim can approve and condone such reprehensible acts as witnessed in Gojra. It is a matter of immense concern as to how a small minority of bigoted and radical Mullahs can hold sway over ignorant people and make them dance to their tune without any fear of reprisal from state and its law enforcement agencies.

While the administrative failure to nip evil in the bud may be blamed for the outbreak of riots in the short-run, colossal havoc these happenings caused is a reflection of how extremism has penetrated our attitudes and social behaviours. The state cannot allow this situation to worsen by adopting passive and reactive response. It needs to initiate action to undo the damage it did when it promoted and co-opted a particular religious mindset at the cost of social equilibrium, religious tolerance and sectarian harmony. At a time when we need to reach out to other faiths in a bid to engage them in constructive dialogue aimed at finding solutions to the contemporary problems, such acts prove only counterproductive. In the next article, I would discuss the peculiar nature of rights minorities enjoy in an Islamic state.

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Posted in Islam on Human Rights, Islamic Ideology

Tags: democracy freedom harmony human rights interfaith dialogue islam in europe

Awami Lawyers Movement Pakistan (PALM)

August 8th, 2009

Awami Lawyers Movement Pakistan (PALM) is a broad based movement of advancement of Law and justice in Pakistan . Lawyers wing of Pakistan Awami Tehreek; Awami Lawyers Movement Pakistan (PALM) is the Lawyers’ Wing of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek & Tehreek-e-Minhaj-ul-Qur’an, was established unanimously in the meeting of Federal Council of Pakistan Awami Tehreek held on February 20th of 1997. It was imperative for the Lawyers’ Wing to be erected for demands of Mustafavi reforms System and for the advancement and dissemination of its mission of Rule of LAW.

The Lawyers wing (PALM) of Pakistan Awami Tehreek came into being on 20th February, 1997. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri (LL.B, Ph.D, Ex-Professor of Punjab University Law College, Lahore) is its founder leader. The supremacy of Qur’an and Sunnah system of law, propagation of awareness, protection of human rights, rule of law, peace and prosperity in Pakistan and world, Accountability and the protection of lawyers rights are some of its significant goals. It aims at a legal and constitutional struggle against law breakers, exploitative and hypocritic forces so that a society based on social, economic, legal and political justice may be established that had been dreamt by Dr. Muhammad Iqbal and the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. PALM is vigorously active for the progress, stability and prosperity of the nation and supremacy of law as without rule of law the dream of a real Islamic democratic and welfare state cannot be materialized.

The number of PALM’s membership has crossed the figure of 1,000 and it is increasing day by day. The central body of PALM comprises of 7 members. Anwaar Akhtar (advocate) is the Chief Organiser whereas Provincial, Divisional, District and Tehsil level organizations are being completed. The organizers have been nominated in two Provinces, Seven Division, 36 Districts and 66 Tehsils whereas the organizers have been nominated appointed in all courts of Lahore who are the special members of “Awami Legal Aid Cells”. They are very energetically active in solving the judicial and other legal problems of people. Moreover they provide free legal aid to the needy.

The lawyer members of PALM are in constant contact with the lawyers and office bearers. They arrange special lecture of senior advocates for young lawyers. Furthermore, they are going ahead in arranging lectures of senior advocates to give awareness of laws to common people.

PALM assists in legal proceeding in the concerned governmental and judicial institutions for human rights and common welfare. It arranges visits of lawyers to National Assembly, Provincial Assembly, Senate, Jail and Police stations. It arranges lectures and seminars of experts on national and international issues. More than 50 books of Prof. Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri on law have been published and hundreds of his audio, video and cds lectures on law are available whereas more than 300 books, 1000 unpublished manuscripts and audio, video, cds cassettes on 5000 topics are available. The books and audio, video cassettes of Prof. Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri on law are propagated in the Bar. Special sittings of Prof. Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri with Bar Associations and intellectual’s circles are arranged. Beside, the intellectual forums of Judges, Lawyers and genius people are also arranged. These sittings systematically discuss the national and international affairs so that a final system may be evolved. People are given due legal help in High Courts, Supreme Court, Federal Shariat Court and other courts of the country. Press conferences are held and press releases are issued on legal, constitutional and national International system which help in the restoration and reformation of the system.

