Eid Milad-un-Nabi, the birthday of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) whom Allah called Rehmatul Almeen (Blessing/Mercy for all worlds) in Sura Al-Anbia in Quran, has always been celebrated with great religious zeal and fervour. But the celebrations this year, without any doubt, were unprecedented in the history of Pakistan owing to the interest and commitment shown by the government in making the occasion a memorable event.
The response at the public level also has been overwhelming. Electronic channels and print media also did not lag behind in highlighting the different aspects of the Prophet’s life. Rallies were taken out in all cities and towns of the country where the orators shed light on the teachings and life of the Holy Prophet.
The reality is that no Pakistani leader has ever taken the initiative like Prime Minister Imran Khan with regards to protecting and upholding the honour of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and taking practical steps to inculcate his message and teachings among the people, particularly the younger generation.
He announced the establishment of the Rehmat-lil-Alameen Authority while inaugurating the ten-day celebration programme on October 10 with respect to the birth of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and explained that the authority was being set up with the objective of making people of the country, particularly the children and the world aware of Islam and the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
The plan also includes teaching other religions at school which upholds the right of the minorities as enshrined in the constitution and guaranteed in an Islamic polity. The role assigned to the proposed authority to monitor the curriculum being taught at schools, organise research in universities and keeping an eye on any blasphemous content shared on the media, is a step in the right direction. So is the step to give an international dimension to the authority by having an advisory board on it all over the world charged with the responsibility to make global contacts. The establishment of this advisory board can contribute to deal with the phenomenon of Islamophobia and contribute towards inter-faith harmony.
No nation can make progress and earn a respectable place in the comity of nations without remaining wedded to its basic objectives and national aspirations envisaged by the founding fathers and the architects of the state. Apart from making efforts at home to revert to the ideological base of the country, the Prime Minister has also been a vociferous voice against Islamophobia and publication of blasphemous caricatures of the Prophet (PBUH) published in France.
The Prime Minister’s credentials as a true lover of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), apart from the above efforts, are also reinforced by: The speech delivered by him at the 14th OIC Summit in Mecca on June 1, urging collective action by the Ummah; His speech at the 74th General Assembly in September 2019 in which Islamophobia was the key theme of his address; His speech at the 75th UNGA session on September 2020 in which he urged the world body to universally outlaw wilful provocations and incitement to hate and violence and declare an international day to combat Islamophobia; His letter to the leaders of the Muslim countries in October 2020 and on November 18, 2020 giving an agenda for collective action against Islamophobia; His letter to the CEO of Facebook on October 25, seeking a ban on Islamophobic content; His discourses at international forums like SCO and ECO, calling for efforts to curb Islamophobia and the adoption of the Pakistan-led resolution on Islamophobia by the 47th OIC Council of Foreign Ministers’ meeting held in Niamey on November 27-28, 2020 which reaffirmed that the desecration of the Holy Quran and reprinting of caricatures of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) are not legitimate expression of the right to freedom of expression and Pakistan joined the OIC Group in New York on March 17, 2021, to organise a high-level event to commemorate the OIC-designated International Day to Combat Islamophobia.