Sacred spaces

The Prophet of Islam (pbuh), after he migrated from his hometown of Makkah to Madina, had built Masjid-e-Nabvi with his own blessed hands. At the time, it had a unique status of place of worship, community center, court and educational institute.

In order to transform our beloved country into a peaceful and prosperous country, it is essential to understand the true concept of the state of Madina. Unfortunately, the state of Madina has been made a political slogan to win elections in Pakistan. On the other hand, political supporters of the PTI have been found involved in violating the sanctity of the Masjid-e-Nabvi in Madina. It is more painful for me that the shameful incident is being justified by some political activists.

A few days ago, someone sent me a message on WhatsApp, the text of which reads: "No matter Shahbaz Sharif or Imran Khan, Masjid-e-Nabvi is the most holy place in the world; this is the place for showing respect; everybody, either poor or rich, loud voice is not allowed here", emphasizing that “The attitude shown by some Pakistani pilgrims on the occasion of the arrival of the prime minister of Pakistan Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at Masjid-e-Nabvi is very inappropriate.”

A verse displayed at Masjid-Nabvi in a prominent place also reminds people there to speak in a low voice. Alas, our people neither understand the Arabic language nor do they want to understand the true teachings of the religion. Those who rioted in the mosque for political interests have forgotten that everyone has equal status in the house of Allah. The doors of the mosque can never be closed on any sinner. When a person enters the premises of the mosque, he becomes the guest of Allah.

It is a universal norm that harassing one's opponents in sacred spaces like Masjid-e-Nabvi is forbidden. It is in fact a violation of the sanctity of a place of worship. No matter which faith, people used to visit holy places to seek forgiveness for their sins. They have belief in the infinite blessings of God. No one there has the right to humiliate them by considering him /herself superior. The people who have been mocked at the mosque may have made many mistakes during their previous tenures but now God has given them a chance to learn from the past and move the country on the path of development and prosperity.

The attempts to misuse the holy land for criticizing the political opponents resulted in damaging the reputation of Pakistan in the eyes of the international community. Every religious person is upset due to this incident. In this regard, religious scholars must come forward with statements. It is also necessary to discourage social media posts in support of this condemnable act.

Maintaining the sanctity of a holy place of worship is a must for every person who has firm faith in one God and His teachings; who considers serving humanity a real purpose of life; who believes that God Almighty loves His creature, who sincerely understand that the holy place of worship is the house of God and all human beings must be welcomed to visit the holy places.

The writer is a member of the National Assembly and patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council.

He tweets @RVankwani