[FONT=Times New Roman]I am a senior citizen. In my practical life I saw a strange phenomena that some people knowing well that their source of income was both illegal from worldly point of view as well immoral from religious belief, were donating and spending much on “noble” causes and charities to satisfy their “inner” conscious on the belief that there so good deeds will balance and clean out their bad deeds. The smugglers, dancers, black marketers, hoarders I have seen taking more part in charity. Sponsors of a so called Islamic Quranic T.V appears to have the same theology. At one hand they have created the so called Islamic channel but on the same hand they have created other channels which show and “preach” to the young mind those life styles, things which are negation of their own so called Quranic Islamic channel. I have recently met really sensible people who believe that this so called Quranic channel was creating more confusions and more religious distortion amongst the ordinary believers. It has adopted another novel way of “earning” in the name of Islam; namely giving advice to viewers, asking them to write and then prescribing this and that, calling particular doctors which in fact in a very affective technique of promoting the name of concerned doctor or his product knowing well a written word or a word on TV/Media has most scared value in our part of the world.
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[FONT=Times New Roman]I have forbidden my family to switch on this so called Islamic channel. I only see this channel for Dr. Israr Ahmed’s tafaseer of Quran which to me is really a worth the best part of which I do like is that he does not insist on one particular interpretation and clearly tells his viewers those were two or three interpretations of a particular Ayyat from different school of thoughts and that he believes this one BUT ALLAH KNOWS THE BEST.
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[FONT=Times New Roman]Monday 15 May 2005 at 09.55 pm Pakistan Standard Time I switched on to this this channel for Dr. Isran Ahmed. A question and answer programme was going on. At that moment a question was being put that some Pakistanis go abroad on Visit Visas but there they join employment. Is such an employment and thus their earnings “haram” in the eyes of Islamic Shariah. The answer from the so called Alam was that Islam does not like this. He added that going on Visit Visa and then working there is “Haram” but earnings of such Pakistanis cannot be termed “so” haram as after all those people earn that money through their hard work but of course basic foundation of it is not liked by Shariah. Such so called religious Imams or Alams who get bogus or internet degrees on which they do not feel shame are the real cause of present anarchy amongst Muslim societies.
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[FONT=Times New Roman]I am now retired after more than 22 years service abroad. I went abroad for a visit on a visit visa to a family friend. During a reception an Arab sheikh was on our table with my friend. Talking generally with me the Sheikh offered me a job. I had really gone for a visit. The offer was good, I accepted it. My job was in a Government Department which had direct link with Immigration & Passport Directorate hence my basic knowledge about immigration rules is quite good which rules in fact in whole arab world are almost the same. On my acceptance of the job as per rule a Resident Permit was endorsed by my employer Government on my Passport which made my stay there in accordance with the laws of land of that country. I stayed there 22 years in accordance with laws of that country. When I left Pakistan I went there on Visit Visa which was issued by that country and I full filed all the legal requirements of Pakistan. So how it becomes illegal in the eyes of Shariah if I have not broken any law both of Pakistan and that of my country of employment.
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[FONT=Times New Roman]The so called Islamic channel Alam does not know that even those who go to Middle East after getting a proper employment contract from abroad are given a three month Visit Visa by their employer government and these people as such go abroad on “visit visa”. After their arrival in the employer country their stay is converted into employed-residents by issuing them Resident Permits and converting their visit visa into employment visa.
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[FONT=Times New Roman]During General Ziaul Haq a very nice group insurance scheme called Overseas Immigrants Insurance was introduced by the State Life. It was world’s best group insurance scheme ever introduced by any country for its expatriates. If my memories in this old age are not misguiding me the Philippines government perhaps once requested Pakistan to help them in introducing the same for their nationals working abroad. During 1980s and till first half of 1990s it worked fine. But later in line successive governments policies to fetch as much as possible from pockets of the public in one name or the other just to get a little money in the name of Protector of Immigrants registration this insurance scheme was destroyed. I had been one of the biggest advocator of this scheme pressing labour class Pakistanis to definitely get this insurance but since 1996-99 I have left this.
