Islamabad, September 27, 2023 - The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairman, Dr Qibla Ayaz, reiterated the CII's demand for the establishment of special courts to expedite cases related to incidents like the tragic Jaranwala incident. During the 234th special session of the CII, titled ‘Interfaith Harmony: State and Society’s Responsibilities,’ Dr Ayaz emphasized the importance of upholding the law and refraining from taking it into one's own hands.
He stressed that such actions were contrary to the teachings of the Quran, Sunnah, the Constitution, and established national norms. Dr Ayaz highlighted the fundamental principle that all religions inherently teach human respect and honor. He urged followers of all faiths to practice these values in their religious teachings.
In a firm denouncement, Dr Ayaz condemned any form of hate, violence, or extremism carried out in the name of religion. He emphasized that such actions deviate from religious teachings and often serve political or worldly interests. Dr Ayaz called upon leaders of all faiths to actively discourage such ideologies.
Furthermore, the CII Chairman urged religious leaders to collaborate in promoting respect for Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), all other honored prophets, and sacred religious sites. He emphasized the need for swift justice and visible penalties for individuals involved in incidents like Jaranwala to deter future occurrences.
Dr Ayaz reaffirmed the CII's demand for the establishment of special courts dedicated to expeditiously handling cases related to such crimes and punishing the perpetrators. He also mentioned that the council was planning to expand its efforts beyond primary to university-level curricula, preparing recommendations to bring significant changes to the education sector.
Additionally, Dr Ayaz highlighted the need to reconsider the term 'minority,' suggesting that individuals' religious identity be emphasized in light of changing global demographics and increased migration by practitioners of different religions. Minister of State Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani supported this proposal, suggesting the term "equal-rights citizens" for them.
The meeting witnessed the participation of various religious leaders, including Pir Abul Hasan Muhammad Shah, Dr Abdul Ghafoor Rashid, Pir Khalid Sultan, Allama Hussain Akbar, Syed Ziaullah Bukhari, Pirzada Junaid Amin, Mufti Muhammad Zubair, Justice Zafar Iqbal, Justice Altaf Ibrahim, Allah Bakhsh Kalyar, Jalaluddin Advocate, and Farida Rahim. Leaders of other religions, such as Bishop Samuel Azariah, Father Sylvester Joseph, Sohail Habel, Christopher Sherif, Pritam Das, Asfandyar Bhandara, Ramesh Singh Arora, Prof Mehrdad, and Tariq Mehmood Ghauri, also attended the meeting.