Do some homework before claiming India to be secular country: Er Rasheed to Army chief
Handwara: Awami Itehaad Party (AIP) president, Engineer Abdul Rasheed Sheikh on Friday reacted to General Bipin Rawat’s remarks that Pakistan should become a secular state like India if it wants good relations, saying that while Bipin Rawat or anyone else is free to have his opinion but he must understand that Islam doesn’t allow discriminating people on the basis of religion or nationality.
In a statement issued here, Er Rasheed said, “The true definition of secularism is being misinterpreted and so are anti-Muslim forces trying to prove Muslims as radicals and narrow minded, which is not the case.”
He said that let Bipin Rawat not forget that in Pakistan the religious organizations have often failed to make considerable successes in electoral politics, while in India even respecting cows more than humans does become core election issue.
“Similarly, construction of Ram temple at the demolished Babri Masjid place is becoming the focus of upcoming elections. While congress always used secular card to get votes of Dalits, Muslims and other minorities, BJP and likeminded parties used religion to exploit sentiments of majority community,” he said.
He said that the fact is that Muslims in India get befooled, betrayed and stabbed in the name of secularism and Hindus get befooled in the name of religious extremism.
“Rawat should definitely do a good homework before claiming India to be a secular country or asking Pakistan to follow India’s Principals of pseudo secularism,” he said, adding that one cannot deny that Pakistanis should concentrate to overcome ongoing sectarian divide in their country but India is facing worst religious extremism than Pakistan.
“No religion especially Islam teaches hating the masses of other community but it is individuals who always for their vested interests drag religion in every issue. Islam is a perfect way of living life and if one follows it in letter and spirit he achieves perfect peace of mind and also helps in creating a harmonious society where there is no place of discrimination, violence or hateredness,” he said.
He reminded Bipin Rawat that it was none other than India’s father of nation, Mahatama Gandhi, who supported caliphate movement and if now after so many decades Gandhi’s countrymen try to distort history or create negative propaganda about Islam, there can be nothing more unfortunate than that.
Er Rasheed added that Pakistanis need a serious introspection to fulfill the fundamental purpose of creating an Islamic state in the sub continent and added that if Pakistanis would sincerely convert Pakistan in accordance with those dreams it would become a role model for the entire region.
KV News
