ISLAMABAD: While key leaders of religious parties at a conference talked about peace and brotherhood among Muslims, lower-level clerics wanted to see their claims implemented in mosques and seminaries.

In the wake of the Yemen crisis, the Milli Yekjehti Council (MYC) held its first ‘Ulema-i-Islam conference’ in which most of the speakers talked about the international conspiracy to divide Muslims in the world.

However, the MYC leaders welcomed the resolution passed by the parliament not to send force to Yemen and said it was the duty of the government of Pakistan to seek a negotiated settlement to the crisis.

On the other hand, a large number of clerics mainly affiliated with seminaries decried the contradictory ground realities.

“We discuss all issues wrapped in flowery words at such forums but nothing is implemented on the streets and even in our own institutions,” said Mufti Gulzar Ahmed Naeemi, the administrator of Jamia Naeemia, Lahore.

However, contrary to the previous gatherings of the MYC, even the main leaders criticised the ‘Takfiri’ groups and said they were the root-cause of troubles among the Muslims.

MYC president Sahibzada Abul Khair Zubair, who is also the chief of Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP), said some people were trying to drag Pakistan into the fire already raging in Yemen and the Middle East.

“These so-called ulema and religious scholars are a blot on the face of Pakistan and Islam,” he said, adding: “The Yemen crisis is nothing but a conspiracy to sabotage the recent nuclear deal signed by Iran and the western countries.”

Allama Sajid Naqvi, the chief of Islami Tehreek and the Shia Ulema Council, said there was no sectarian issue in Pakistan and neither any sectarian conflict in Yemen.

“The main problem is that there are elements in all sects and communities who want to promote sectarianism in Pakistan at the behest of international powers,” Allama Naqvi added.

However, he too stopped short of naming any group or individual and said such people should not be considered the representatives of any faith.

Senator Attaur Rehman of the JUI, who was representing his brother Maulana Fazlur Rehman, also said there was a conspiracy to divide the nation.

“We are being divided on the grounds of nationalism, ethnicity, linguistic grounds etc, but Ulema have played a key role in containing the divide on the grounds of sects,” Maulana Rehman added.

He too blamed the international conspirators led by the US for terrorism and sectarian killings in Pakistan.

On the other hand, Maulana Javed Akbar Saki, Dr Abid Rauf Orakzai and others said leaders should call a ‘killer a killer’.

Maulana Iftikhar Naqvi, member of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), said there were scholars of all sects in the CII.

“We never fight there but discuss all matters with logic and mutual respect,” he added.

Amin Shaheedi of Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen criticised the clerics and madressah administrations for failing to preach common grounds among the students and the masses in Friday sermons.

“What is being done to counter this conspiracy to create sectarian divide in the country?” he added.

In another development, Muslim Student Organisation (MSO), the student wing of the banned Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat (ASWJ), held a rally from Lal Masjid to Aabpara in support of Saudi Arabia.

The speakers said the conspiracy to capture the holy sites in Saudi Arabia was a part of the Israeli agenda.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play