The Prime Minister spoke eloquently at the recent Munich security conference about the threat that Britain is currently facing today from terrorism. He emphasised the need for integration, whilst stressing the importance for all British citizens to sign up to core British values such as: democracy, human rights, equality for all and women rights. He also correctly differentiated Islam from Islamic extremists.
It may be a surprise to some that the British values which the Prime Minister referred to are in fact at the essence of traditional classical Islam and of this; most Muslims feel a sense of pride. It is the very fact that these British values are synonymous with classical Islamic belief that has allowed many British Muslims to build a life for themselves and their families as immigrants. These values are the main principles that Minhaj-ul-Quran has been promoting since it was founded in 1980 and according to Islamic traditions derived from the Qur’an and Sunnah, there is no dichotomy whatsoever between British/European values which the Prime Minister emphasised – in fact they are identical. Minhaj-ul-Quran is proud of the success that they have in combining the shared values and the work that it has carried out in its promotion of global peace and harmony in the UK as well as in other western countries without being recipient of any Government funding.
Its founder Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has been tirelessly educating people about these core values of democracy which he believes should become part of a personality, behaviour and attitude. For the last 30 years his consistently endeavoured to instruct people about these core values in order to challenge the narrow-mindedness and rigidness within sections of society and bring people out of religious extremism and backwardness.
He believes that the modern phenomenon of terrorism stems from religious extremism which stems from lack of knowledge and clarity, intolerance and anger and he says:
“We don’t get involved in wars but we just get involved in love, our war is the war of love. We try to eliminate the terror through spreading love. This is the noblest message given by the Prophet (peace be upon him) to mankind.”
In the UK for the last 15 years, Dr Qadri has been spearheading efforts to educate young British Muslims out of Islamic extremism and to become beacons of peace, love and knowledge. Dr Qadri’s works and public lectures are the fountain of knowledge for scholars (Ulema) around the UK who gain pearls of wisdom in order to combat Islamic extremism. Over the years, hundreds of scholars have been regularly attending his public gatherings to receive training on promoting peace and love and to reject extremism in any way, shape or form. His discourses are able to connect classical Islamic teachings with the modern life-style and by using independent reasoning (Ijtihad), provide a source of a modern, moderate and progressive approach for British Muslim. By addressing the core issues for Muslims living in the west using a modern and progressive approach Dr Qadri is essentially bridging Islam and the west to foster better relations.
It was Dr Qadri who was the first leading Muslim authority to take a bold step to condemn terrorism comprehensively without leaving any room for justification and give a crystal clear view of Islam on this issue and hence reject any and all forms form of Islamic extremism and terrorism.
The British values of integration that the Prime Minister spoke about and “The Big Society” are at the root of the core values that Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri has been promoting ever since has been visiting the UK. In a public lecture in 2008 he said:
“Second important message is that since you are living in this country, you should always work for integration whether you are living in any country of Europe or in Britain”
“You should be aware and be conscious of being citizens of this country. You should fulfil the requirements responsibilities legal, social and moral duties of being citizens. You should work for integration- social integration. You should see your selves to be part and parcel of this society. You should render your respect for law of the land.”
“You should practically show your loyalty, your obedience, your cooperation to the law of the land so that you may be known as real representative’s true messengers and true ambassadors of Islam and Islamic teachings.”
“I do believe that the British society is one of the best societies of the Western world! – it is a multicultural society. Since I am a Canadian citizen, I would say that my Canadian society is in fact the best in the world, but at the same time I can see that Britain is also working on the same lines. So the protection of the splendour and diversity of British society, and its value, lies in multiculturalism; and multiculturalism can only be protected through integration.”[1]
At the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2011 in Davos spoke on how to effectively promote social cohesion and integration, he said:
“In order to effectively deal with counter-terrorism there is a need to promote social cohesion, multiculturalism and integration. He added that the model of isolation and assimilation should be avoided to promote social cohesion. He said that in order to bring the humanity closer, there is a need to launch interfaith dialogue among civilizations and build bridges.”
At the Global Peace and Unity event in 2010 Dr Qadri has the same message and said:
“My dear brothers and sisters, you are citizens of Britain, you are citizens of Europe. You have your Passport, your citizenship. You are enjoying your rights, your legal rights, your constitutional rights, judicial rights, financial privileges, social and economic supports, your job, your salaries, you are getting every facility here as other non Muslim citizens are getting, if you are getting all facilities, so how can a person, who is a true Muslim, can be supposed to be getting all the facilities of the citizenship, how can he take arms? Or how can he commit suicide bombing against their non-Muslim brother citizen. This would be a haram act, and act against Islam. For those brothers who want to still fight against civilian non-Muslim brothers of the countries where you are enjoying the facilities, then they should not live here as the citizen. They should leave the country, they should do Hijra. They should go back to their home because this character against Islam and the conduct of Prophet Muhammad [PBUH].”[2]
In addition to this, Dr Qadri is also at the forefront for promoting universal human rights, equality and women rights. This is evident from his works and public lectures as well as from his organisational activities. He is regarded as one of the leading scholars who proactively encourages women as equal participants in civic and professional work, participation in community related projects and political participation. All things that he believes will empower women to be independent and become role model for the next generation.
