Daily Times

LAHORE: Ulemas, scholars, imams and religious leadership, while addressing different congregations of Friday sermons across Pakistan, condemned the recent suicide blasts in Saudi Arabia, stating that unity of Muslims was need of the hour for security, defense and protection of Harmain Sharifain.

The scholars urged the leadership of Muslim countries and renowned Muslims around the globe to play key role in resolving the confronting challenges of Muslims. They stated that it was need of the hour that leadership of Islamic countries should initiate preemptive action against terrorists who have crossed all limits and making suicide attacks on Masjid-e-Nabvi.

‘Condemnation Day’ was observed on Friday across Pakistan on the appeal of Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) during which different scholars and imams across the country stressed that Islam had no linkage with extremist and terrorist organisations like Daesh and Hizbullah, which were propagating on account of Islam. It is the responsibility of religious scholars to educate Muslim youth against biased propaganda of terrorists’ organizations, they added.

PUC Central Chairman Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi addressed the Friday congregation at Jamia Masjid Siddiq-e-Akbar in Johar Town to mark the ‘Condemnation Day’. He said that after causing catastrophe in Libya, Syria and Iraq, anti-Islam elements now want to create havoc in Saudi Arabia. “Terrorists activities and suicide blasts as reported in different cities of Saudi Arabia during last couple of months were alarming for the Islamic world but after suicide blasts in Masjid-e-Nabvi, leadership of Muslim countries should make decisions above all reconciliations and interests,” Ashrafi added.

He said that foreign intervention in Libya, Iraq and Syria should not only come to an end but all those organisations and countries, which were imposing their agendas and ideologies on their respective neighbouring countries, must be obstructed. Ashrafi said that it was Abu Lulu Feroz who launched the first suicide attack in Masjid-e-Nabvi on Hazrat Umar Farooq (RA) while Takfeeri, Majoosi and Kharji groups have also been keen to create conspiracies to disrupt peace of Masjid-e-Nabvi, but history was witness to the fact that conspiracies of such groups always went always in vain. “Terrorists organisations like Daesh and Hizbullah are distracting Muslim youth on account of Islam and Jehad and these ‘Takfeeri and Kharji’ groups have no linkage with Islam. The entire Muslim world is raising voice and united against elements launching attacks on Masjid-e-Nabvi as this issue does not relate with any specific sect and organisation, but was issue of Muslims’ existence and security,” he added.

The PUC chief also paid homage to security guards of Masjid-e-Nabvi who foiled the plans of suicide attackers that were trying to enter the grand mosque but were restricted in parking area. Ashrafi also announced to call meeting of the representatives of all religious schools of thoughts as well as leadership of political and religious forces on July 11 in Islamabad over the issue.

PUC Secretary General Sahibzada Zahid Mehmood Qasmi addressed in Jamia Masjid Gol in Faisalabad, Maulana Abdul Karim Nadeem in Khanewal, Maulana Ayub Safdar in Gujranwala, Maulana Abdul karim Nadeem in Khanpur, Maulana Abdul Hameed Watto in Qila Dedar Singh, Maulana Asadullah Farooq in Jamia Masjid Manzoorul Islamia Lahore, Maulana Mushtaq Jamia Masjid Cannal Jalo Mor in Lahore, Maulana Nauman Hashir Rawalpindi, Maulana Asad Zikriya Karachi, Mufti Waheed Ahmed Quetta, Qari Khalil Ahmed Siraj DI Khan, Maulana Anawarul Haq Mujahid Multan, Maulana Shafi Qasmi Sahiwal, Mufti Umar Farooq Khanewal, Maulana Saadullah Shafiq Rahimyar Khan, Maulana AbuBakar Hamza Chakwal, Maulana Umar Usmani Gujrat, Qari Waqr Ahmed Usmani Sargodha, Maulana Shafiqur Rehman Okara, Maulana Ahmed Makki Muzafargarh, Maulana Samiullah Rabbani Layya, Maulana Faheemul Hassan Farooqi Sheikhupura, Maulana Tariq Nadeem Pakpattan, Maulana Muhammad Azam Faisalabad, Maulana Saadullah Ludhyanvi Toba Tek Singh, Maulana Irshaad Ahmed Narowal, Mian Rashid Muneer Sialkot, Hafiz Amjad Mehmood Muhawia Gujranwala, Syed Abdul Ghaffar Shah Hijazi Lodhran, Maulana Mubashar Hazoor Bahawalpur, Maulana Khurshid Naumani Bahawalnagar, Maulana Asghar Khosa DG Khan, Maulana Ubaid Ullah Sabir Rajanpur, Maulana Abdul Hameem Jhang, Maulana Risal Uddin Azad Qasoor, and Haji Muhammad Tayab Shah addressed in Nankana.

The religious leadership in their sermons made it clear that suicide blasts in Medina and different cities of Saudi Arabia were intolerable and the entire Muslim world was willing to sacrifice everything for the security and defence of Harmain Sharifain. The Friday congregations pledged and reiterated that anti-Islam activities and anti-Muslim conspiracies could only be foiled with unity of Islamic countries. The religious scholars also pinpointed that foreign interference in different Islamic countries and patronisation of different sectarian groups on part of some Islamic countries was the main reason of chaos and confrontation in Islamic world.