PESHAWAR, Aug 5: A three-day world Islamic congregation will be held at the Minar-i-Pakistan, Lahore, from Oct 1 to 3 under the aegis of Jamaat-i-Islami in which Muslim leaders from across the world will participate.
This was announced by the provincial chief of the JI and NWFP Senior Minister, Sirajul Haq, at a press conference here on Thursday. The congregation would discuss problems facing the Muslims the world over and work out a future line of action, he said.
Mr Haq said the Muslims faced crisis situations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine and Kashmir. Despite having 6.6 million army and over 70 per cent of the total economic resources of the world, the Muslims across the world were living in slavery, he added.
He further said that the USA and other western powers had taken control of the army, economy and social and cultural life of the Muslims, whereas the rulers of the Muslim countries were struggling to achieve the status of a frontline state.
In this situation, he said, the Jamaat in consultation with other international Islamic groups had decided to organize an international Muslim congregation. The congregation would be addressed by Muslim leaders from Haramain al-Sharifain to Al-Quds al-Sharif, Mr Haq said.
Flanked by General Secretary Mushtaq Ahmad Khan and Information Secretary Faqirullah, the JI provincial chief said that 18 committees had been formed to make arrangements for the programme.
Mian Maqsood Ahmad, Assistant Secretary-General of the JI, had been nominated as in charge of the programme, he added. At the provincial level, Mr Haq said, a campaign for collecting financial resources and inviting more and more people to the congregation had been designed.
Regarding the participation of other component parties of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal in the congregation, he said that the leadership of all the component parties of the MMA would attend the gathering.
"With this congregation, we want to extend the message of the MMA to Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan. The congregation will give a new direction to the country's politics and ensure our success in all parts of the country in future," he said.
The congregation would give the message that the country needed such economic and education policies which were in accordance with the teachings of Islam and source of unity of the Muslims, he remarked.
Regarding the political situation of the country, Mr Haq said that in view of the interior and international situation, matters should be settled through consensus. -PPI
