Significant speech

As in the years before, the Saudi Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz delivered an eloquent sermon at the Masjid-e-Nimra at the Maidan-e-Arafat, calling on Muslims to stand united and strongly speaking out against the terrorism and violence that has afflicted the Muslim world for a long time now. His words are important at a time when bombings and suicide attacks continue in nations across the Muslim bloc, including in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, and even Saudi Arabia itself. We can only wish that the words of the Grand Mufti would be heeded better in our own land and by our own clerics, who sadly often fail to send out the right message to the citizenry when giving sermons in mosques or speaking at other public places. The call for unity is especially required at this time when millions of Muslims are fleeing war and seeking refuge in other lands to save themselves and their families. The turmoil and tragedy this has caused has been before us all in recent months. The need of the time is for Muslim nations, especially the wealthy ones in the Middle East, to put together some kind of front to help these people. They cannot be allowed to simply suffer at the hands of terrorist groups, and then be forced to leave their homelands and live in abject conditions in refugee camps. The problem is one that must be better responded to by the Muslim world.

There is much that we can note from the Mufti’s powerful words. Speaking to two million pilgrims, he emphasised the need to end difference and stand together. His message is especially important in our country, where sectarianism is rife and has resulted in loss of thousands of lives in recent decades. We also have vast differences on the basis of class, ethnicity and gender, and have done little to establish equitable and fair governance and economic systems that do not discriminate between the haves and have-nots, protecting the rights of all. The spirit of sacrifice that Eidul Azha aims to engender is what we should be focusing on as a nation. Our rulers and the citizenry at large need to recognise that those less fortunate, whether within our own country or in shores abroad, need our help and that their rights must be protected.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2015.

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