ISLAMABAD May 4: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali says no one will be allowed to alter or distort the Islamic teachings in preparation of textbooks
, and whatever anomalies have been noticed in the curricula are bound to be removed to the full satisfaction of the teachers and students.
He was speaking at the 28th national Seerat conference as part of Eid Milad celebrations at Jinnah Convention Centre here on Monday. Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Ijazul Haq, NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani, former Azad Kashmir prime minister Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan, federal and provincial ministers, elected members of parliament and ambassadors from Islamic countries attended the conference.
Responding to a participant's pointing out distortions in the syllabi with particular reference to the reported removal of some Quranic versus including "Soorah Tauba" from the textbooks of lower and middle classes, the premier said: "As long as I am prime minister no one would dare do so".
"Rest assured, I have already ordered removal of all anomalies that have been pointed out by various circles so far and I will make sure it is done in letter and spirit," he assured the participant.
Speaking at the conference titled "the trend of extremism, and its eradication in the light of Holy Prophet's teachings", the premier said Islam was a religion of moderation which ordained its followers to refrain from extremist practices and to adopt the middle way.
He said the Holy Prophet (PBUH) never gave up tolerance and moderation in both times of war and peace and used his power for self-defence and overpowering the enemy as he always preferred conciliation to war and "Hudaibia accord" was its best example.
He said the difference of opinion in Islam was not forbidden but it must be used for getting best solutions instead of issuing decrees of 'infidelity' against each other.
Pakistan, he reminded, was passing through a very critical situation and its internal and external policies have been formulated on the principles of moderation, conciliation and understanding.
"We are of the firm belief that Pakistan is the citadel of Islam and our preference must be its integrity and national prosperity." The premier said it was our faith that Holy Quran was fountain-head of all knowledge and was a complete code of life for all the times to come and the life of Holy Prophet was a complete interpretation of Quran.
Quran and Sunnah, he said, were still capable of fulfilling the humanity's material, moral, and spiritual needs till today and the need was that we adhered to the true Islamic teachings and put ourselves as practical model of Islamic teachings.
Earlier the prime minister gave away prizes and awards among the best writers of Seerat books, articles and thesis in various categories. Earlier, during the speech of minister for religious affairs, Ijazul Haq, a participant, later identified as Qari Maqbool from Azad Kashmir, rose from his seat and said that the education minister Zobaida Jalal owed an apology to the nation for removing Quranic versus from the textbooks.
Ijazul Haq tried to pacify the speaker by saying, "I was personally involved in the review of the situation and arrived at the conclusion that no one had deliberately made these changes in the textbooks hence there was nothing to worry about".
