Root cause: Injustice fuels terrorism, says Ashrafi

World powers and Islamic countries should take steps to end injustice and social deprivation, Allama Tahir Ahsrafi

LAHORE:

Injustice and a sense of deprivation are the main causes behind rising extremism and terrorism, Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) chief Allama Tahir Ahsrafi said on Sunday.

He was addressing a seminar. “World powers and Islamic countries should take steps to end injustice and social deprivation,” he said.

“We must remove misconceptions about Islam and tell the world it is a religion of peace, love, harmony and coexistence,” he said.

Ashrafi said that there were 2.4 million students in the country’s madrassas.

“Seminary students should also study modern subjects. These students are as capable as students of any other university or college. They should try to equip themselves with modern knowledge to better understand the problems facing the Muslims today,” he said.

He said that it was the duty of the ulema to educate the people about how to deal with the challenges facing them. PUC General secretary Sahibzada Zahid Mahmood Qasmi and Maulana Ayub Safdar also addressed the seminar.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2014.