KARACHI: ‘Miscreants in seminaries need to be checked’
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, April 19: Chance-llor of Binnoria University International, Site, Mufti Mohammad Naeem has said that the involvement of anti-Islam forces in Nishtar Park tragedy cannot be ruled out.
He was of the view that in the organisations belonging to all schools of thought, there happened to be some elements who would make political mileage out of a particular incident. However, he added, what the developments proved was that the government had failed to restore law and order because it was not putting in sincere efforts and was also fomenting religious hatred to strengthen its rule.
Mufti Naeem, who is ‘Shaikh al-hadis’ at the university, was talking to a group of journalists at the campus on Wednesday. He regretted that the miscreants and prejudiced elements within the religious organisations were trying to make political mileage by accusing each other of being involved in attacks.
He suggested that a ban should be imposed on establishing new religious organisations.
The Mufti expressed concern over the situation where most of the prayer leaders at mosques, in Karachi and elsewhere in the country, had no religious credentials. Most of them appeared to be associated with extremist religious organisations.
He criticised use of mosques as a forum for propagation of an organisation’s aims and objectives. “Those allowing the use of mosques for such purposes must be reined in, and use of loudspeakers at such mosques be banned,” he demanded.
He recalled that a 20-point code of conduct was adopted with consensus at the Sept 28, 1991 ulema convention, held at the Governor’s House in Lahore.
Stressing observance of the code, Mufti Mohammad Naeem highlighted some of the points, which were: The Friday sermon should be meant for creating unity among Muslims; use of public platforms for condemning opponents should be avoided; all controversies involving different schools of thought should be sorted out amicably with mutual consultations and understanding; respect for scholars of other schools of thought should be ensured; ulema and writers should exercise restraint and adopt moderation in their writings and speeches; ulema should avoid making provocative statements and emotional slogans, etc.
The Mufti said the observance of code of conduct would ensure complete religious and sectarian harmony.
