ISLAMABAD: Leaders of religious parties at a meeting on Wednesday expressed resolve to work for the unity of Ummah.

The meeting chalked out a 12-point charter, but failed to devise a strategy to combat sectarianism and religion-based terrorism in the country.

The issue of blasphemy and disrespect of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in the West was the focus of Unity of Ummah Conference organised by the Milli Yekjehti Council (MYC).

Through a resolution, the meeting urged Pakistan and all other Muslim states to take up the matter of blasphemy with France and other European states.

“If they are not ready to take action against the culprits, Muslim countries should boycott products of European countries and suspend diplomatic, cultural and trade relations with them,” the resolution said.

But the leaders did not offer an alternative in the wake of suspension of trade ties with the Western countries.

The resolution decried sectarianism and religion-based violence and said that the conference condemned attacks on the Army Public School in Peshawar and places of worship, including mosques, shrines, Imambargahs, churches and temples.

“Terrorism has nothing to do with Islam,” it said.

The conference condemned conspiracies being hatched in various Muslim counties, including Pakistan, to fan sectarianism.

“Those trying to spread sectarian tension are the enemies of Islam and Ummah,” the resolution said. “We pledge to continue to work for the unity of Muslim Ummah and foil all international conspiracies to pitch Muslims against each other.”

Welcoming the Karachi operation, the resolution noted that statements by target killers apprehended during the operation showed that only one group was involved in the murder of both Shia and Sunni ulema.

“These statements have shown that terrorism and sectarianism were not linked with religion,” the resolution said. “The government should end all ventures against mosques and madaris.”

The resolution asked the government to impose restrictions on music and singing over loudspeakers.

Without naming names, the meeting said that those speaking against the ideology of Pakistan or propagating to make the country a secular state would fail.

The leaders asked the government to make the country a true Islamic state and take steps to establish an Islamic society – as enshrined in the Constitution.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2015

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