Tehrik-i-Namoos-i-Risalat: ‘US presence the real issue, not blasphemy’
Media warned at 25,000-strong rally not to air opinions opposed to blasphemy laws.
LAHORE:
Leaders of the Tehrik-i-Namoos-i-Risalat have vowed to continue their protests, even if the government meets their demands that the blasphemy laws not be changed and a committee set up to recommend changes be disbanded.
They said they would continue their “independence movement” till Pakistan was completely free of drone strikes and other signs of American influence.
Protesters loyal to the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, JUI-Sami, JUP-Noorani, Jamaatud Dawa, Markazi Jamiat Ahl-i-Hadith, Shabban Khatam-i-Nabuwwat, Tanzim-i-Islami Pakistan, Jamat Ahl-i-Sunnat and Millat-i-Jafria, as well as secular parties the PML-Quaid-i-Azam and PML-Zia, attended the rally holding their flags and chanting slogans.
Protesters from all over the province started gathering at Nasser Bagh in the morning. Roads leading to The Mall from Azadi Chowk, Governor’s House and the Civil Secretariat remained closed for general traffic all day. Security was tight, thanks to the presence of police as well as a number of stick-wielding Jamatud Dawa and JUI-F volunteers.
From Nasser Bagh, the protesters marched and shouted slogans condemning the government and lauding Mumtaz Qadri, the self-confessed killer of Governor Salmaan Taseer.
Some 25,000 people turned up for Sunday’s Deobandi-led rally, overshadowing the last rally of the Barelvi-led Tahaffuz-i-Namoos-i-Risalat Mahaz (TNRM) held in Lahore two weeks ago.
The TNR rally was different in many other ways from the TNRM rally.
The TNRM protesters and speakers had demanded the end of terrorism in the name of jihad, but the TNR leaders urged the protesters to prepare for jihad.
The TNRM protesters also demanded an end to suicide attacks at shrines of Sufi saints; the TNR leaders made no such demand.
The TNRM leaders were critical of the Punjab government, especially Law Minister Rana Sanullah; the TNR rally was attended by PML-N MNAs Khawaja Saad Rafiq and Mian Marghoob.
The mostly Deobandi protesters demonstrated their anti-Shia sentiment when it was Millat-i-Jafria leader Sajid Naqvi’s turn to make his speech.
During the three minutes he spoke, the protesters continuously shouted slogans against him, and threw shoes and sticks in his direction. The stage was too far away for any of the missiles to hit their intended target.
Other clerics threatened the media. They said the media must abstain from giving people the chance to speak against the blasphemy laws.
They accused the media of giving their rally insufficient coverage, which in itself was un-Islamic.
Maulana Abul Khair Muhammad Zubair, convener of the TNR, warned that if the media’s “improper coverage” continued, they would not allow the media at their future events.
JD ameer Hafiz Saeed and JUI-S ameer Maulana Samiul Haq during their speeches focused on jihad.
Hafiz Aqib Saeed, ameer of Tanzeem-i-Islami, Maulana Muhammad Ilyas, nazim of Jamat-i-Ahl-i-Sunnat, and Senator Sajid Mir urged the government not to soften the blasphemy laws.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 31st, 2011.
Leaders of the Tehrik-i-Namoos-i-Risalat have vowed to continue their protests, even if the government meets their demands that the blasphemy laws not be changed and a committee set up to recommend changes be disbanded.
They said they would continue their “independence movement” till Pakistan was completely free of drone strikes and other signs of American influence.
Protesters loyal to the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, JUI-Sami, JUP-Noorani, Jamaatud Dawa, Markazi Jamiat Ahl-i-Hadith, Shabban Khatam-i-Nabuwwat, Tanzim-i-Islami Pakistan, Jamat Ahl-i-Sunnat and Millat-i-Jafria, as well as secular parties the PML-Quaid-i-Azam and PML-Zia, attended the rally holding their flags and chanting slogans.
Protesters from all over the province started gathering at Nasser Bagh in the morning. Roads leading to The Mall from Azadi Chowk, Governor’s House and the Civil Secretariat remained closed for general traffic all day. Security was tight, thanks to the presence of police as well as a number of stick-wielding Jamatud Dawa and JUI-F volunteers.
From Nasser Bagh, the protesters marched and shouted slogans condemning the government and lauding Mumtaz Qadri, the self-confessed killer of Governor Salmaan Taseer.
Some 25,000 people turned up for Sunday’s Deobandi-led rally, overshadowing the last rally of the Barelvi-led Tahaffuz-i-Namoos-i-Risalat Mahaz (TNRM) held in Lahore two weeks ago.
The TNR rally was different in many other ways from the TNRM rally.
The TNRM protesters and speakers had demanded the end of terrorism in the name of jihad, but the TNR leaders urged the protesters to prepare for jihad.
The TNRM protesters also demanded an end to suicide attacks at shrines of Sufi saints; the TNR leaders made no such demand.
The TNRM leaders were critical of the Punjab government, especially Law Minister Rana Sanullah; the TNR rally was attended by PML-N MNAs Khawaja Saad Rafiq and Mian Marghoob.
The mostly Deobandi protesters demonstrated their anti-Shia sentiment when it was Millat-i-Jafria leader Sajid Naqvi’s turn to make his speech.
During the three minutes he spoke, the protesters continuously shouted slogans against him, and threw shoes and sticks in his direction. The stage was too far away for any of the missiles to hit their intended target.
Other clerics threatened the media. They said the media must abstain from giving people the chance to speak against the blasphemy laws.
They accused the media of giving their rally insufficient coverage, which in itself was un-Islamic.
Maulana Abul Khair Muhammad Zubair, convener of the TNR, warned that if the media’s “improper coverage” continued, they would not allow the media at their future events.
JD ameer Hafiz Saeed and JUI-S ameer Maulana Samiul Haq during their speeches focused on jihad.
Hafiz Aqib Saeed, ameer of Tanzeem-i-Islami, Maulana Muhammad Ilyas, nazim of Jamat-i-Ahl-i-Sunnat, and Senator Sajid Mir urged the government not to soften the blasphemy laws.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 31st, 2011.