Letter of peace from European Islamic scholars to Pakistan

FINAL DRAFT

(EMBARGOED UNTIL 1200 hrs PST, 1 January 2010)

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful

May blessings rest upon Hazrat Sayyidna Muhammad, the Final Prophet, and upon his family and companions, and all who follow them well until the Day of Judgement.

Brothers and Sisters of Pakistan,

Assalamu alaykum wa-Rahmatu'Llahi wa-Barakatuhu

We write as Muslims who live far from you, on a different continent and in a different cultural world, yet you are very close to our hearts.

'The believers are brothers' (49:10], says the Holy Qur'an, followed by this command: 'So make peace between your brethren.' The Noble Hadith instructs us that 'In their love, kindness and compassion for each other, the believers are like one body; if one part of it hurts, the rest of it sympathises in wakefulness and fever.' (Bukhari and Muslim]

So writing to you about the troubles you face is no idle gesture; it is an obligation imposed on us by Allah Himself.

Here in Europe, we Muslims face many challenges. Over the past few years, some of our communities, particularly in the Balkans, have been threatened with war and genocide. Where necessary we fought and where necessary we negotiated for peace. In every case, where we succeeded, we succeeded, firstly by the permission of Allah the Exalted (subhanahu wa-ta'ala] and secondly, by remaining united as Muslims. Our communities are made up of differing schools of thought. We must learn how to embrace unity in diversity and appreciate the need to be committed to the common word for the common good. There are wolves around our flocks that wait for us to be divided. When that happens, they will certainly pounce and destroy us.

In Europe although an immediate threat of extermination seems remote, we are also challenged by growing extremist movements that seek to curtail our freedoms and speak against us with hatred. Again, we have learnt from bitter experience that infighting serves only our enemies. Whatever differences of opinion we might hold amongst ourselves, we know that we must not fall prey to rancour and disputation. If we present a united face to the world, our community will flourish, and people will come to respect and love the peace-giving message of Islam. If we are always arguing, our community will wither, and the call to Islam will go unheard.

We know all this to be true, thanks to much experience. If we attack each other, we are weakened; if we are united, we thrive. We have seen with our own eyes the

wisdom of the Prophetic counsel to remain united. After all, 'Allah's hand is with the community' (Hadith narrated by al-Hakim]. And from this experience, we consider it to be our duty to remind you, in the deep fraternal spirit of Islam, of the need for Pakistan to exist as a strong, united, harmonious Muslim nation.

Pakistan was founded specifically to be a state for Muslims, a place where they could flourish in safety, and build a society that would reflect the Islamic values of mercy and justice. It was established to be an example to the world, showing the power of true tawhid (monotheism] to help humanity escape from poverty and oppression. It was founded with the proud memory of Islam's glorious past, with its great empires and diverse cultures, its many voices of praise, and its support for human development under the banner of the One True Creator of all.

Do not underestimate the concern we feel, as we follow recent events in your country. We, the Muslims of Europe, have different passports, but our hearts are entirely with Pakistan. Your pain causes pain to us all. Your hopes for a glorious future are our hopes for you as well. Remember that you are certainly not alone: the eyes and hearts of millions of other Muslims are fixed on you; and our prayers are always for your success.

The bombing of mosques and marketplaces, the killing of innocent civilians, the targeting of schools and the use of suicide attacks is reprehensible and against the letter of the Shariah and the spirit of Islam. Equally unacceptable is the killing of civilians by drones and indiscriminate bombing: 'collateral damage' is a sin and a crime against humanity.

We stand with the scholars of Islam who oppose these illegal and unjust actions. We pray for the widows and orphans whose loved ones have been killed in these attacks. We pledge our support to those who wish to see a Pakistan free of violence and fear.

We know that Pakistan faces great threats, from inside and from without. We know the key role that Pakistan can play in securing peace in the region. We speak as independent scholars. We speak for no government or state. Our intention in writing this letter is for the people of Pakistan to know that their Muslim brothers and sisters in Europe have not forgotten them.

