LAHORE: JI emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman on Tuesday said that a privileged elite and bureaucracy controlling national resources continue to run the country on colonial lines, stating that while Pakistan is constitutionally an Islamic state, in practice it still operates under a British-era system.
Addressing teachers and students during his visit to Jamia Ashrafia, Hafiz NaeemurRehman urged religious scholars, teachers, and students of seminaries to promote Islam’s comprehensive worldview and work towards uniting the Ummah, terming it their foremost responsibility.
He said the capitalist system imposed by the West has devastated economies, politics, and moral values across the world, while the Muslim world has been deliberately divided, leaving the Ummah fragmented. Referring to global injustices, he said Palestinians have faced oppression for over a century, while Kashmiris continue to suffer atrocities, yet global imperial powers and their allies remain silent spectators.
The Jamaat-e-Islami chief noted that the world’s population now exceeds eight billion, and due to the Western-imposed system, around 80 percent of humanity is deprived of basic necessities. In such circumstances, he emphasised, religious scholars and students of seminaries bear the responsibility of conveying Islam’s eternal message and presenting it as the only viable alternative system capable of resolving humanity’s problems.
“Islam is not merely a collection of rituals and moral teachings but provides complete guidance in every sphere of life,” he said, adding that the Islamic system is not limited to Muslims alone but offers welfare and justice for all of humanity.
During the visit, Hafiz NaeemurRehman called on senior religious scholar MaulanaFazlur Rahim, He said Jamaat-e-Islami shares a natural and historical bond with JamiaAshrafia, recalling that Jamaat founder Syed Abul Ala Maududi regularly offered prayers there, while former emirs of the party also maintained close ties with the institution over the years.
