PUC initiates drive to combat terrorism through unified Friday sermons
Pakistan
PUC initiates drive to combat terrorism through unified Friday sermons
ISLAMABAD (APP) - On the appeal of the Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) and its allied parties, scholars and clerics across the country are set to deliver impactful Friday sermons against extremism and terrorism under the banner of Paigham-e-Pakistan.
PUC Chairman Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi along with prominent figures, Allama Ziaullah Shah Bukhari, Pir Naqibur Rahman, Maulana Muhammad Khan Leghari, Allama Aarif Wahidi and others, had called upon religious scholars and leaders from all schools of thought to vehemently condemn extremism and terrorism in their Friday sermons.
Ashrafi, who is also the special representative to the prime minister on religious harmony and the Pakistani diaspora in Middle East and Islamic countries, urged Ulema and Mashaykh to articulate a unified message against extremism and terrorism, issuing a collective religious decrees during their Friday sermons.
Expressing his commitment to societal reform and the eradication of terrorism, Ashrafi asked religious scholars and leaders to play a substantial role from the pulpit and arch of their respective mosques.
He vowed to collaborate closely with state institutions to achieve the common goal of putting an end to extremism and terrorism.
Rejecting any tolerance for terrorism within Islam, Ashrafi emphasised, “Those who attack the state of Pakistan, its armed forces, security institutions and the general public are acting against Islamic teachings and are considered enemies of the country.”
He asserted that the state and the Pakistan Army had the right to take action against elements posing a threat to the stability and security of the country and targeting its people and institutions.
Ashrafi said that Friday sermons, backed by this united front of religious leaders, would not only denounce terrorism, but would also serve as a collaborative effort between the religious community and the armed forces.
He acknowledged the sacrifices made by brave soldiers of the Pakistan Army and national security agencies in recent terrorist incidents.
