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Pakistan will lead global campaign against defamation of religions: PM Khan

News Desk |

PM Imran Khan opened the two-day International Rehmat Ul-il-Alameen conference on Tuesday at the Islamabad convention center. The event has been organized to commemorate the Holy Prophet (SAW), to discuss various aspects of his life and to incorporate his principles into daily life matters as a nation.

The topic of the conference is “finality of Prophethood and responsibilities of Muslims in light of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)”. According to Radio Pakistan, this marks the 43rd annual Rehmat Ul-il-Alameen conference aimed at promoting religious harmony, tolerance, brotherhood and equality, respect for humanity, non-violence, unity, reconciliation and culture of dialogue.

Prizes would be awarded to 21 authors for writing books on Seerat and Na’at, and to 32 scholars for writing research papers on Seerat.

The Prime Minister congratulated the conference organizers and said that Pakistan would spearhead an international campaign against the defamation of religions. “With Allah’s mercy, I met a Sufi, Mian Bashir, while I was playing cricket,” he said, while discussing his own spiritual transformation. “There is a misconception that a person undergoes an immediate transformation when he embraces faith.

No, it is just the starting point of a struggle,” he said. “You can only follow the path of blessed people when you love the Prophet,” he said, adding that the Higher Education Commission had been asked to establish chairs for research on the Prophet’s life in three universities. “We should study the life of the Prophet who changed the world,” he said.

Read more: Can Imran Khan bring Pakistan in from the diplomatic cold?

“Those people who are unable to understand the philosophy of the life of the Prophet (PBUH) have now become guardians of religion,” he claimed. Earlier this month, the government had faced a backlash from right-wing fundamentalist political parties against the Asia Bibi verdict.

Thousands of religious party workers, prompted by the Tehreek-e-Labbaik leaders Khadim Rizvi and Pir Afzal Qadri, stormed the streets, blocked roads and destroyed private and public properties to “protest” the verdict. The Prime Minister, in a bold address, had issued a stern warning to the miscreants as well as explained that the Holy Prophet (SAW)’s sanctity was a national responsibility but the motives behind the movement were political.

PM Imran Khan opened the two-day International Rehmat Ul-il-Alameen conference on Tuesday at the Islamabad convention center. 

The prime minister said he had seen Hindus, Sikhs, and people from all religions visit the shrines of great personalities like Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and Baba Farid. “They visit their mausoleums because they were great men,” he said.

Referring to a blasphemous cartoon contest which was announced by a Dutch MP, the PM said that the Dutch government had cancelled the contest, and the matter had also been taken up by Pakistan on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation platform. PM Khan had also discussed Pakistan’s stance on the caricatures in his address on 31st October. Later, he said, the European Union also admitted that freedom of expression could be not be used as a pretext for blasphemy.

Read more: Will Imran Khan bring much-promised change – Farid A Malik

“Pakistan will spearhead a campaign for an international declaration against the defamation of religions. I have appointed Ahmer Bilal Sufi, a law expert, to reach out to various countries and convince them to sign the declaration,” he said.

Earlier this month, the government had faced a backlash from right-wing fundamentalist political parties against the Asia Bibi verdict.

Over 2,500 people from all walks of life, including parliamentarians, ambassadors, ulema, scholars, students of religious seminaries, universities, deans of universities and representatives of chambers of commerce and industry are attending the moot.

Read more: An open letter to Mr. Prime Minister Imran Khan – Kanwar…

Religious scholars from Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have already confirmed their participation in the conference. Prizes would be awarded to 21 authors for writing books on Seerat and Na’at, and to 32 scholars for writing research papers on Seerat.

A total of 53 authors will be awarded prizes in nine categories of Seerat and Naat. A total of 65 books and 81 Seerat research papers were received for participation in the competition this year.