Harmain Sharifain Conference: Ulema projecting true face of Islam, says Rashid

Minister points out that the presidential campaign in the United States of America was revolving around the Muslims

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid on Sunday lauded the efforts of ulema for projecting the true image of Islam in the world.

In the past, threats to Islam were clear as these were from non-Muslims, but the situation was quite different today, he said.

“Unfortunately, today, there are people who go to mosques, use the same (Muslim) names but in fact they are strayed. It has become a real challenge to identify them, put them on right track again and save the humanity from them,” he said. Rashid was addressing the Harmain Sharifain Ittehad-e-Ummat Conference held at the Convention Centre.

The minister said the religious scholars through their writings and preaching could help in identifying and putting such strayed individuals back on right path.

He said it was regrettable that some individuals, in the garb of Islam, were contemplating to attack Masjid-e-Nabawi and Khana-e-Ka’aba. “They are being misled by our enemies. But I want to tell them they will never succeed,” the minister asserted.

He pointed out that the presidential campaign in the United States of America was revolving around the Muslims. “One presidential candidate believes the Muslims are terrorists and they should be expelled from the US, while the other believes that the Muslims are not terrorists and they have every right to live in America like others.”

Donald Trump’s hate and bias was promoted by strayed individuals who promote anarchy and violence, while Hillary Clinton’s thought has been guided by the efforts of Ulema, who have shown the true face of Islam to the world, the minister added.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd,  2016.