Beside, providing law books of Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri to the big Bar libraries, temporary stalls of books and cassettes of the author are also sold on discount. The PALM’s office bearers and lawyers too personally arrange video lectures of Dr. Qadri on law, science, economy and on contemporary affairs. Welcome parties are arranged for the new office holders. PALM invites important national personalities in the Central programmes of the Tahreek. Their visits to the Central Secretariat are arranged to introduce the Tahreek in the affective circles of the country. Lawyers are invited in the annual Aitikaf of the Tahreek that is the second biggest Aitikaf gathering after the Haramain Sharifain. The Lawyers, Judges and important personalities are invited on the 27th Ramadan gathering and Birth celebration of The Holy Prophet (PBUH).

PALM aims at initiating a free legal aid service that has been organized on national level. An internet legal guidance has also been initiated. A country wide organizational convention of PALM’s office holders are arranged. Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri has delivered numerous lectures on law in different seminars and gatherings in the universities of America, Australia, North Africa and Far East. He delivered lectures in Civil Services Academy, NEPA, Administration Staff Colleges, Jails and Colleges in Urdu, English and Arabic languages. He has served as a Professor in Law in the Punjab Law College.

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Posted in Minhaj-ul-Quran International

Tags: democracy freedom harmony human rights minhaj-ul-quran peace women rights

Establishment of Muslim Christian Dialogue Forum (MCDF)

August 8th, 2009

A meeting of the Forum was held under the chairmanship of Chairman PAT Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri at Central Secretariat PAT. The meeting continued for four hours. It was extensively attended by the Christian counterparts including Bishop Samuel Izraia, Bishop Andrew Francis special advisor to Pope Jan Pal II for Asia, Father James Chanan OP, accompanied by 125 Bishops, leaders, fathers and priests. This was heartening to see that the delegation comprised both the Catholic as well as Protestant members.

The matters that came under discussion included the minority rights under the constitution of Pakistan and Islam. The meeting decided to work for interfaith harmony, tolerance and elimination of extremist trends from the society. It was specially observed that both the communities will jointly work to eliminate hatred culture and terrorist tendencies from the society.

The meeting also discussed appropriate measures to spread the message of the Forum in four provinces of Pakistan, the Federal Capital Islamabad and in the foreign world. Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri emphasized that they intended to create interfaith harmony on the bases of humanitarian and patriotic values so that people from all sections of the society work jointly and coherently for the development and progress of the country.

It was decided that the central executive of MCDF would comprise 30 members 15 Muslim and 15 Christian. A working group was also formulated within the central executive to design programmes, formulate the Executive’s agenda and implementation of decisions.

A women interfaith group was also formulated to achieve the objectives of the forum among the womanfolk as well.

Later Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri told the newsmen that the first ever Muslim Christian Walk will be conducted on the Mall Lahore lead by politico religious leaders in addition to social workers belonging to both the communities. Ladies and children will also join the walk.

Moreover the X-miss celebrations well also be held jointly before which a roundtable conference will be organized to address the mutual issues.

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Posted in Minhaj-ul-Quran International

Tags: democracy freedom harmony human rights interfaith dialogue islam in europe minhaj-ul-quran peace politics women rights

Need for UN’s Reform

August 8th, 2009

By Sahibzada Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri

(This article was published in Daily The Frontier Post on Thursday July 23, 2009)

The need for the reform of United Nations cannot be overemphasized, given the complexity of world geo-political scene and the mess the whole world has got into due to lack of effective oversight of the world body. The Millennium summit of United Nations Organization held in 2000 was a landmark event because it set new goals for the world body to achieve in the realms of world peace and economic uplift. The Millennium Declaration issued at the end of the summit represented the collective will of the member states to work together for achieving peace and ensuring a just economic world order based upon the premise of including poor and third world countries in the economic race.

Unfortunately for the people across continents, the UN underwent one crisis after the other caused mainly by the unipolarity in the global world order. As a result of successive failures of the world body to deal with issues in an even-handed manner, the UN faces the worst crisis of lack of trust and credibility in its ability to rise to the occasions.