'Religion is good advice' said our Noble Prophet, and the best advice is to hold fast to the true Islamic values which brought unity to the ancient Arabs, who previously had been degraded by tribal hatreds. Among Muslims, there must be no regional rivalries, and no linguistic or ethnic enmity. All such attitudes are from the evil past of Jahiliyya. 'Had you spent all the wealth that is in the earth,' Allah declares, 'you would nothave united their hearts; butAllah has united them' (8:63].

Unity is Allah's gift. But we must try to deserve that gift. To do this, in the present crisis, we must do two things. Firstly, we must reject cruel tribalism, pride in region,

tribe, clan, or class, for such attitudes are pagan impurities, unworthy of Muslims, or of any civilised souls. Secondly, we must learn to overcome sectarian disputes and rivalries over interpretations of the Qur'an and Sunnah. Our enemies love us to fight one another; by contrast, the true scholars are delighted by the sight of Muslims whose hearts are filled with light and love, and who can embrace other Muslims despite serious differences in interpretation.

The wise Ulama, and students of Islamic history, know that it is the nature of Muslim societies to host different views. The fact that many of the verses of the Holy Qur'an are 'mutashabih' (difficult to interpret], and that there are many thousands of Hadith which are difficult to define in a way the scholars can agree on, ensures that the Shari'a will always be home to different interpretations. Our faith's respect for diversity is encapsulated in the intricate body of knowledge known as adab al-ikhtilaf (etiquettes of difference]

In our time, new challenges are puzzling many scholars. These issues will certainly grow in number as the world continues to change. The ulama will never agree on every issue, and it is our duty, as Muslim scholars, to ensure that the old Muslim principle of respect for different opinions continues to be the norm.

Our guiding principle should be mercy. The Holy Prophet, may Allah bless him and granthim peace, was sent 'only as a mercy to the worlds' (21:107]. One ofthe meanings of mercy is to feel deep empathy with the actual or possible suffering of other people. A basic purpose of religion is to reduce suffering. It also requires us to lift the burden of others.

We must at all times not lose sight of the Qur'anic axioms of compassion and justice. Energy expended in condemning other Muslim sects and opinions is likely to be wasted; energy expended in feeding the hungry, helping the weak and educating the ignorant is never wasted. Instead of imposing our views on everyone, we should unite to help the poor, aid the weak, give comfort to the widows and the orphans, house the refugees and give hope to the mentally ill and socially outcast. The Holy Prophet, may Allah bestow His blessings and peace upon him, prayed to be resurrected among the poor (al-Nasa'i]. And he said: 'O A'isha, love the poor, and let them come to you, and Allah will draw you near to Himself (Bukhari].

It is time for you, and for ourselves, to remember the Way of Mercy, which is the way of our master Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. We must combine our efforts, holding hands as Muslims, to rebuild the Umma, in which the beautiful vision of fellowship and mercy given by the Holy Prophet becomes a reality.

On behalf of the Muslims of Europe we say again: you are in our minds and our prayers. Be with Allah, brothers and sisters, as His slaves, and Allah will be with you. And when He is with you, you will see the miracles He can bring about. We stand

ready to help and assist you in the great work of making Pakistan a prosperous, proud and harmonious nation again.

Wa's-salamu alaykum; wa'Llahu a'lam; wa-salla'Llahu 'ala sayyidina Muhammadin wa-ala alihi wa-sahbihi wa-sallim.

 Version of letter in Urdu language:   Urdu version

النسخة العربية:   العربية 

Signed by:

Grand Mufti Shaykh Dr Mustafa Ceric

Reis ul Ulema of Islamic Community of Bosnia-Hercegovina

Grand Mufti Shaykh Nairn Ternava

Reis of the Islamic Community of the Republic of Kosovo

Grand Mufti Shaykh Selim Muqaj

Reis of the Islamic Community of the Republic of Albania

Grand Mufti Shaykh Sulejman Rexhepi

Reis of the Islamic Community of the Republic of Macedonia

Dr Mansur Escudero

President of the Junta Islamica of Spain

Shaykha Halima Krausen

Germany

Mr Hasan Le Gai Eaton

United Kingdom

Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad

United Kingdom

Yusuf Islam

United Kingdom