Code of conduct devised for Muharram

Religious affairs minister chairs meeting attended by ulema from various sects

ISLAMABAD: Ulema from various sects came together on Monday to agree upon a seven-point code of conduct for the holy month of Muharram so that sectarian harmony can be maintained.

A decision as to what the code of conduct will be and how it will be implemented was reached during a meeting presided over by Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf and attended by ulema from various schools of thought.

An official handout from the ministry stated that the meeting was held to examine the general security situation, with a special emphasis on the law and order measures in Muharram.

While talking to The Express Tribune, one of the participants said that important measures would be adopted in line with decisions taken at the meeting so that Muharram remained free of unfortunate incidents like those in the past.



He insisted on a “strong possibility” of the enemies of Islam and the state trying to create unrest and encourage sectarian violence during Muharram to serve their agendas. “Their aim is to defame Islam and Pakistan while it is the easiest to create havoc during such momentous occasions,” he said.

He went on to say that compared to before, there had been a significant drop in the number of cases related to sectarian violence but many steps still needed to be taken to completely eradicate extremism.

Following the meeting, the ministry of religious affairs released the seven-point code of conduct, which stated that all schools of thought would make sincere efforts to create an environment of tolerance while elders from every school of thought will be respected.



It went on to say that religious scholars should refrain from hate speech and provocation on public platforms while encouraging the use of dialogue to resolve any sectarian differences.

Remarks criticising personalities that are held in high regard have also been discouraged in the code of conduct while it urges scholars to remain united over all issues, keeping in mind the situation and the best interest of the country.

The federal government has requested that such meetings be organised at district and provincial levels in order to maintain law and order in the mourning month of Muharram.