JI urges youth to help bring Islamic governance

Religious parties’ leaders argue Jinnah was wrongly portrayed as secular.

ISLAMABAD:

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leaders regretted on Tuesday that an Islamic system of government was never installed in Pakistan despite such a system being ‘envisioned at the time of partition’.

Addressing a seminar titled ‘Quaid’s Pakistan and Youth’s Responsibilities’ organised by Shabab-e-Milli (SM), the youth wing of JI, religious scholars and leaders of the party urged the country’s youth to play a leading role in bringing Islamic governance to Pakistan.

“All revolutions that have occurred in the Muslim world recently have been led by youth. We hope Pakistani youth will play a similar role in bringing an Islamic revolution in this country,” said Professor Anees Ahmed.

Ahmed added that Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was wrongly portrayed as secular. “His one speech was made the basis for branding him secular. In fact, he was a staunch Muslim,” he said. Ahmed said that the country’s youth must understand “the propaganda” carried out by certain forces who did not want an Islamic system in Pakistan.

“You (the youth) have the responsibility to ensure these forces fail and propagate the true Islamic image of Quaid-e-Azam,” said Ahmed.

Addressing the gathering, JI Punjab president Mian Aslam said that Pakistan was not a failed state and that the country’s youth can overcome any challenge. He said that today’s youth is more politically aware than ever, and realised the need for an Islamic system in Pakistan.

The JI youth wing’s president, Rao Javed Akhtar, said that no actor, player or political leader, but rather, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was the ideal for today’s youth. He said young people needed to adopt the prophet’s teachings. “This is the only way to bring about real change,” said Akhtar.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 26^th, 2012.