Ulema board to monitor hate material

islamabad — The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony has proposed establishing an ‘ulema board’ to monitor hate literature and speeches.

In an interview, a religious ministry official said the establishment of the Ulema Board was under process and it would be completed soon after mutual consensus of religious scholars of different schools of thought and ministry officials.

Besides the Ulema Board, the official said the ministry had already constituted a broad-based national ulema and mashaikh council for promoting harmony among various segments of society. The council had been assigned to promote religious harmony and remove hate literature from the curriculum.

The ministry has also finalised a plan to establish ulema councils at provincial and district levels to avert threats to inter-communal / inter-sectarian harmony and national solidarity.

The councils having the mandate to promote unity, solidarity and harmony in the society, would be mandated to review existing recommendations to contain fanatical attitudes, prejudices and suggest ways and means for its effective implementation.

The councils would suggest a code of ethics for scholars and leaders of politico-religious parties, as well as the press.

The district and tehsil level councils will have a mandate to collectively address all the issues. Scholars of all schools of thought will be given representation in these councils. — APP