The following extract from a CNN piece outlines his passion to help provide equality and freedom to women.
“Ul-Qadri also loudly tackles women’s rights….
They don’t feel need of any curtain when they send [women] to market for grocery and shopping,” he tells his audience at Al-Hidayah.
No curtain there. No curtain at social gatherings. When they come to pray, a 10-foot high wall curtain is between them,” he said.
It’s a refreshing take on Islam for Dutch teenager Yasmin. “It’s a place of being home, returning back home,” she told CNN. “So if I see all those people, boys, girls, in Islamic clothes, it makes me happy, and in Holland, I miss that feeling.
“You really missed something last year because one of the lectures was about women’s rights. I cried for, like, two hours,” Yasmin said.” [3]
In a speech in Islamabad in 1998 Dr Qadri emphasised the importance and origin of equality and human rights:
“Fundamental human rights, the right of the protection of life, the right of protection of property, the right of protection of business, the right of protection of honour, reputation, freedom of religion, freedom of speech of association, the whole charter of fundamental human rights have been clearly given by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as well as written in the Holy Quran.”
“Islam does not permit suspension or cancellation of human rights in any society under any circumstances. Human right will be protected. This is the basic right given by the Lord.”
“So, Islam was for the global uplift of mankind, global uplift of human values, human rights and rights of societies all over the world.
“Islam stands for elimination of slavery and forced labour in order to restore the dignity of mankind and provide them with the blessing of equality.” [4]
At the same time Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri has been a pioneer of interfaith relations in Pakistan and in the UK. Dr Qadri faced great opposition from extremist and intolerant clerics when he became the first Muslim leader to invite a leading Christian Bishop of Pakistan Dr Andrew Francis along with his delegation to a Mosque to pray according to the Christian faith. Dr Qadri was adamant that it was the right act to take interfaith relations to the next level based on the Prophetic teachings to show that Islam is a religion of peace, harmony which recognises the right of every individual to have complete religious freedom. He and his organisation have regularly hosted Christmas dinner and events internationally for the past 10 years, including in the UK and Europe where Minhaj ul Quran has established close links and ties with many faith leaders. For his services, Dr Qadri has been given peace awards in Pakistan for his work in helping to ensure the rights and protection of minority groups.[5]
Minhaj-ul-Quran believes that no-one has any right to force their religious beliefs on others or harm anyone who does not follow their own viewpoint or take the law into their hands to harm someone accused of insulting their religion or beliefs. These beliefs are supported through evidences from theQur’an. An entire chapter of the Qur’an has been revealed to protect and guarantee freedom of religion of other faiths including Christianity, Jewish, Hindu or others. Dr Qadri writes:
“An entire chapter of the Qur’an which guarantees man’s religious freedom even if it is contrary to Muslim beliefs demonstrates the highest possible form of religious tolerance. The Qur’an states in the chapter of al-Kafirun (the disbelievers):”
“Say: ‘O disbelievers! I do not worship those (idols) that you worship. Nor do you worship (the Lord) Whom I worship. I shall never (ever) worship those (idols) that you worship. Nor shall you (ever) worship (the Lord) Whom I worship. (So) you have your Din (Religion) and I have my Dīn (Religion)’.”[6]
Furthermore Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri promotes equal rights for minorities from any faith, creed or ethnicity. During the bomb attack on Ahmedis (known as Qadianis) in May 2010 Minhaj-ul-Quran International was one of the first to condemn the attacks which killed civilians.[7] Dr Qadri writes:
“Islamic law holds both Muslims and non-Muslims equal and no superiority or privilege is given to the Muslims on any ground.”[8]
When a murderer was being hailed by many intolerant and narrow-minded clerics as a hero for killing the Governor of Punjab Mr Salman Taseer it was only Dr Qadri’s organisation that rejected that view. Minhaj-ul-Quran believes that the killer should be punished because an act of violence can never be justified and it is regarded as a criminal act. Furthermore, Minhaj-ul-Quran had close links with the late Mr Salman Taseer who in turn was very supportive of its work and visited the Minhaj ul Quran headquarters and delivered various speeches.[9]
Dr Qadri also believes that the leading world faiths should rediscover their peaceful coexistence of the past centuries and help foster better relations today. In a supporting statement for a Holocaust Memorial Day project he said:
“Jews and Muslims share a common heritage as Abrahamic religions, and history bears witness to the long record of peaceful coexistence and cooperation between adherents of these two religions, which at certain times, such as in medieval Spain, made a positive and lasting impact on the world. I, along with the worldwide members of Minhaj-ul-Qur’an International, wholeheartedly endorse this valuable initiative on the part of EIF to rediscover the close links between these two communities, and help to foster better relations between them in the future, something which is an urgent and essential need of our time.”[10]