There is a widespread feeling among the vast section of humanity that it is in fact a handmaiden of the big powers lacking the capability to enforce its charter and ensure peace in the conflict-ridden world. The disappointed people rightly view its role as that of a helpless institution that has no other option but to fall in line when confronted with the specific agendas of the major countries of the world. Coupled with these issues is the inability of the world body to solve such disputes as Palestine and Kashmir involving Muslims.

This lack of trust has basically originated from the UN’s failure in implementing its resolutions regarding disputes involving Muslims and poor countries of the Third World. In spite of the fact that a score of resolutions lie pending on its agenda, it has been unable to even reiterate its commitment to their justness.

And when it comes to the interest of the powerful countries, it takes no time in doing the needful as is proven by the UN-sanctioned Gulf war against Iraq in 1991-2 and the independence of East Timor.

The big failure of the UN is that it has miserably failed in adjusting itself to the Unipolar World Order. The presence of bipolarity served as a major factor in ensuring the world peace and resultantly the role of UN did not come in for as much questioning as now. The very collapse of USSR should have indicated that the UN would have to be up against grave challenges and huge responsibility awaited it in retaining the trust of all member countries. But it shied away from carving out its role in a new world ruled by new rules of the game.

It is the aftermath of its inactivity that US has been able to coin a new doctrine of unilateralism which constitutes the indictment of the world body. The cherished concept of collective security has been shattered to the core with the penetrating fear.

The mushrooming of the regional blocs for economic and security cooperation should also serve as a curtain-raiser for the UN high-ups. Those integrating themselves in regional groupings have this thought rooted in their mind that the real help would come from the countries of the region because of their mutual stakes and interdependence. This symbolizes the weakening faith of these countries.

In view of the overriding need for the UN to set its house in order, some points are in order which would be helpful in reclaiming the lost ground. Firstly, the UN should review its charter in view of the prevalent world order marked by unipolarity with its attendant problems for the collective security arrangements. The location of its role in the world where different dynamics are at work after the collapse of the communism is of great relevance.

In a bid to restore its lost faith, the UN should decide not to make selective use of force that spells an image of its being a puppet organization. The uniform application of its charter would go a long way in reviving the trust of the member states. It would also restore the UN’s independence in its working.

It is not just the area of security and peace that deserves the attention of the UN. The addressing of issues of global poverty, unemployment and hunger is equally important. The ongoing civil wars and internal strife in the blighted countries of the Third World originate from the presence of the above-mentioned problems when gulf between haves and have-nots reach alarming proportions.

In addition to other factors, the unjust economic system in operation in the world characterized by the dominance of rich countries with no space for developing countries is a major reason behind falling standards of life resulting into civil wars and internal conflicts among the competing classes.

The WTO regime is no doubt an attempt at bridging the gap between developed and the developing countries and offers attractive promises for the much-needed change. But there are vast problems in store for the weak economies if they straightaway sign up with the regime without first setting rules of the game. The UN should devise a strategy to ensure that WTO regime does not become yet another instrument of exploiting the poor countries of the world.

More importantly the UN should bring about reforms in its internal structure. The decision-making process needs to be made more democratized and broad-based with maximum participation of the member countries so that they could own the decisions and the feelings that the decisions are imposed from the above without their participation in the process should be eliminated.

For this purpose, there is a need to make the role of the general assembly more relevant and decisive one. General Assembly of the UN is the representative institution of all member states. In view of this position it should be invested with more powers. Rather it is suggested that the general assembly should serve as a legislature for the UN where UNSC should be responsible to it for all its actions. The UNSC should be bound by the charter to seek mandate from the General Assembly for its decisions in the realm of security and world peace. The discretionary and superior role of UNSC should be reduced to the minimal levels.

There should be no further extension of the veto power of the UNSC. The possession of this power by permanent five members is already against the principles of justice and fair-play. In addition to the supervisory role of the General Assembly, the extension of its membership to some other non-permanent countries would be very helpful in reducing the dominant role of the permanent five.

