ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Syed Shujaat Ali Bokhari, Additional Secretary General of Tehreek Nafaz-e-Fiqh-e-Jafariya Pakistan has demanded restoration of honour of the holy places in Saudi Arabia so as to make the international protest against blasphemy effective.

Addressing a Press Conference along with Central Secretary Information of the Tehreek Syed Qamar Haider Zaidi and ulema at Press Club Islamabad Rawalpindi Camp Office here on Wednesday, he said the whole Islamic World was going through the ordeal of the policy adopted by Saudi rulers back in 1924.

He said a British newspaper ‘Daily Independent’ has published a report of Daniel Howden in which it has been revealed that the expansion plan of Makkah and Madinah has caused destruction of invaluable heritage of Islam. According to that report, car parking has been established at the place of birth of Rasool-e-Khuda (SAW), grave of Rasool’s (SAW) mother Hazrat Amina (A.S.) was bulldozed and gasoline poured over it while latrines and washrooms have been built on the house of Rasool’s (SAW) wife Ummul Momineen Hazrat Khadijatul Kubra (S.A.) in the expansion.

He said at present the historic places in Makkah Mukarramah have been reduced to less than 20 that provides food for thought. He also lamented that the house of khalifatul Muslimeen Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique is presently housing Hilton Hotel and the place of Rasool’s (SAW) grandson Ali Oraiz and Masjid Abu Qabees have been turned into the palace of Saudi King.

On the other hand it is surprising that the oldest church in Arabian Island called Ka’aba-e-Najran by Arab World, Haj had been performed around it for 40 years in the era of ignorance, is being unearthed as heritage. Now, the Saudi government has also allowed tourists there, from all over the world.

Answering a question, he made it clear that we keep no personal friendship or enmity rather we say the truth and we do not care if anybody turns against us or in our favour, we only desire that Allah and His pious personalities are happy with us.

He said Jannatul Baqee and Jannatul Mualla that are respectable for the whole Islamic World were bulldozed and are still in that condition. We can only blame others when we ourselves are pious. He said Islam condemns biases. When we commit humiliation we do not expose ourselves and when someone else does, we make it a political issue.

He said the American Commission for International Religious Freedom has demanded from the Bush administration to take action against Saudi Arabia for violation of religious freedom. Pakistan is included in another 8 countries where religious freedom is at stake that poses a question mark.

Bokhari made it clear that Islam is a complete code of life that is source of guidance and survival for humanity, condemns all types of biases, gives priority to respect to mankind, expresses hatred against oppression and brutality and supports the oppressed and have-nots. Islam did not ever commit aggression rather it had been a victim of aggression itself from the very beginning and still going through this ordeal. He said respect of the signs linked with Khasan-e-Illahi, Ambia, Mursaleen, Aulia and Saleheen is great Sawaab, but, he said, the satanic forces were bent upon defaming it.

He said that in 1967, Al-Aqsa Mosque was torched by Zionists, Babri Mosque was set on fire by Hindus, but after that a new game was started and the players were those hunters who tried their best to prove Islam "religion of punishments" and Muslims "extremists" under a plan in ordr to get them declared terrorists, while Islam is based on justice and equity and it prefers moderation. Afghanistan was destructed after attacking it, destruction in Iraq is still in continuation; holy places in Kazemain, Baghdad Sharif, Karbala and najaf that are respectable in sight of whole humanity were desecrated; holy shrines of Hazrat Imam Ali Naqi (A.S.) and Hazrat Imam Hasan Askari (A.S.) in Samarra were bombed; newspapers of Denmark and other European countries published insulting caricatures of holy Prophet (SAW).

The TNFJ leader expressed grave concern that motherland Pakistan was in the grip of terrorism for the last quarter a century and our combined enemy was utilising all her energy to prove it as a Sunni-Shia conflict but she did not succeed in doing so but it is unfortunate that when our rulers and politicians are attacked it is considered terrorism but when religious parties and religious leaders are attacked they utilise all their energy to try to prove it as sectarianism.

He lamented that the government did not even condole with the bereaved families of Bari Imam, Tank, Hangu, Karachi, Faisalabad and Kandhkot incidents that makes it clear that they only listen to those who follow the policy of Jalao-Gherao and riot but do not respect those who follow a peaceful course. He said even the media ignores us, but why? We had given sacrifices for the creation of Pakistan. We would have to adopt joint and courageous strategy if we have to check the satanic forces.

Shujaat Bokhari made a fervent appeal to the brotherly Islamic State of Saudi Arabia to restore the dignity of holy places so that we may challenge the satanic forces openly otherwise the incidents of blasphemy would continue to crop up.

TNFJ District Islamabad President Allama Basharat Imami, Allama Akhlaq Hussain Kazmi, Allama Saqlain Ali Bokhari, Allama Mohsin Ali Hamdani, Allama Guftar Hussain Sadiqi, Malik-e-Ashtar, Syed Nazakat Hussain Kazmi, Abbas Jafri and Syed Baqir Hussain Naqvi were also present at the Press Conference.