Sufism can bring peace to tribal areas

PESHAWAR: NWFP Senior Minister Bashir Bilour Saturday said sincere efforts of the Sufi saints spread Islam in the sub-continent hence they could play a pivotal role in bringing normalcy to the militancy-hit Pakhtun region.

“How regrettable is this that suicide bombings and beheadings are being carried out in the name of Islam,” he said.

Bilour was addressing the launching ceremony of the biography of Pir Sahib Timberpura Shareef, Syed Mustan Shah also known as ‘Haq Baba, authored by a renowned journalist Salahuddin Ahmad. He said some hidden forces were trying to weaken Pakhtuns by misinterpreting religion and deceiving the simple people.

Bilour added that dictators were responsible for plunging the country into crises, saying that a military adventurer turned Afghan war into holy ‘jihad’ although it was a proxy war of the US-led capitalist bloc.

“The law & order situation has deteriorated to the extent that we feel ourselves insecure even sitting here in the press club,” he said. “By preaching the message of love and peace, which the Sufis used to win the hearts of the non-Muslim Indians, can control this menace,” he added.

On the occasion, prominent Shia scholar Allama Fakhrul Hasan Kararvi said Islam teaches mutual respect to the extent that it extend due deference not only to all sacred religions but it pays reverence to the whole humanity. Paying tribute to Syed Mustan Shah, lovingly called Haq Baba, he said that he never talked about any sect but always emphasised on the respect of humanity.

Another religious scholar Prof Dr Abdul Ghafoor said that Sufi purifies the inner self and the person having achieved this target would never harm his Muslim brethren.