Lastly the UN should devise strategy in dealing with the post-conflict policing and reconstruction work and there should not be any space for any external power for exploiting the material resources of the said country. The resources should be used for the welfare of the masses of the same country. These steps hold great relevance for the UN in making itself a credible body of the world.

(The writer is a PhD scholar in Economics at the Australian University)

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Posted in International Issues, Islam & Democracy, Islam is all bout Peace, Islam on Human Rights

Tags: democracy freedom harmony human rights interfaith dialogue islam in europe peace politics women rights

Tackling Terrorism

August 8th, 2009

By Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri

(This article was published in Daily The Nation on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2008)

Ever since 9/11 struck the world, Pakistan has been the worst affected country of the phenomenon of terrorism. Other than Iraq and Afghanistan, where naked civil wars are being fought as a result of foreign interventions, Pakistan is the only country, which has paid so immensely for its contribution to the so-called war on terror. The assassination of national leader Benazir Bhutto in cold blood in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007 is a cruel reminder of the penetration of terrorists in the body politic of the country. Going by the statistical data on terrorist attacks in the recent years, one is left gasped and aghast at its fast-speeding occurrence. The incorporation of suicide bombing into the terrorist strategy aimed at bleeding Pakistan has posed a major challenge to the national security planners.

What is even more horrifying is the fact that the state and its symbols are also the target of attack by the terrorists. The perpetrators of gloom and doom have declared a war on the state of Pakistan. The state needs to bounce back with full might at its disposal to take on terrorism in a befitting manner and arrest its onward march. It would be in the fitness of things on the part of policy makers to make an assessment of Pakistan’s anti-terrorism strategy, identify its flaws and suggest proposals for mid-course correction. Some of the points given here below are instructive in this regard:

Right from the word go when the Pakistani establishment turned its back on the terrorist organizations and declared its support for the US-led war on terror, certain flaws bordering on strategic errors were too discernible to be neglected. No formal channels were utilized for arriving at consensus on the issue. From the hindsight, it appears that our ruling class chose to move ahead, single-handedly, on the question of cooperation with the US. The terms of engagement negotiated for participation in war on terror left much to be desired. Our policy makers should have calculated the nature and enormity of backlash in case of such a policy turnaround. The guardians of our national security have long been in touch with such shadowy characters due to their mutual involvement in Afghan Jihad in the 1980s. We should have told the US about our domestic compulsions while jumping on the American bandwagon, at the same time, extending our cooperation to the US.

Secondly, our anti-terrorism strategy has been based on the use of force to the exclusion of other available means. Such an exclusivist approach has been counter-productive for our national unity and internal law and order. It should have been known that this war is not a traditional war with a foreign enemy for which our armed forces have been trained. Here the enemy is nameless, faceless and region-less closely intermixed in populations of our tribal areas and parts of NWFP. Although some sporadic attempts were made for solution of the issue through political engagement but the approach was soon to be jettisoned under foreign pressure much to our own detriment. Therefore, we need to revisit our policy of use of force in the light of our experience of fighting militancy and in the larger national interest.

Thirdly, our government has been under fire from the US and other allied quarters to ‘do more’ in spite of delivering so much in war on terror. We have always been on the defensive vis-a-vis the US demands. Dictation seems to have been the order of the day. Coupled with sporadic acknowledgement of cooperation and praise on the leadership, the US has used the policy of stick effectively. Our internal disturbances and law and order situation, a natural corollary of our role in war on terror, is being invoked as a sufficient reason for lack of security of nuclear assets. These clearly are the pressure tactics being employed to force the Pakistani government to do more. Unfortunately, our government has been equally ready to accept all sorts of pressures owing to its own legitimacy problems.

Our internal situation is touching the boiling point by any standard. This is high time we thought of making mid-course correction to arrest our downward march into abyss and anarchy. There is no time for further procrastination. It is high time for action. Our reformulated anti-terrorism strategy should be aimed at following two planks for the achievement of both short-term and long-term interests.

The first and foremost is the tactical plank in order to salvage the fast-deteriorating situation. We need to rethink our engagement with the US on the present terms and conditions. Our further staying the course can be disastrous. We need to disengage ourselves from the American baggage to ensure our tribal brothers and sisters that we are not fighting someone else’s war. In the light of peculiar conditions and tribal traditions of the area we should enlist the support of local elders for alienating and defeating the terrorists. This calls for a shift onto political approach. Military approach subordinated to the political strategy can have the potential of healing the wounds and restore some semblance of normalcy in the country.

