Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Monday urged ulema to play proactive role in helping the government in its fight against sectarianism and in promoting national harmony and tolerance in the society. Talking to ulema belonging to different schools of thought here at the Prime Minister House, Shaukat Aziz said being an important segment of the society the ulema should play effective role in promoting the message of peace, tolerance and brotherhood among the people.
The Prime Minister said ulema should also help the government in projecting the true image of Islam and countering the negative propaganda against Islam.
Referring to the vision of enlightened moderation given by President General Pervez Musharraf, the Prime Minister said ulema should also come forward in projecting this vision so that the image of Islam as a peaceful religion could be projected in the world.
The Prime Minister said the government striving for progress and prosperity of the nation keeping in line with the Islamic values and in accordance with the golden principles of Islam.
He said being an Islamic country it is the responsibility of Pakistan to project real and peaceful image of Islam in the world and help other Muslim countries to counter anti-Islamic propaganda.
The Prime Minister said propaganda against Islam had increased after the event of 9/11. Therefore, it was the need of hour that all religious forces, particularly the ulema should raise voice to counter anti -Islamic forces.
Shaukat Aziz said Islam is a religion of peace and urged the ulema to project it with logic and historical background.
Emphasising the need for inter-faith harmony, the Prime Minister said it could also promote brotherhood and tolerance in the society.
He said, during their visits abroad he and President Pervez Musharraf had always made sincere efforts in projecting the real image of Islam as a peaceful religion.
Referring to various incidents of sectarianism and terrorism in the country, the Prime Minister said there was a need to fight against those elements, who are involved in such cases and giving bad name to Islam and Pakistan.
He urged the ulema belonging to different school of thought to make sincere efforts to stop the activities of sectarian elements. The Prime Minister said there could be difference of opinion but killing in the name of difference is against the basic principles of Islam.
Shaukat Aziz said the world community should also give due attention to resolving the root causes of conflicts like Palestine and Kashmir so that peace could be ensured in the world.
Referring to incidents of sectarianism in the country, the Prime Minister said such happenings were also disturbing foreign investment.
About the role of the Organisation of Islamic Conference, the Prime Minister said the OIC was being reinvigorated to work effectively to improve the image of Islam and Muslims in the world.
He said once the Muslim scholars and researchers were known through out the worlds but now unfortunately terrorism had damaged the image of Islam.
Shaukat Aziz said besides many other things, combating terrorism and sectarianism was on top of the agenda of the government.
He said with internal peace and religious harmony Pakistan could play a more active role in the world.
Ulema, scholars and khateebs of leading mosques of the country, appreciating the efforts of the government to counter terrorism and sectarianism, assured their full support to the government.
They suggested that there should be better co-ordination among the ulema, belonging to different schools of thought through setting up an office of "Ittehad Bainul Musalmeen" at Islamabad for this purpose.
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