ISSUE OF FORCED MARRIAGES

Sahibzada Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri speaks on issue of forced marriages

The important and central program of Sahibzada Hussan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri’s visit to Norway took place in Red Cross Hall on December 2, 2008. Since the topic was of immense interest to people and it was the first ever program of its kind in Norway, the zeal and zest of audience was quite noticeable. The team of the Minhaj Reconciliation Council, which had been busy for the successful conduct of the programme, was rolling out red carpet welcome for the incoming guests. The majority of audience composed of young men and women for the topic was such as concerned the youth. The chief guests of the programme included Sahibzada Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri, Norwegian Education Minister Bard Vegard Solhjell, Fabian Stang, the Mayor of Oslo, Monica Berge of Red Cross, and Gerd Fleischer, president of Organization for Help of the Expat Community in addition to a large number of representatives of various local organizations.

The proceedings of the program got under way with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Hafiz Imran Ali followed by Naat which was recited by a team of Minhaj Sisters that included Iqra Mushtaq, Amina Zafar, Zunaira Mushtaq, Fatima Zafar, and Ayesha Noor. Mr. Atif Rauf read out the translation of recitation. Mayor of Oslo, Fabian Stang, felicitated the Minhaj Reconciliation Council on the successful arrangement of the program and appreciated its overall efforts. He said Minhaj Reconciliation Council has won Oslo Award due to its efforts and hoped that the organization would continue working much more vigorously and will be recipients of all awards.

Representative of Oslo Red Cross, Monica Berge, presented facts and figures of forced marriages and mentioned the services the Red Cross was making in the field. She appreciated the efforts of Minhaj Reconciliation Council. Gerd Fleischer made a detailed speech on the topic of forced marriages. He said no religion recommended forced marriage. It is a social issue, which is present everywhere in the world. He expressed the need for making joint efforts in this regard.

Sahibzada Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri, who is has completed his education at Minhaj University, the University of Punjab, London University and Arab University in addition to benefiting from great scholars of the Arab world, has become a man of scholarly stature in his own right. He started off his speech with verses from the Sura Bakara of the Holy Quran. Quoting the Quranic verses and Hadiths, he said no religion of the world, leave alone Islam, approved of the idea of forced marriages. The presence of this phenomenon in the society today was because of ignorance of Islamic teachings. He said Islam gave right to adult man and woman to enter into marital relationship out of their free will. He said it was also rationally justifiable to allow people to choose with whom they would like to spend their life.

Citing a Hadith from Sahih Bukhari, Nisai, Ibne Majja, whereby a woman came to the Holy Prophet (saw) with a request for him that her parents had married her off with a person with whom she was not agreed. He (saw) asked her to marry out of her own volition where she was happy. Sahibzada Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri established by quoting various Books on Hadith that even a divorced woman should also be consulted before being married off by the parents and her opinion should also be sought if she was a virgin.

He asked how our religion, which does not recommend any forced conversion, could permit forced marriage. People gave a standing ovation to Sahibzada Hassan Mohi-ud-Din for clarity of content, lucidity of style and vigour of presentation. Norwegian participants compromising professors and doctors expressed their extreme happiness over the speech of Sahibzada sahib. They said they were amazed to see this face of Islam, which is very rare to find in today’s world.

In the end, Education Minister, Bard Vegard Solhjell, was invited to speak. Appreciating the speech of Sahibzada Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri and the work of Minhaj Reconciliation Council, he said there was need of working on similar pattern as MRC was doing. He said we had appointed our representatives in the colleges for help of the people. He said we would have to fight jointly against this evil custom. “We would continue to extend our cooperation with organizations like Minhaj Reconciliation Council to get rid of these problems,” he concluded.

President Minhaj Reconciliation Council, Ijaz Ahmad Warriach, thanked the guests and participants for their support and keen interest. The guests were entertained with food. This was, no doubt, the successful program which would be remembered for times to come.

Islamic concept of Jihad

From www.minhaj.org

By Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri

The killing of innocent people is terrorism irrespective of the fact whether they are Muslims or not. It is also terrorism to murder the peaceful people regardless of their being in state of war even if they are not fighting a war with you directly. Victimizing the children, the old, the women and also targeting the worship-places and hospitals fall in the domain of terrorism. It also includes the efforts aimed at spreading harassment, creating disturbance, staging sit-ins, forcing people to go on strikes and targeting the worship-places of other religions. Attacking human, religious, political, social and cultural rights is also terrorism.

Jihad and terrorism have no relation with each other nor is there anything in common between them. On the other hand Jihad stands for the eradication of terrorism. Jihad-bil-qital is characterized by ending terrorism. But if ! threats are posed to human life, property and honor, fighting for defending these areas is called Jihad.

It is not meant for grabbing wealth. Expansionist designs have nothing to do with the Islamic concept of Jihad. Every Charter of Human Rights terms taking up of arms against injustice and unwanted blood-letting, crushing down of rebellion and revolt, uprooting of conspiracies, violence and mischief-mongering as not only being legal but also making it binding. All that is done with a view to making the earth safe. When any individual or party transgresses its limits and encroaches upon others' rights, only in that case the Holy Quran enjoins upon believers to wage Jihad, so that mischief-mongering is halted and peace comes to our planet, earth.

The concept of Jihad is one of the highly misunderstood Islamic concepts. Unfortunately the West sees it as mere fighting against disbelief and the West. While some extremist religious groups who declare their activities as Jihad, are presenting Islam in a fanatic and emotional way giving a distorted picture of Islam. So the West has wrongly conceived terrorist activities as Islamic Jihad. Islamic concept of Jihad has absolutely no link with terrorism, extremism or barbarism. Jihad means struggle for good and elimination of evil. The spiritual struggle for self-purification of the soul is the greatest Jihad declared by Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). This is known as Jihad-e-Akbar. According to the Prophet's tradition this is an exclusive struggle for moral excellence, ethical perfection and spiritual purification of mankind.

