Daily Times

Finally a counter narrative released by our Religious clerics to defeat the ever rising menace of extremism .Religious scholars from all schools of thought on Saturday issued a fatwa (religious decree) that declared suicide attacks, armed insurgency against a state and use of force in the name of imposing Shariah as ‘Haram’ or forbidden in Islam. It states that waging jihad is a prerogative only of an Islamic state. The religious decree declared suicide attackers and their supporters as traitor, and disallowed use of force in the name of enforcement of Islamic laws

The Fatwa was issued at the concluding session of a national seminar entitled “Reconstruction of Pakistani society in the light of Madina Charter and announcement of Paigham-e-Pakistan,” arranged by the Islamic Research Institute of International Islamic University. Islamic Research Institute, established in 1960 under a constitutional provision, initially worked as a research unit of Government of Pakistan. The main objectives of the Institute are to identify contemporary problems and to study and interpret the teachings of Islam in the context of the intellectual and scientific progress of the modern world in order to assist the Pakistani society and the Muslim Ummah to live according to the imperatives of Islam.

We have been in a dire need of a counter narrative to negate the distorted concept of extremism and hate to protect the basic rights of the people of our country but also promote peace and harmony to give the real picture of Pakistan and Islam to the rest of the world. The twisted interpretation of Islam by the extremist has brain washed thousands to suggest that those who kill in the name of religion will be rewarded after death. This recent declaration is a historic step taken by scholars in the right direction. The only way to exhibit the true essence of Islam to the rest of the world is by renouncing violence.  *