Pakistan does not support violence in religion – Govt
By Linus Aleke
Pakistan authority said the orientation of an average citizen in the country does not support any form of violence in the name of religion.
It said this on Sunday while dispelling the notion in certain quarters that Islam is an inherently violent religion.
In a statement circulated to journalists in Abuja, by the Pakistan High Commission, the country insisted that the primary principle in Islam is peace.
The statement also noted that Islam emphasizes peace in communication with all Muslims and non-Muslim people in society.
The religion, Pakistan said encourages adherents to avoid violence.
The statement recalls with regret the unfortunate incident that brought an international embarrassment to the country.
The authority further explained that the killing of fellow humans under the guise of blasphemy is condemnable.
“While Pakistan’s blasphemy laws have remained under criticism for quite a long, average Pakistan does not support violence in the name of religion. The incident that shook Pakistan and Sri Lankan society should be regarded as an isolated incident of religious extremism. Such acts have been reported in many countries of the world and are condemnable by the majority of people in the society”.
Pakistan further said, “the response of the government of Pakistan and condemnation by civil society was a clear indicator that Pakistan cannot be termed as an extremist society, however, presence of a minute negatively charged section cannot be denied. Nevertheless, this is common in many countries. Those who claim that Islam is an inherently violent religion, ignore the overwhelming majority of adherents to the faith, there are more than 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide who live peacefully. Pakistan’s government took the challenge to counter Islamophobia which sometimes becomes the reason for various incidents. UN has already declared 15, Mar as International Day of Countering Islamophobia”.
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Noting that the Qur’an places limits on the use of force, the statement concluded that the Qur’an acknowledges the right of retribution, it states, “those who forgive the injury and make reconciliation will be rewarded, (Qur’an 42:40).
