Tribune: ISLAMABAD: The federal government is considering legislation to ban sectarianism and any attempt to finance sectarian hatred. Takfir, meaning one Muslim declaring another Muslim Kafir (apostate), will be considered a serious offence, under the proposed law which will be discussed at a meeting on Thursday in the Prime Minister’s Office.
“The purpose of the new law is to ban sectarianism and come down hard on financers of sectarian violence in the country,” said an official monitoring progress on the National Action Plan (NAP). “Both the centre and the provinces will pass legislation towards this end,” he said.
Creed of Islam
Experts believe the state is facing a major threat from sectarian groups, many of whom have been active in south Punjab, interior Sindh and Balochistan for several years now.
Hundreds have been killed in targeted killings motivated by sectarian hatred, which according to some experts, has been fueled by certain ‘brotherly’ allies of Pakistan.
Suggested reading
If we simply follow the creed of Islam and whoever believes in Allah and prophet Muhammad and wants himself or herself to be called a Muslim, should be understood as one and leave the precise details for Allah to judge on the Day of Judgment. This recipe can create perfect peace among the Muslims.
If we begin to split hair and say that if you do not understand God and the prophet exactly as I do, you cannot be a good Muslim or a Muslim at all, it makes hell break lose among the Muslims. But, this is how the Muslim religious leaders manage their followers and their own power.
Unfortunately, Express Tribune did not publish my comments (as of now).
I say that this is another unnecessary exercise for the “Government sanctioned Muslims” only.
The Government sanctioned non-Muslims will remain “Kafirs” and the laws will still imply that it is okay to taunt them with the labels of “Kafirs”.
Even the Holy Prophet PBUH) said that anybody who labels a Muslim as “Kafir” will have that edict boomerang to him.
I think the editorial is wrong in translating “Kafir” as “apostate”.
The root of the Pakistani problem is about the right to self-identify. If that is not fixed, then have as many amendments and laws as you wish, harmony among different sects will remain wishful thinking.
Pakistan needs less laws, not more.
What about all the all the leaders in Pakistan who collectively declared Ahmedi not muslim in Pakistan assembly in 1974.It is a boomerang coming back again and again and again continuously. My professor Dr.Ghaffar Khan
a professor of Pharmacology used this word boomerang against this discrimination about Ahmedi students by few professors.I heard this term for the first time in 1983-1984 Peshawar.
I couldn’t agree more with Dr. Boodhun. The government of Pakistan is either too naive to understand the gravity of the problem or dishonest about finding a full-scale solution.
Peace Village, Toronto
It is quite interesting that all those politico-religious parties who had the audacity to declare Ahmadiyya Muslims as “Non-Muslims” have since been calling each other “Non-Muslims”, “Kafir” etc…so much so that the Government has to intervene and beg them not to call each other bad names.
(59:15)Their fighting among themselves is severe. Thou thinkest them to be united, but their hearts are divided. That is because they are a people who have no sense.
بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
الحمد للہ It is a good move, Insha’Allah time is coming soon when 2nd amendment in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan must go for ever. The 2nd amendment has played havocs in the country, and whole of the Nation has tasted the bitter fruit of it. What has been going on in our dear country Pakistan was the off shoots of the amendment. We Hail our Brave General Raheel Sharif for his effort to bring the Peace in the country. A couplet of Urdu is coming to my mind, hope reader will enjoy it
کی میرے قتل کے بعد اسنے جفا سے توبہ
ہائے اس زود پشیماں کا پشیماں ہونا
After assassinating me, he repented
How painful it was the repentance of the fast repented.
Zarif Ahmad
Although it is a very good decision by Govt of pakistan but it must also apply on the law as well because there is no one in this world to decide about who is muslim and who is not.
About time the Mullahs got muzzled! What worries me is that they’ve started thinking about it after the pickling of Pakistan is so complete that it has started smelling like field-fermented kimchi prepared by a Korean farmer.
What worries me also is that even after the country has become a stink-bomb they may still want to discriminate and let the curse continue.
For the “pickle” reference see:http://www.lohar.com/blog/?p=25
Addressing Constitutional Takfir in Pakistan
The other problem is that Mullas do not understand the basic meaning of the Arabic words Momin, Muslim, Kafir, Murtadd. 100 years ago, Ahmadis said that non-Ahmadis are Kafir. The Non-Ahmadi Muslims said that Ahmadis were Kafir. At that time, one may not have understood “Who was Kaafir”?
But look now. Kafir is actually an enemy of peace and faith. Kafir is a fighter, fanatic, belligerent person.
Now every one can see who is fanatic and war-monger, enemy of peace. Ahmadis do not indulge in any killing. They are striving for peace and justice.
Pakistani people will realize that they made a big mistake of shunting out the Ahmadis from the affairs of governance. Now the people in Pakistan are suffering and looking for an honest office worker who does not take bribe.
In order to save the country and provide relief to the people, the government will have to reverse the 2nd amendment that was made by ignorant rulers.