Televangelist Maulana Tariq Jameel has been widely criticised following the broadcast of his interview with journalist Ameer Abbas for Bol News.
Jameel contrasted Muawiyah bin Yazid’s refusal to succeed his father following his death citing the tragedy at Karbala against what he alleged was contemporary Pakistani politicians’ unashamed avarice for power. He said Muawiyah bin Yazid spurned the Umayyad throne citing how it had been stained with the blood of the Ahle Bayt.
Listing what he claimed were demerits particular to Pakistani politicos he said such was their avarice for power that they would cling to power at all costs. While acknowledging that the Tableeghi Jamaat tended to stay aloof from politics, he said his patriotism had left him with no option but to speak up.
The televangelist said horse trading to cobble a farcical government (in the wake of the successful vote of no-confidence) against then prime minister Imran Khan was representative of this. Pakistani politicians, he insinuated, had laid the nation to waste over a few pennies. While Pakistan had produced many individuals of note, Jameel claimed, he still awaited the day when the nation would be home to just one politician who would desist from selling his soul for power.
The interview, unsurprisingly has stirred a hornet’s nest. Taking to microblogging site Twitter, Shah Owais Noorani of the Jamiat-e-Ulema Pakistan likened Jameel to a fitna (affliction).
https://twitter.com/iamowaisnoorani/status/1556601061300920322?t=7iF_FYTImmDS_hD8SeyQcw&s=19
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in its riposte quoted Ayat Six of Surah Hujurat of the Holy Quran. “O believers! If some wicked person brings you any news, inquire thoroughly into its truth (lest) you should cause (undue) harm to a people unknowingly, and later feel regret for what you have done,” the verse reads according to Irfanul Quran.
https://twitter.com/pmln_org/status/1556577797388357633?t=aHYUcnWdXcWAL8xG0KMq-g&s=08
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, on the other hand, condoned what the Jameel opined in a tweet.
https://twitter.com/PTIofficial/status/1556518159574003713?t=QXqI7xdKKTiCFan5ZZlKHQ&s=08
Jameel is no stranger to controversies. He has earlier held “immodest women” responsible for the Covid-19 outbreak.
The televangelist also garnered criticism for attending a memorial for infamous Rawalpindi-based gangster Taji Khokhar.