Ahlul Bayt News Agency- A group of followers of Ahluhbayt (a) in Pakistan led by Allameh Raje Nasir Abbas Jafari, have resisted food for almost 20 days to show their disapproval of the perceived unfair and unjust treatment of Shias in Pakistan.
On June 1 following our interview with Hujjat al-Islam Ghulam Hurr Shabbiri on the issue of hunger strikers, the vice-chairman of the Supreme Council of the Ahlulbayt World Assembly in Qom issued a statement and asked Pakistani officials to accede to the demands of hunger strikers.
The following is the full text of Ayatollah Dorri Najafabadi’s statement with reference to the crisis in Pakistan:
In the name of God the most Compassionate and the most Merciful
“And whoever is killed unjustly - We have given his heir authority, but let him not exceed limits in [the matter of] taking life. Indeed, he has been supported [by the law]. (The Holy Quran: 17:33)”
To the brave men and women of Pakistan!
To our friend and neighbor!
Pakistan has been a country founded on equal rights, justice, dignity and honor for its entire citizens. These core basics have been indispensable. In that prospect, we are most eager to see men wielding the power of wisdom and logic to rule in the land of Allama Iqbal and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Most believe that Pakistan should never be a hotbed for terrorism or sectarian conflicts. Therefore, she should not allow Saudi-backed terrorism and pawns of the politically motivated isolationists to master their evil intentions there.
But, with the unmitigated spread of a narrow-minded and rigid doctrine called Wahhabism for over ten years now which seeks nothing but to sow discord and schism among Muslims, thousands of innocent followers of Ahlulbayt have lost their lives in areas like, Parachinar, Gilgit, Baltistan, Quetta and Karachi for only being the lovers of Ahlulbayt (a) or for taking part in the mourning sessions of Imam Al-Hussein (a)!
Surprisingly, no entity or government in Islamic countries even in global organizations that are supposedly tasked with human rights have shown a strong will to curb the violence against Shias in Pakistan. And sadly, the government of Pakistan, itself, has done nothing worthy of noting!
Pakistani Shias, same as others, must enjoy equal rights. If they were disturbed, there should be fitting punishments in place for the sinners.
Sad to the extreme, the Pakistani government instead of making apologies to the followers of Ahlulbayt for their years-long inaction and indecision to protect Shia communities, it has started to forcibly seize their lands in order to undermine their population! This is not going anywhere and counts as only another failure for those who plot such schemes. Because if it was, people like Saddam would not have failed at it miserably so many times.
My dear brother Allameh Raje Nasir Abbas Jafari leader of Majlise Wahdate Muslimeen of Pakistan and his fellow hunger strikers, to portray the oppression of followers of Ahlulbayt (a) in that country and the takeover of lands of people in Gilgit and Baltistan, have subjected themselves to fasting for 20 days.
Our Holy Prophet (s) says:
"One who hears the entreaty of a man, 'O Muslims! Come for my help,' and does not assist him, is not a Muslim." (Wasaelush Shia). Based on that, the people and the officials in Pakistan are recommended to safeguard the rights of followers of Ahlulbayt who are being demonized for their love towards the Holy Prophet and his Households (a).
Further, the government and military officials should realize that seeking for justice, defending the oppressed, preventing cruelty and holding back the surge of despotism are the determining factors that grant a nation success in its path. That is how Islamic countries are told to behave with their own people, like a kind and gentle father, nothing more.
The politicians in our friend and neighbor country Pakistan should feel responsible for the commemoration of Imam Hussein (a) which is managed by millions of devotees and followers of Ahlulbayt (a). Therefore, they must not let some extremists to murder Shias for their own fantasies. There must be some court of law, also, so that all charges are examined and the wrongdoers mete out the strictest punishments.
To sum up, I would like to emphasize that widespread anti-Islamic terrorism is utterly condemned in any form of it. We hope that scholars in our neighboring country, Pakistan, attempt to keep the Islamic Republic of Pakistan united. And thereby frustrate the enemies who indulge themselves in the fantasy of a disintegrated country through making effective interaction in strengthening bonds of brotherhood there.
I sincerely wish all Islamic factions to live under the banner of brotherhood and equality regardless of their denomination.
Dorri Najafabadi
Vice-chairman of the Supreme Council of the Ahlulbayt World Assembly
Allameh Raje Nasir Abbas Jafari leader of Majlise Wahdate Muslimeen of Pakistan and a group of his associates have launched a hunger strike to protest the continued injustices and ill-treatments of followers (Shias) of Ahlulbayt (a) since Friday May 13, 2016.
Specifically, they want:
1- Appropriate action to prevent the killing of Shias in all parts of Pakistan.
2- Sending all the cases of massacre against Shias to be met in military tribunals.
3- The government to unban mourning sessions in Punjab province.
4- Banning all the activities of Takfiri groups
5- Serious action to be taken in response to the killing of Shias in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
6- An investigative committee for the recent killings of Shias in Parachinar by the police forces.
7- The government to stop the takeover of lands and hand over all the lands it has aggressively occupied to the owners.
The engaged protesters have repeatedly said that they will not end hunger strike unless their demands are fully met.
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