The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal is the need of the hour

Islam is a religion of peace. It guarantees protection, honour and respect for all the living. It instructs us to form a system where no human being is the slave of another. Where we are helpful to each other, but not dependent upon each other. A world where everyone is equal and no one is superior.

Our party, the Jamaat-e-Islami, struggles to establish such a state that will guarantee basic rights to each and every individual. A government’s job isn’t merely restricted to collecting taxes and/or utility bills. For good governance, a state institution should imagine itself as the mother of its citizens and treat it as such. Mothers are always more caring and giving to a child who is disadvantaged. That is how a state should be.

A government should aim to establish an unbiased educational system, provide health facilities, create opportunities for earning money through halal means and provide economic opportunities without prejudice or preference.

Islam does not allow Muslims to hurt or insult the feelings, ideology and sentiments of non-Muslims.

Islam has also clearly laid out the rights for animals. It warns you against ending or destroying the life of even the most minuscule of saplings. In the past, when Muslim armies would depart for combat, the commander-in-chief was instructed to not even cut one tree unnecessarily.

Jamaat-e-Islami strongly believes that whether it is Pakistan, the Muslim world or the world at large, people need to be free of discrimination, bigotry, divisions and anarchy. A message of peace and prosperity, of respect and love, should be spread. The exchange of knowledge should not become a source of discord and conflict. These are superficial squabbles.

To fill these requirements, the Jamaat-e-Islami has recently turned towards the Milli Yakjehti Council, a group of religious parties, which hopes to solve sectarian and denominational conflicts. This is in no way a political organization.

The council has already been working for harmony in the country. It monitors Friday sermons at mosques in order to limit clerics and prayers leaders from inciting controversy.

In the national elections, religious parties have been polling a lesser number of votes. One reason for this is that these religious leaders have their own strategy of contesting. But now, these parties have decided that the division of the vote should end. This is a principle decision. From now on, there will be a definite effort to facilitate and cooperate with each other. The purpose is to appear as a viable political option before the nation. So, for a peaceful and progressive Pakistan, it was important that we come together. We want the end of divisive politics. We want every faction of society to be safe from sectarian strife. We want to distinguish religious and national identity from that of regional and sectarian.

This month we announced the revival of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal. The MMA was established so that our divided and weakened force could be united and made a powerful entity once again. The country should be free of sectarian problems and endless preconceptions. We, as religious force, hope to adopt the democratic way and become successful enough to reach the parliament and run the country as per the constitution. The enemies of Pakistan, and the secular forces, do not under any circumstances want to see the country adhere to its religious ideology.

Once again today, the country has been hit by unrest. The nation’s eyes are searching for an alliance that can unite the religious parties in order for them to guide people towards solutions.

It is a welcome development that no member of a religious party has been implicated in the Panama papers case or has any charges of corruption levelled against them. We and other parties like us believe that we must now become part of the political process so that those who propagate extremism can be routed out. 

Siraj-ul-Haq is the chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami 

Note: The views expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Geo News or the Jang Group.