By: Hidayat Khan
Construction of Hindu temple was halted in Islamabad by the capital development authority (CDA). The approval for the construction was given by the prime Minister Imran khan. Just after the approval was made on the request of minister for religious affairs pir Noorul Haq Qadri, the parochial faction of clerics belonging to the JUI-F, Markazi jamiat Ahle Hadith and those coalesce with Lal masjid and other rabbinical colleges of the capital raised concerns over the construction of Temple. The allegations that are made by the clerics are null and void. Being the followers of Islam and prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h), the objections that are raised by the irrational and maximalist clerics clearly undermines the teachings of this specific religion. Islam is the abode of peace and teaches the lessons of diversity, pluralism, sympathy and love.
We want Muslims to be treated justly and without prejudice but we halt the holy and sanctified places of minorities. We want more mosques in Berlin but we can’t allow a Hindu temple in Islamabad.
Interpreting Islam in a way to brand their personalities legitimate and serve their intrigues, these clerics have raised a cry that making a Hindu temple in an Islamic country is against the spirit of Islam. Islamabad was to get the honor of first Hindu temple and crematorium seventy three years after the inception of this land of pures. Beyond the parochial and conservative mindset of clerics some politicians also opposed the construction of temple in Islamabad. This behavior of the state and the so called saviors of Islam will leave an Everlasting impact on the state narrative of dealing with minorities and will provide an impetus for the extremists to propagate their ideology in an already catastrophic environment. Now, that the construction is halted so, the emblem in the national flag of Pakistan representing the minorities should also be diminished.
The checkered History of Pakistan is the proof that since the birth of this state, the rights of minorities have been raided upon and they have been put to the wall, especially by the hands of the parochial and conservative clerics either Sunni, shia or Wahhabis. The founder of Pakistan, Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had lamented in his inaugural speech to the first constituent Assembly of Pakistan that “ you are free to go to your temples, mosques and churches. The state has nothing to do with the religious beliefs of any individual”. What Quaid clearly meant was that discrimination against minorities would impede the progress of the country. But what we have witnessed since last seven decades is at odds of what the father of Nation said.
The minorities, especially the Hindus has been radicalized ever since partition took place back in 1947. Astonishingly, and unfortunately we as Muslims and the claimants of interfaith harmony are not ready to accept the construction of a temple. Into the depths of our hearts every third person owes the matter of hatred and extremism for the followers of other religions or faith. This matter of hatred and extremist ideology is ingrained so deeply in our minds that we are even ready for wagging a Holy war ( jihad) against these branded infidels. Moreover this is the result of the textbooks that we are taught in our educational institutions. The spiels of Mahmud Ghaznavi that he destroyed the temple of somnath are presented in such a biased and predisposed way that we incline towards that heroic act. Our minds are easily indoctrinated and in the blink of an eye without thinking rationally and logically, we impose decrees and brand someone Eldritch.
The Holy prophet Muhammad ( p.b.u.h) always warned Muslims against any violation or infringement of the minorities rights and he always extended an olive branch to them. The rights of minorities are embodied in the constitution and should be equally available to all citizens without any discrimination. Since partition the sacred places of worship of Hindus were lost to encroachment. We want Muslims to be treated justly and without prejudice but we halt the holy and sanctified places of minorities. We want more mosques in Berlin but we can’t allow a Hindu temple in Islamabad. The mortifying hypocrites, the fake curators of faith and the agents of chaos, uncertainty and turmoil should do away with such hypocrisy. To put this country on the track of prosperity, justice and development the Government should ratify the construction of Temple. This will left a message of love and affection for the minorities and will yield better results on international and humanitarian level. Halting extremists and their ideology is way better than providing them assistance.
The writer is a student of Quaid e Azam University Islamabad, he can be reached at [email protected]
