EFFORTS OF MUSLIM THEOLOGIANS TO PROMOTE PEACE AND HARMONY AMONG THE MINORITIES IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

It is very rare in the contemporary political states of the world, where minorities enjoy all the human rights along with the political and religious liberty. Everywhere local interest is dominant. Ruling people have deprived the minorities of their human and social rights. The modern democracies have over favored the majorities while minorities are deprived of their basic human, social, political and religious liberties. There is no example in any country of the world where minorities are enjoying the status of first class citizenship. In a way or other they are deprived of their basic human rights some times by the coercive religious behavior of the majority and sometimes by the prejudiced dominant class.

In contrast the history of Islam has proved time and again that Islam is the only religion on face of the earth which offers all sorts of liberties and basic human rights to the minorities at different times and at different places.

Pakistan being an Islamic state provides the Minorities all the basic human rights along with the full liberty of expression and exercising their religious rituals culturally and linguistically too. All these liberties are ensured to them starting from objectives resolution till the finalization of the present constitution of Pakistan. All this had been made possible through the efforts of Muslim theologians and the founders of Pakistan. Amongst these theologians, Dr. Tahir ul Qadri (b 1951) and Mawlana Maududi (1979) occupy an outstanding position.

This paper mainly examines and highlights the efforts of Muslim Theologians and national leaders along the results manifested at the grass root level within the society of Pakistan.