Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said that no nation can progress if it lowers its moral standards as rule of law is must for economic development. He also announced the formation Rehmatul-Lil-Aalamin Authority aimed to portray the true image of Islam to the world.
“Many scholars will be a part of it (authority). One of the tasks of the authority would be to tell the world what Islam really is,” he said while addressing the Ashra-e-Rehmatul-Lil-Aalamin (PBUH) conference in Islamabad.
The premier said that renowned scholars would be part of the authority that will monitor the curriculums of the schools. “They will tell us whether it (curriculum) needs to be changed. Other religions will also be taught [at educational institutes],” he added.
He said that one of the scholars will deal with issues related to the media and social media.
“Cartoons we are showing to our children depict alien culture. We cannot stop them but we can give an alternate.”
He said that the authority will conduct researches in the universities that have never been done in Pakistan before, adding that it will also assess benefits and downsides of the “western culture” and its effects on Pakistani society.
“When you bring the western culture [to the country], it needs to be assessed what are the benefits and what are the disadvantages because they have better morals [than ours] but it is also affecting our family system. We have not done any research on it,” he explained.
PM Imran said that no nation can progress if it lowers its moral standards. “If the society does not object to corruption then how can the system improve? Entire society fights corruption. A government has limitations but if a society rises then corruption cannot exist,” he said.
He said that the moral standards in the West are higher than ours. “Their moral standards are higher than ours. Their judicial system is better… there is humanity. I saw that many values of Islam were present there. If morals are lowered, no nation can rise.”
The top leadership in the Western countries, he said, are expected to maintain an even higher moral standards than the general public, adding that if they are caught lying, then they are forced to resign. “When Hitler attacked Britain, people asked Churchill if they will be saved [from destruction], he said is our judicial system working? Someone replied yes, he said yes then we will be saved.”
The premier said that the FACTI Panel reached the conclusion that the poor nation’s leadership take away money from the country and that is how they become poor. “If someone loots your country, he flees to London but still people shower rose petals on him… how can such a society move forward?”
Neutrality in elections
He said that China has lifted the most number of people from poverty in the human history and they have done it by curbing the menace of corruption. “In China, tens of thousands were put in prisons over corruption and look how it [China] is leading the world today,” he added.
PM Imran said that all elections after the 1970s polls, have been marred with rigging allegations and the government in power never wants to change the system because it is easier for it to manipulate the system. However, he added, PTI is the first ruling party that is seeking electoral reforms. “All those who are saying that [2018] elections were rigged are against the electronic voting machines (EVMs).”
He said that Pakistan was the first country to introduce neutral umpires in cricket against the most powerful teams in the world and added that he wanted to bring the same neutrality in the elections as well.
‘Youth needs to fight corruption’
The premier said that as a society we need to nurture the youth so that they fight against corruption. “I came here today because I wanted to address the youth since they are the majority in Pakistan.
He said that when he went to Aitchison College in Lahore, the role models depicted in the schooling system were very different from our real role models. “They were pop stars, movie stars, sportsmen… and their lives were very different.”
He said that when he went to England for the first time as an 18 year-old boy, he saw with his own eyes the role models of that society following a path of self-destruction.
“I saw many of them following the path of destruction… there was a footballer who later became my friend… he got into drugs… he went into rehabilitation but could not recover… he died at 50,” he said and added that in later stages of his cricketing career he too went down this path.
The prime minister said that our real role models are not taught in schools. “Have we ever followed the Prophet’s (PBUH) life? We have Quran in our houses but we never bother reading it… we are ready to give our life over the Prophet’s name but we never follow his teachings… He was a blessing for entire humanity not just Muslims.”
“Can you imagine Hazrat Ali (RA) as caliph of the whole Muslim world losing his case against a Jew? Can you imagine this kind of justice even in modern democracies? This concept was given by Islam.”
He said that the world is talking about climate change but this concept was given by Islam 1,400 years ago.
He said that despite the Byzantine Empire being a superpower of its time, people used to come to Muslims as they had a better judicial system by following the guidelines of the Prophet (PBUH). “The weak needs justice, wealthy never want justice to prevail as it doesn’t suit them… they only want NRO.”
Judicial system and rule of law
PM Imran said that all successful nations today have a great judicial system and rule of law. “Riyasat-e-Madina was the first welfare state [in the world], where especial emphasis was given to education and not only for men but for women also… unfortunately many conservatives still object to it today,” he added.
He said that the message of our religion should be taught to the children in school and our real role models and their efforts should be highlighted.
The premier said that millions follow the teachings of Nizamuddin Auliya, Data Ganjbaksha and Baba Farid Gunj Shakar among other Sufi saints because the message they gave was of humanity and unity. He said that during Urs, hundreds and thousands throng to their shrines to pay respect. However, he added, many of them do not know the teaching of the saints.
Muslims were debating about children rights in the 9th century but today we are not doing any research on it, said the prime minister.
“I don’t want youth to fall into the same trap I fell into when I visited Britain. We are being programmed that we are backwards and the West is way ahead of us.”
He said that Pakistan was a big ideology and a big dream. “If we want to lift Pakistan then it’s necessary we follow the Sunnah,” he further said.
