Following an unprecedented shocking event last Saturday, The country's non-political Sunni Islamic missionary society, otherwise Tablighi Jammat has split into two fractions. A 65-year-old man was killed and more than 150 people were injured during the clash. The divided two factions reportedly engaged in a scuffle over establishing control over Ijtema ground -- turning it into a big scale conflict. However, the two factions led by separate Maulanas - one loyal to Maulana Saad and the other to Maulana Zubair - faced off only for the worse to happen.
We expect leaders of both fractions to acknowledge the fact that division over controlling the five day long global congregation Bishwa Ijtema -- will surely distract the objective of Ijtema to get diverted from its objectives and goal. Most importantly, both religious figureheads must realise that Ijtema is not a platform for spreading any particular religious school of thought. There may be many differences in opinions within a single religion, and it is the duty of the religious scholars to ensure, all practice their respective schools-of-thought while maintaining peace and harmony.
In the wake of the conflict, a faction of the Tablighi jamaat sought the government's intervention into resolving the impasse over the upcoming grand event. Additionally, the faction suggested that separate Bishwa Ijtema could be arranged for the feuding factions. In the place of a pragmatic solution, we believe, separate Ijtemas would only end up creating a dangerous schism among Tablighi members while spreading separate religious agendas. By now, the Islamic world is already divided into far too many schools of thought, attacking one another every now and then. We don't welcome any more divisions. We sincerely urge both fractions to refrain from spreading propaganda against each other while engaging tender madrasa students or teachers in the conflict. On that note, both heads of the two factions must uphold the spirit of Islam despite all differences in opinions and arguments.
Tablighi Jamaat is considered a platform of peace and honour. It's not meant for competing to gain authority to rule over the Ijtema ground or the event itself. Sadly some Islamic scholars and there adherents are clearly becoming distracted from this truth. We don't expect the world's second largest Islamic gathering to be dangerously tarnished for serving uncalled-for hidden agenda. For as much as the law enforcement agencies, it has become a crucial responsibility for the ulema to identify the actual reasons behind the recent clashes and wipe them out in entirety. That said - the Tablighi jamaat members must wake up to their collective conscience and work together, so to remain united in their mission.
