Srinagar
Reacting to General Bipin Rawat’s remarks that Pakistan should become a secular state like India if it wants good relations, Awami Ittehad Party chairperson Er Rasheed has said 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, 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 never the case.
“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 a core election issue. Similarly, construction of Ram temple at the demolished Babri Masjid place is becoming the focus of upcoming elections,” said Er Rasheed.
“While Congress always used the so-called secular card to get votes of Dalits, Muslims and other minorities, BJP and like-minded parties used religion to exploit sentiments of the majority community. The fact is that Muslims in India get befooled, betrayed and stabbed in the name of so-called secularism and Hindus get befooled in the name of religious extremism,” he said.
“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,” said Er Rasheed.
Er Rasheed added 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.
Er Rasheed said, “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 hatred ness.”
Er Rasheed reminded Bipin Rawat that it was none other than India’s father of the nation, Mahatma 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 subcontinent and added that if Pakistanis would sincerely convert Pakistan in accordance with those dreams it would become a role model for the entire region.