At the strategic level, there is a need to think of long-terms steps for calming the situation. The top most at the agenda is the conduct of fair and free electoral exercise resulting into the formation of democratically elected government. Democracy provides the best shield against terrorism and militancy in that people have the feeling of participation in the national decision-making, which is not the case in authoritarian regimes. Thus in this way they come to own governance and its institutions. The biggest challenge at this point in time is to enlist the support of common man against terrorists and terrorism. This can only be done if they are made stakeholders in policy-making. In the long run, it is the institutions, which can eliminate the feelings of deprivation and dispense justice. Therefore when national institutions are credible and above-board, it is easier to fight such scourges as terrorism.

The government needs to take an initiative to reach out to all religio-political parties to form unity among all strands of opinions and develop consensus on all the thorny issues facing the country. Our foreign policy decisions should be informed by such consensus. Political parties also need to realize that rising above party divide for national interest is the need of the hour. Only such a holistic and repackaged strategy may reverse the situation and heal our festering wounds.

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Posted in International Issues, Islam is all bout Peace

Tags: democracy freedom harmony human rights interfaith dialogue islam in europe peace politics

Islam on Peace

August 8th, 2009

By Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri

Thanks to some developments across the globe for last few years, the universal values of great religion, Islam, have come in for denunciation. By invoking the actions of a few individual Muslims to typify the character and conduct of millions of adherents of this divine faith, efforts have been made to equate Islam with bigotry and obscurantism. This is most unfortunate at a time when the need for inter-faith dialogue and harmony cannot be over-emphasized in order to bridge the gulf between Islam and West. The proponents of ‘clash of civilizations’ and their counterparts in the Islamic world are bent upon creating differences aimed at spreading confusion and misunderstanding about the teachings of Islam. In view of these circumstances, it is all the more necessary to bring the message of Islam in correct perspective to serve the cause of coexistence Islam so emphatically lays its stress on.

Let me state at the outset categorically and unambiguously that the message of Islam is peace, tranquility and unity. If one concentrates on the meanings of word ‘Islam’, it appears that this word takes its origin from saluma (safety) or silm (peace). Etymologically and literally the word ‘Islam’ means ‘peace, tranquility and harmony’. The word ‘Imaan‘ can be translated into or more clearly it means ‘faith’. Every religion is based on faith. Faith is known as Imaan in Islamic terminology. Imaan has its own root-word and that is amn. Amn again means ‘peace, tranquility and harmony’. The difference between Islam and Imaan can be explained in the sense that there is a faith to be believed in and there is practical order to be practised. The faith is known as Imaan and the practical order is known as Islam.

In Islam, the word Imaan is used in two dimensions. Firstly Imaan means to be in peace or to live in peace. Secondly, the other meaning is to live for peace and to be peaceful to others. According to Islam a man who does not maintain peace for mankind, cannot be regarded as a genuine Muslim or even a believer. The believer is the man who lives only peacefully for mankind. When he lives for the sake of others, only then he would be blessed by Divine peace from Allah Almighty. The Holy Prophet (saw) was sent not only for the Arabs or a specific tribe or territory but his raising was for the whole of mankind. As declared by the Holy Qur’an:

“O men! I am sent to you all as the Apostle of Allah.” (7:158)

In the tradition of the Holy Prophet (saw), it has been mentioned: “I have been raised (as messenger) for the whole creation.” Here lies the main point. Since the raising of the Holy Prophet (saw) was for the whole mankind, his message of peace is also for the whole mankind. The Holy Qur’an gives the idea of peace and welfare for mankind on the basis of unity of mankind. The Holy Quran says:

“O mankind! Reverence your Guardian-Lord, Who created you from a single person.” (4:1)

The verse has two layers of interpretation namely historical interpretation and scientific interpretation. From the point of view of historical interpretation, the whole mankind has been created from a single father, Adam (as). He is the origin of the whole mankind. Everybody has been created from the same single unit. From the perspective of scientific interpretation, the verse shows that the whole mankind has been created from a single cell of life and that is zygote.

