WE WANT TO CREATE
UNITY AND UNANIMITY AMONGST THE CITIZENS OF THE ENTIRE COUNTRY -- ALTAF HUSSAIN
Karachi-2 July 2000
Mr Altaf Hussain, founder and
leader of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) said that we respect all sects and
schools of thoughts (Maslak) and believe in harmony and brotherhood
between them. We desire environment of unity and harmony amongst the citizens
of Pakistan including Karachi belonging to all sects and schools of thoughts.
By the grace of God we are all Muslims, we believe in one God, one Prophet
(PBUH) and the Holy Quran. We, therefore, do not need any new jurisprudence (Sharia
and Fiqah) in Islam.
Mr Altaf
Hussain expressed these views during a telephonic address from London to Jinnah
Ground, Azizabad, Karachi where he was addressing a Convention entitled Mehfil-e-Zikr-e-Mustafa
to celebrate and send encomium over the birth and life of the Holy Prophet
Mohammad (PBUH). The Convention was
arranged by the MQM and attended by Islamic scholars, orators and encomiasts
encompassing all sects, beliefs and school of thoughts besides a mammoth
gathering of the public that included women, youths and elders. The scholars of
different sects and schools of thoughts also addressed the gathering.
Mr Altaf Hussain said that
wherever remembrance of the Benefactor of the Universe (the Prophet) takes
place, mercy and providence descends there. The presence of the scholars
hailing from different schools of thoughts and beliefs in today’s beneficent
gathering is a testimony that the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) belongs to all of us
and we all belong to him irrespective of our beliefs in any schools of thoughts
(Maslak), jurisprudence (Sharia, Fiqah) and sects. Our
Prophet is the same and we have no differences over the Prophet notwithstanding
our beliefs in different schools of thoughts and jurisprudence. He said that
whenever, the discourse over the last Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) takes place the
differences over jurisprudence descends and the personality of the Benefactor
of the Universe (Prophet) ascends but whosoever puts the jurisprudence above
the Prophet, he belittles the respect of the Benefactor of the Universe.
Mr Altaf
Hussain stated that today’s union of the believers in one God, one Prophet and
one holy book, the Quran under the same roof manifests that our differences
over schools of thoughts and jurisprudence cannot shake our faith and cannot
bring about enmity between us, at any cost. The Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)
conveyed the message of unity amongst the Muslims in his last sermon during which
he said that: “Do not slit each others throats after I am dead”. Similarly, God
has pronounced the teaching of unity in the Holy Quran, innumerably.
Mr Altaf Hussain recited a verse
of the Holy Quran on this occasion that stated: “Wa Atassemu Behablillah
Jameeaun Wala Tafarraqu” meaning, “And hold fast, all together, by the
Rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided and create
dissensions among yourselves”. He said that the word “Tafarraqa” has
evolved from dissimilarity and dissimilarity exists where there is a difference
and where there is no dissimilarity, there is no difference. The reason of the
destruction of Pakistan is the existence of this difference that one is
superior while the other is inferior; one belongs to the larger province while
the other from the smaller province. One is the most loyal or most patriots, if
one belongs to the larger province while less loyal or less patriot, if one
belongs to the smaller provinces. One is declared loyal while the other is
pronounced a traitor, one’s right and share is the most while there is no
respect for merit or piety in our country.
Referring
to the Holy Quran, Mr Altaf Hussain said that God pronounces in Surah Hujrat
that: “O People! I have created you from a single pair of a male and a
female, and made you into nations, tribes and groups, that you may know each
other. Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the
most righteous and pious of you”. He stated that in the light of this
Surah, if merit or piety was the standard in our country then
placements of Presidents, Prime Ministers or any high officials at the helm of
affairs would have been based on merit or piety, then those would not have
created differences between the citizens and instead would have provided them
justice. And, therefore, the country would have neither fragmented nor it would
have been in this catastrophic state. Exemplifying the “Quota System”, Mr
Hussain said that actually the Establishment deliberately creates this dissimilarity
because where there will be dissimilarity, there will be dissensions or
differences and people would be in the state of war amongst themselves instead
of being united.
Mr Altaf Hussain said that the
Establishment is once again conspiring like in the past to achieve its devious
objective of creating dissensions amongst the believers of different schools of
thoughts and jurisprudence and pitch them against each other in the province of
Sindh and particularly in Karachi. He said that there are five great Imams in
Islam and they were all revered personalities and would remain so until the day
of the judgement. There were a few differences amongst these great Imams on
certain doctrines; however, they never advised their followers to slit each
others throats on these secondary differences. He said that since these great
personalities did not proclaim killings of each other, therefore who are we to
decide to slit each others throats based on these differences of the schools of
thoughts and jurisprudence.
Mr Altaf
Hussain addressing the scholars appealed to them to co-operate with the MQM to
defeat the conspiracy of the Establishment conspiring to pitch the people
against each other and preach the message of unity in their sermons and
speeches during their addresses to the people. He stated that the presence of
the people and scholars of the different schools of thoughts and jurisprudence
in this august and blessed gathering is the testimony of our sincerity and
purity. The Establishment should witness today that in our gathering, people
and scholars of all schools of thoughts and jurisprudence have gathered, by the
grace of God, we are all Muslims and we do not need any new jurisprudence or
school of thought contrived by the Establishment.
Mr Altaf Hussain stated that
today’s assembly is the demonstration of tolerance, unity and brotherhood while
it also signifies that we do not want to fight each other and wish to live in
peace and harmony. He said that we desire to establish the same kind of milieu
of peace, harmony, brotherhood and tolerance not only in all the nooks and
corners of Karachi but in the entire country including the Sindh province as
being witnessed here today at Jinnah Ground. Mr Altaf Hussain prayed for the
unity, harmony and brotherhood between the people and defeat of the
conspirators who are conspiring to pitch the people against each other over the
differences in their schools of thoughts and jurisprudence. He directed the
Members of the Co-ordination Committee of the MQM to formulate a Council or
Group consisting of the scholars of the different schools of thoughts and
jurisprudence to promote sectarian harmony. Finally, he expressed his gratitude
to the scholars and the people who had attended the Convention.