At least 70 people died in 2012 in G-B in sectarian violence. PHOTO: FILE
GILGIT: Shia cleric Agha Rahat Hussaini and 200 adherents set an unforeseen precedent for religious tolerance as they attended a Deobandi scholar’s lecture in a Sunni congregation.
The Tablighi Ijtima, which started on June 9 in Gilgit, is attended by hundreds of thousands from across the country and is held under the banner of the Tablighi Jamaat, a Sunni organisation. The sermon was delivered by Deobandi preacher Maulana Tariq Jamil.
Hussaini, who is a top Shia cleric in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), was also accompanied by the general secretary of Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen. The invitation to attend the Ijtima had been extended by Jamil after he addressed a congregation at the Central Imamia mosque on the request of Shia clerics.
The initiative to promote peace in a region clearly divided along bloody sectarian lines is being widely appreciated by all and is termed as a breakthrough to promote tolerance.
The Shia delegation reached the Ijtima at approximately 9:30pm on Monday and remained seated there alongside thousands of Sunnis till Jamil ended his speech at about 12:15am.
“Hats off to Agha Rahat, his team and Tariq Jamil for making the impossible possible,” said Amjad Hussain, a member of the G-B Council. “We couldn’t have imagined such a gesture from either side. This is real change that we are talking about.”
Earlier in the sermon at the Central Imamia mosque on Monday, Jamil asked people to shun sectarian hatred, pointing out Islam does not allow killing each other over religious differences.
He continued on similar themes as he addressed the audience at the Ijtimia on Tuesday. “I also request the people of G-B to become role models for the rest of the world.
At least 70 people died in 2012 in G-B in sectarian violence. Sectarian rifts in Gilgit extend all the way to the upper echelons of religious ranks, where until quite recently clerics were issuing decrees against each other. The government ended up temporarily shutting down the central Sunni and Shia mosques and introduced a code of conduct for the nature and delivery of sermons.
In May 2012, the G-B Assembly became the first assembly of Pakistan to enact such a code of conduct into a law; violating the code is a punishable offence for clerics.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2013.
COMMENTS (18)
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a good step indeed
@francois: How about whats happening in Iran and Iraq?
Both sides are at fault! We should strive for a tolerant society respecting each others point of views. Hatred will only damage us from inside.
@Ali: For the most part, and historically, the Shi'a have not practiced systematic and systemic discrimination against their Sunni counterparts. If anything, the historical track-record for sectarian violence is a Sunni dominated track record. Even Orientalist European scholars know that the Sunni muslims have been historically violent against non-Sunnis; especially against the Shi'a.
But here is my proposal:
*Engage each other in a religious reconciliation project. Forgive each other, and talk about the past only academically; not in political or religious sermons.
Bravo bravo! Well done Pakistan. Well done.
@Syed it would be nice if shia also reject their practice of preaching hatred and move on
They will start killing each others one again after the tablighi igtima. Killing innocent people is their profession and religious obligation.
A brilliant step..lessons to be learnt here. Absolutely beautiful
I am a Shia and always thought Molana Tariq Jameel was a decent person. I'd advise him to have a lot of bodyguards as our taliban friends wouldn't like what is happening in GB. It would be nice if the rest of the Sunni population in Pakistan reject salafi takfiri school of thought and join Molana Jameel.
Long Live Shia Sunni Unity
May Allah unite all Shia and Sunni Muslims to work together for great cause. Ameen
Dear ET,
This is not the frist please note in Kohat Tableeghi Markaz many times Shia delegations come to listen to Maulana Tariq Jameel Sb whenever he is there........
I really love the Agenda of Tableeghi Jamaat .......love and empathy.......as it can be seen in all the lectures of Tableeghi ULema around the world not only Tariq Jameel.........
I disagree with you, but I do not hate you.
Good to see some sanity prevailing. Actions of Tariq Jamil, Agha Hussaini and others like them can effect millions instantly, good to see that they are finally putting their influence to good use.
Hats off, indeed. After MQM's long but little appreciated record of non-sectarian based politics, this is the first other major open challenge to the spread of sectarian based divisions in Pakistan. Let this be a clarion call for clerics of either sect in the rest of the country.
Welldone
Ground breaking, this effort should be commended. The fact should be highlighted that majority of the Muslims are not hate mongers over sectarian differences.
Gilgit i teaching us how to live together, well done Gilgit
Hats off to both parties for such action. Kudos to Shia Ulema Agha Rahat Hussaini and Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen for attending and Mr. Tariq Jamil for extending the invitation. That's what Pakistan and G.B requires, not hate and violence.