Events

UJN Pakistan Unity Declaration 1434 (Bodrum Declaration)

Islamic Human Rights Commission and Citizens International as joint secretariats of Universal Justice Network brough together Muslim scholars and leaders from Pakistan to work on unity issues. At the end o fthe two day closed meeting the group signed a historic agreement condemning sectarianism, vowing to remove it as a cause of conflict in the violence-stricken country.

A full set of resources about this initiative can be found on this page below.

The signatories of the UJN Pakistan Unity Declaration (also known as the Bodrum Declaration) were:

Sahibzada Muhammad Hamid Raza of the Sunni Ittehad Council
Allama Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer of Jamiat Ahle Hadith
Allama Syed Niaz Hussain Shah of Hoza Ilmia Jamia Al Muntazar
Allama Mohammad Sadiq Qureshi (Minhaj ul Quran International)
Maulana Syed Ali Murtaza Zaidi (Jamay Imamia)
Hon. Liaqat Baloch, MP (Jamaat-e-Islami)
Muhammad Sarwat Ejaz Qadri (Pakistan Sunni Tahreek).
as well as Massoud Shadjareh for ISlamic Human Rights Commission and Mohideen Abdel Kader for Citizens International, both on behalf of UJN.

The 11-point UJN Pakistan Unity Declaration commits the signatories and the UJN to sign statements in the upcoming Islamic month of Muharram denouncing the killing of fellow human beings on the basis of colour, creed, ethnicity or religion as haram. The statements will also declare excommunication or takfir against fellow Muslims and abusing the Prophet Muhammad’s family and companions as against the Shariah.

The accord is based on Charter 3:103, initiated by the Islamic Human Rights Commission in 1997 and now a UJN core project, and since adopted by scores of Muslim organisations, which calls for Muslims to be united in accordance with the 103rd verse of the third chapter of the Holy Quran.

It also addresses the challenging problem of madrasas in Pakistan, believed to be a breeding ground of intolerance, recommending that syllabuses and curriculums under the signatories’ respective spheres of influence address the need for respect, harmony and peace between all members of Pakistani society.

The text of the declaration can be found here. Copies of the scanned original can also be found on this page.

Photos of the signing ceremony can be found below.

A video of the of signing can be accessed here or viewed at the end of the page.

A video of the delegates reciting Dua Wahdat (the Prayer of Unity) can be found here or at the end of the page.

For further information, please contact IHRC on info[AT]ihrc.org.

Resources:

IHRC in media

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