The historic fatwa on terrorism has been now published in English and includes an introduction by Dr Joel Hayward, who is the Dean of the Royal Air Force College, provides a clear distinction between Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri and some scholars who are often soft on rejecting religious extremism and radicalism and seek the very same political legitimacy that the Prime Minister was referring to in his speech. Dr Qadri’s strongly worded condemnation of terrorism provides a crystal clear distinction between a religious extremist and a moderate from a legal and Islamic viewpoint and some people through an inability to digest the messages may take issues with Dr Qadri to try to discredit him. This was also questioned by BBC News in 2010.[11] The Dean of the RAF College, Dr Hayward clearly also identifies this problem:
“I have also felt frustrated that so many of the scholars who have condemned terrorism and suicide bombings have lacked sufficient international credibility and eminence to prove influential throughout the world. Moreover, some scholars have strangely equivocated on issues. That is, they have developed confusing and occasionally inconsistent arguments relating to the motivations of the perpetrators that could, by not closing the door completely, unintentionally allow would-be terrorists to slip through the gap into sinful action.
In March 2010 I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I read that an internationally renowned Islamic scholar, recognised throughout the world as an authority on the Qur’an and the Sunnah, had issued a prodigiously researched fatwa which demonstrated from scrupulously reliable sources that terrorism and suicide bombings are so wickedly unjust and un-Islamic that the evil of the act cannot be justified by recourse to discussions of intention. Regardless of intention, the evil act remains an evil act.”
Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri categorically demonstrates with dependable scholarship that regardless of any claimed motives, however righteous they may seem, evil acts will remain evil.”
Dr Hayward further analysed the organisation Minhaj-ul-Quran and writes:
“Minhaj-ul-Quran, a broad-based international organisation with branches in ninety countries which has a remarkably positive vision: to promote the wellbeing of all humans through religious moderation, accessible education, dialogue based on mutual respect and co-operation instead of competition between the world’s great faith communities.”
The fatwa on terrorism also provides various arguments on rejecting radical thesis and provides a clear message that foreign policy of western countries does not in any way justify any form of terrorism and has earned a reputation for being the first unequivocal condemnation of terrorism to date by any Muslim scholar after 9/11 or 7/7.
The prominent scholar of Islam Prof John Esposito of Georgetown University has echoes the Prime Ministers concerns that their are many Muslims that have not done enough to combat extremism and writes in his foreword:
“At the same time, from almost immediately after the attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, major Muslim religious leaders did speak out publically and continue to do so but, more often than not, the media has rarely covered this story, preferring to emphasize statements and threats from a dangerous and deadly minority of terrorists and preachers of hate. Yet a problem still has remained. While majorities of Muslim leaders have condemned terrorism and suicide bombing in the name of Islam, some have regarded attacks against civilians and suicide bombing in Israel-Palestine as legitimate.”[12]
Prof Esposito verifies that Dr Qadri has distanced himself from clerics who may seek excuses to justify suicide bombings which is the seen as the core problem in the UK and western countries that promotes home-grown radicals:
“Tahir ul-Qadri’s distinctive 600 page fatwa is an exhaustive study of what the Quran and Islamic sources have to say about the use of violence, terrorism, suicide bombing and the categorical and unequivocal rejection of all acts of illegitimate violence, of terrorism and every act of suicide bombing against all human beings, whether Muslim or non-Muslim. At the same time, he also distances himself from all, whether fellow prominent religious leaders or Muslim youth who have the potential to be radicalized, who would seek to justify and excuse suicide bombing and terrorism for any reason.”[13]
It can be concluded that the Prime Minister echoes the distinctive messages that Minhaj-ul-Quran and its founder Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has been teaching and promoting for many years (including the recent Fatwa on Terrorism). Minhaj-ul-Quran was one of the few organisations that supported shared values elaborated in the Prime Ministers speech. There will always be those that oppose the true teachings of Islam due to lack of knowledge.
The write is a spokesman of Minhaj-ul-Quran International UK and can be contacted atspokesman@minhajuk.org
