ISLAMABAD, July 6: A convention of religious scholars on Thursday vowed to protect the Hudood laws and said that the punishment for adultery, slander and liquor offences had been prescribed by Holy Quran and Sunnah.

A joint declaration issued at the end of the convention of Ulema and Mashaikh held at the Ahl-i-Hadith Mosque here said that punishments prescribed by Holy Quran had been incorporated in these laws and could not be revoked.

The declaration said that the punishments were aimed at providing justice to the oppressed, eradicating oppression and tyranny and protecting the honour and dignity of women.

It condemned statements issued by what it termed westernised NGOs and so-called intellectuals against the Hudood laws and said they were being issued at the behest of the government.

Accusing certain ‘media cells’ of backing and patronising such elements, it said that the current Council of Islamic Ideology was being used to promote an “anti-Islamic” agenda.

The declaration said that some people were committing blasphemy by saying that the Islamic edicts were brutal.

It said that all attempts to revise the Islamic law of evidence in adultery cases would be resisted.

“We warn all blasphemers to rein in their m ouths and pens; otherwise they will have to face consequences in this world for their wrongdoings and suffer humiliation and degradation in the hereafter.”

Ulema urged the government to abide by Islamic rules and to encourage people to adhere to the Islamic way of life. “We asked two daily newspapers, through correspondence and telephone, to publish apologies and express repentance on behalf of the blasphemers. But regrettabl, they did not pay heed to our demand.” The Ulema demanded that these dailies should apologise for their ‘blasphemous act’; otherwise “we will take them to court”.

The declaration also said that the present Council of Islamic Ideology, which had become controversial, should be dissolved and a new council comprising Ulema from all schools of thoughts, be constituted.

They termed the chief justice of the Federal Shariat court a controversial person and demanded his replacement.

Criticising the introduction of English in primary classes, the declaration said it had given the West the message that ‘we are your slaves’.

It also said that it was derogatory that the teaching of Islamiyat had been deleted from the syllabus of class one and two.

Criticising President Pervez Musharraf, the declaration accused him of trying to stay in power through “massacres and bloodshed”.

“We demand that General Musharraf should quit both the offices and set up an interim government under the chairman Senate”.

The convention called upon the government to change its visa policy regarding foreign students applying to study in Islamic seminaries. It also urged the government to recognise the certificates issued by all the five Tanzeemat equivalent to Bachelors and Masters degrees and to accord the Tanzeemat the status of an education board.

The convetion was addressed by several members of the National Assembly, senators and religious scholars.

The Ulema condemned the anti-Hudood bill tabled by the People’s Party Parliamentarian and the ruling PML.—Online