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| India-Pakistan |
| TTP challenged for religious debate on 'sanctity of vote' |
| 2013-05-03 |
| [Pak Daily Times] Pakistain Ulema Council (PUC) Chairman Maulana Tahir Ashrafi, taking a taut position again on the 'Fatwa on sanctity of vote as Islamic duty of every Moslem; male and female' has challenged the Taliban, who are declaring the practice of democratic right of vote in Pakistain as a sin and holding terror attacks in response, for an open debate. Addressing a huge presser at the Lahore Press Club on Thursday, the PUC chairman called the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) for holding a debate with him anywhere and anytime, and to give him a chance to explain the real teaching of sharia (Islamic ideology) about the sanctity of vote with references from the Holy Koran and sunnah. In support of his religious stance, Maulana Ashrafi said that casting vote is mandatory in the Islamic sharia having three aspects -- first, it would be used as a testimony; second, as a council; and third, as an advise. He said that no Moslem, man or women, could avoid it under any circumstances, so stopping the people to use their right to vote was not according to Islam. He also highlighted the issue of Taliban barring women to use their right to vote as 'wrong' and 'itself a sin'. He said that it was necessary for women voters that they should be provided an opportunity to cast their votes in separate polling stations, where only female polling staff were deputed. To a query about the TTP's claim that they were holding attacks as they had no believe in democracy, Maulana Ashrafi said that the recognised Learned Elders of Islam had already declared the drone hits, suicide kabooms and murders 'against the Islamic concepts', especially when the victims were innocent people. He also expressed concern ...meaning the brow was mildly wrinkled, the eyebrows drawn slightly together, and a thoughtful expression assumed, not that anything was actually done or indeed that any thought was actually expended... s over the recent wave of terror attacks. |
| Posted by:Fred |