Another form of Jihad is for the promotion of knowledge. Similarly spending wealth for the poor is "jihad bill maal". Providing jobs, economic stability and prosperity falls in the same category. Humanitarian activities are also fighting for "Haq". Haq means truth and lawful rights.

The armed Jihad doesn't allow killing of the innocent, women, aged, children and patients. Moreover Jihad does not allow destruction of property and inhuman acts of cruelty. Jihad is not allowed without the permission of Islamic government. And if there is no Islamic government at least there should be consensus of Ummah. So there should be a Shoora or a national meeting.

If Ulema and religious organizations, without adopting proper legal and juristic way, start declaring Jihad on their own this would just create "Fitna", disintegration and disruption. Then there will be no limits and the followers of various scholars and r! religious leaders can start fighting against one another on any point. This undisciplined and unorganized way is neither recognized by Islam nor accepted and supported by any authentic Islamic source.

That is one of the reasons why majority of the Muslims around the globe have not accepted this form of call for Jihad by religious extremists and fanatics. They understand that they cannot be caught away with the Mulla's emotional speeches and that it is more a political game rather than saving faith and faithful.

http://www.mediamonitors.net/qadri4.html

Interview Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri gave to international channel ARY OneWorld

Islam is all about peace, harmony, interfaith dialogue and human rights: Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri (Interview with ARY OneWorld)

(Following is English translation of interview Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri gave to international channel ARY OneWorld. He spoke elaborately on the burning issues of the day, allaying confusions and misunderstandings about Islamic perspectives on them in the process.)

Host (Question 3)

Dr sahib! I can infer from whatever you are saying that Islam is an accommodating religion. Then why is there so much extremism around us? What is your view about extremism?

Shaykh-ul-Islam

You have raised an important and interesting question. It is highly relevant to the present-day circumstances. I would first answer in a categorical manner in one sentence and then would delve into details. Islam has no space for extremism, fundamentalism or obscurantism and those who happen to be extremists are in fact unaware of the real spirit of Islam. You see, there are four steps and when you talk of extremism, there is a need to understand this phenomenon within the ambit of these four steps. There is a step in human psychology, personality and approach that precedes extremism. You see, many people are conservative in their approach. Their vision of Islam happens to be conservatism-based. They tend to look at every thing with short-sightedness and closed mind. Allah Almighty has not created any contraction in religion.

The Holy Prophet (saw) said that Islam creates ease and does not pave way for difficulties. The Prophet (saw) said in Sahih Bukhari, “When you preach religion, create easiness and do not create difficulties and contraction. Convey the message and invitation to people in such a manner that they get glad tidings, feel openness within themselves lest they should adopt hatred and run away from Islam.” Islam not only condemns conservative approach but also ordains us to root it out. The approach of the Holy Prophet (saw) was open, frank and accommodating.

It should also be kept in mind that conservatism is not merely found among Muslims but in the British, American, Jewish, Christian and Hindu communities etc. It is sociological and human phenomenon. It has nothing to do with any religion. You will find extremists in politics and other fields too. People here do politics on basis of language and kill others having different languages. There are also people who do politics on the basis of region etc and brand people living in other areas as traitors or hate them. This is trait of human psychology and approach. Whether it is religion or issues of life, these things operate in the similar manner. If there is conservatism in religion, it begets extremism. So when such a person will pass out religious edict, a tinge of extremism will be reflected in his rulings. He will hold others infidels, banishing them from the ambit of Islam. His emphasis will be placed on conservatism and extremism.

Then the third stage is that of radicalism. If extremism is not stemmed, radicalism cannot be controlled too. This is also anti-Islam. When radical people emerge from extremism, radicalism is born. People take up arms and attack one another on the basis of religious edicts.

They want to impose their doctrines upon others through armed struggle. It is as a result of this effort that terrorism comes into being. Those who are waging a war against terrorism want to eradicate plant of terrorism without taking into account the process by which the sampling of conservatism grew into terrorism gradually. They do not want to eradicate the root. They water and provide air to the root, bring it up, give funds both internationally and through local agencies. The first thing is that there is no space for terrorism in Islam nor has it anything to do with Islam. I do not merely talk of Islam. No other religion be it Judaism, Christianity or Buddhism recommend or encourage terrorism.

The fact is that every religion, be it Islam or any other, aims at teaching people love and brotherhood. It eradicates hatreds among people by bringing them together. This is wrong interpretation of Islam. People who have taken up arms and adorned the mantle of Muftis have done an irreparable damage to Islam. This also deserves to be seen where have these people emerged from? Has Islam produced them or other bigger powers created and brought them up for their own political and war agendas? They gave them weapons, sponsored their ventures, prepared them fully and planted them in a particular setting. They played them off against others and armed them to teeth in such a measure that they have become Frankenstein.

So Islam has nothing to do with terrorism. It is a political phenomenon and a global issue. It will be most unfortunate if it is seen through the prism of Pakistan or Islam. It deserves to be seen from global and historical perspectives as to where it has emanated from? Why has it been created and why is it not ending? Is it not so that those wanting to eliminate it want it to survive and those fighting against it are actually providing arms and weapons? Is it not so that double standards are being practised? I have serious doubts about it. I have clarified Islamic concept about it. It has nothing to do with Islam. Rather Islam condemns it regarding it infidelity and anti-humanity. Both extremism and terrorism are against religion.