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[FONT=Times New Roman]State Life used to issue this insurance policy to anyone like eg to me who came on visit visa and got employment abroad. Later similarly as the new costly ID Cards for Overseas Pakistanis on the foolish ground that that Urdu cards were not readable by foreign authorities, in order to earn more money for the Department, it was interpreted that for getting this insurance one needs to get himself registered with the Protector of Emigrants. Before coming out of Pakistan on getting an employment contract from abroad paying the Protector a hefty fee just “stamping” the foreign Contract can a little be understood, but why to pay this fees by those who got employment like me at their own and need no stamping of any contract. Pakistan Laws say no body can go abroad for employment without getting registration with Protector of Emigrant. But no Law of Pakistan forbids anywhere that if a person goes abroad on a visit to meet any family member, on a tourism or for performing Umrah and in case he gets employment during his, such an employment will be illegal having no prior registration with the Protector. If this interpretation of the Department is taken then sons and daughters of those Pakistanis who went abroad after Protector of Emigrants registration, were born there, got education there after which they got employment abroad all become illegally gone abroad. A few months before my return to Pakistan my Department recruited about 100 Pakistani young boys; all sons of long serving Pakistani employees. My Department thought instead of bringing recruitment from Pakistan, sons of existing employees should be given preference as it was economical for the Department. All these young boys were born here and got education there. If interpretation of Protector of Emigrants or that of Islamic channel Alam is taken true then all these sons are working illegal as they had not gone abroad on employment visa or have not got registered with the protector. My wife joined me abroad on a Visit Visa which was issued to her as per law. She left Pakistan complying all legal requirements of Pakistan. On her Passport while endorsing visit visa in Pakistan it was clearly written “stay only for 3 months, employment not allowed”. This visit visa was issued by my Department in accordance with the law allowing my wife to come and stay with me till I am employed though it was written valid for 3 months stay. On her arrival as per procedure her three month stay was converted into two years residence, renewable, and thus she remained there 20 years legally. For some years she got employment there in accordance with laws of employer country which if interpretation of Pakistan Protector or this Islamic channel Alam is taken stands “illegal or against Shariah” but very strangely her remittances to Pakistan out of her salary were never taken as in “violation of Pakistani Protector rules or violation of Islamic Shariah” rather these remittances were welcomes by authorities with open arms.
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[FONT=Times New Roman]Our religion Islam is very very simple and nearest to the nature but unfortunately our internet degree holder Alams or Alam having read only some old books in Madrisahs like that of this so called Islamic channel Shariah expert have made it too difficult by issuing this Fatwah or this interpretation.
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[FONT=Times New Roman]Is getting oneself photographed Haram or Hilal is an old question now. Those very so called scholars who had been objecting to photographing today feel pleasure in coming on TV is also an old issue. But can I ask this Alam that after half an hour of his departure from the screen there were more than 6 women reciting “Naats” and more than hundred female audience on same TV screen. Would the Alam tell how it is that on the same screen he appears where women are showing their naked faces photographed and raising their voices to reach “Na Mahram”, Does not his conscious forbids him to come on same screen under the same Shariah principles under which he terms Overseas Pakistanis getting employment as “haram or against Shariah”..
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[FONT=Times New Roman]If this interruption of this so called Islamic channel is accepted then all those students who went to study in Europe/USA and did part time jobs there to cover their study expenses, all those who after study got a chance and got employment there, all those who went on employment abroad but due to their experience or due to their savings later started their own shops or business abroad, all those who went on employment abroad but due to some extraordinary work or due to their long stay they got foreign nationalities etc are living “haram” abroad. Under this interpretation if a person goes to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, if after performing the same if he becomes ill and instead coming to Pakistan goes to UK for medical treatment or during Umrah a merchant from Italy invites him to accompany with him for trade dialogue, this would be Haram.
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[FONT=Times New Roman]For ALLAH sake do not make very simple Islam into a typical one.
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Re: OVERSEAS PAKISTANIS, VISIT VISA AND ISALAMIC SHARIAT
Grow up and no need for copy paste posts. Cant you write something yourself?