According to the historical and scientific approach, the origin of human life comes into the category of single unity. This unity (historically and scientifically) of the creation of mankind indicates that our destination is also the attainment of unity. We should work for uplift and unity of mankind. This uplift of mankind, its welfare and betterment is absolutely impossible without harmony, reconciliation and unity.

In his last sermon delivered to the believers, the Holy Prophet (saw) eliminated the unjust order imposed upon the mankind. That unjust order at that time was based on human degradation, social injustice, economic exploitation and political suppression. The Prophet of Islam (saw) inaugurated a new world order based upon four concepts namely respect for humanity, social equality, economic justice and political freedom.

The concept of human welfare is the basic target and we need to pool together all our resources for its attainment at personal, social and global levels. Any type of process of reform has to start from the personal level in Islamic scheme of things. Islam instructs and educates us that welfare should be achieved at every level by creating a balance and harmony between mundane and spiritual aspects of life. Human personality is a compact whole consisting of many parts, which are epitomized in the form of division of life between secular and spiritual aspects. Biological dimension of life is manifested in social, cultural, socio-cultural, psychological aspects and there is a need to take these factors into view too at the personal domain.

Efforts should also be made for the achievement of human welfare at the social level; the level of collective environment of our society. We have to work for the elimination of economic exploitation so that human welfare is achieved socially. We have to fight against political oppression and for educational uplift. We have to campaign for economic, social, cultural and spiritual welfare. This is not possible without eradication of hatred. There is no place for hatred in communities. Ideas and philosophies can be different but we need to look at the singularity of origin in spite of differences and plurality of ideas. Allah Almighty has created balance between singularity and plurality. It is this diversity, which brings about perfection, balance, tolerance and moderation in society. Historically speaking, people belonging to various religions have lived in Islamic societies as equal partners in the business of state and this aspect of multiculturalism figures quite prominently in Islamic societies.

From Islamic point of view, peace and human welfare at the global level owes itself to the acknowledgement of the following principles:

Firstly the right of survival and existence should be accepted equally. This right should be given to each and every country, state and society without any difference and superiority. The Holy Prophet (saw) rightly declared this fact:

“An Arab is not superior to a non-Arab and non-Arab is not superior to an Arab. Neither a black anyway better than a red nor a red is better than a black. The criterion for the superiority is only the element of piety.”

Superiority does not lie in colours but in character, in conduct and in moral values. Whether one is living a human life or wild life, superiority rests in character only. So we need to work for peaceful coexistence, which is possible only when we recognize the right of others to live. Our motto should be “to live and let others live”.

The principle of non-interference is the basis upon which the edifice of global peace and welfare can be erected. If nations and societies respect the sanctities of national sovereignties of others and do not indulge in any type of adventurism, global peace stands ensured.

Islam does not approve of extremism of any kind. It is a religion of balance and moderation. So in true Islamic society, extremism is discouraged at every level because it has the potential of spoiling peace, calmness and order at every level of society.

Since Islamic state believes in equal rights, so it does not believe in any act of coercion. Islamic state disapproves hegemony. It has its faith in equality. Everyone has rights – some by birth and some given by state.

Islam is against terrorism and condemns all of its forms and manifestations. Terrorism negates all such values which Islam espouses. So by definition, Islamic state is a peaceful state where rights of all are secured constitutionally irrespective of one’s caste, creed, colour, race and religion. Islam holds that all members of Islamic society whether rulers or the ruled are equal in the eyes of law.

Given the enormous challenges posed to the peace of world, it is high time we made sincere efforts for peaceful coexistence among nations and religions. It is through joint struggle that we can defeat all such elements who want to create misunderstandings and confusions. We are all children of Adam (as) and have many similarities to share among us. Let our succeeding generations not say that we did not prove equal to the challenges.

Daily ,The Nation, August Saturday, 11, 2007

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Posted in Islam is all bout Peace, Islamic Ideology

Tags: democracy freedom harmony human rights interfaith dialogue islam in europe peace