LAHORE: Three leading Ulema of the Jamiat-ul-Ulema-i-Islam ­— Maulana Zafar Ahmad Usmani, Maulana Ehtishamul Haq Thanvi, and Maulana Siddiqui Ahmed — yesterday [Sept. 7] urged the nation to wage Jehad against the so-called preachers of Islamic socialism.

Speaking at a reception held in their honour by the Anjuman-i-Shahryan-i-Lahore they warned the advocates of Islamic socialism that it could only be introduced in Pakistan on the ruins of the country and “on our graves.”

The Amir-i-Ala of Jamiat-ul-Ulema-i-Islam, Maulana Zafar Ahmad Usmani, said that the plea taken by the advocates of socialism for its introduction in the country was to bridge the existing gap between the rich and the poor of the country. He said, this could best be done by introducing Islamic tenets in the country. “Islam is a religion which is against such differences,” he added.

Maulana Zafar slated the term “Islamic socialism” and said that the concept was self-contradictory. The foundations of socialism were laid on atheism, which was opposed to Islam. Hence it was only a camouflage to usher in a system which was basically opposed to Islam and had as little justification as any other “Islamic crime...”

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2019