Punjab

Desecration: Protesters demand death for US pastor

Religious groups lead after-prayer rallies.

Rana Yasif/rameez Khan March 26, 2011

LAHORE:

The series of protests against the report of burning of a copy of the Holy Quran by a Florida-based American pastor, continued on Friday as hundreds of activists from various religious parties took to the streets.

Nearly 500 activists rallied at Charing Cross after Friday prayers.

Some of them said the burning was an act of insanity. Others said it was a plot to provok Muslims into extreme reaction.

The rally was supported by the Tehreek-i-Hurmat-i-Rasool, the Jamat-ud-Dawa, the Tanzeem-i-Islami, the Jamiat-i-Ahle Hadith, Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam (JUI)-F and JUI- S. A separate protest was held by the Jamaat-i-Islami in front of Mansoora on Multan Road.

The protesters condemned the governments of United States and Pakistan for keeping silent over the offence.

Hafiz Khalid Waleed, the Jamatud Dawa central leader, said, “It is a crusade against the Muslims of the world. The enemies of Islam are conspiring against us. We will never let them succeed,” he said.

Rana Naseerullah of the JUI said that the political leadership of the country needed to pass a resolution against the ‘American hooliganism.’

Qari Sanaullah, the JUI ameer, said that this was not the first time such offensive actions had been taken to provoke the Mulsims. “History stands witness to the troubles Muslims have been through. We are again in state of war.”

He mentioned the French ban on veils, the Dutch ban on construction of minarets, publication of caricatures of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and now the desecration of the Holy Quran.

He said it was the responsibility of the Muslims around the world to compete with the enemies in all fronts including politics and education.

Ijaz Sheikh urged the people to boycott American products. “We should end all forms of cooperation with the US as a protest,” he said.

The protesters said that while Muslims were branded around the world as extremists, this attack on Islam showed who the real extremists were.

They demanded the Foreign Office summon the American ambassador to discuss the issue.

Lawyers boycott courts

Most lawyers on Friday boycotted the courts and took out a rally to condemn the desecration of the Holy Quran.

The rally, which started from the LHC and culminated at the GPO Chowk, was led by Asghar Ali Gill, the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) president.

Lawyers also observed a strike at the lower courts. A small number of lawyers, however, appeared in the courts. The protesting lawyers raised slogans condemning the incident and demanded that the government take strict action against the pastor and his supporters.

Earlier, the lawyers had met at a general meeting at the bar and decided to take out a rally. They also decided to suggest that the government take the matter to the International Court of Justice and demand capital punishment for those involved.Talking to The Express Tribune, Gill regretted that the ruling elite were “only issuing statements”.

He said that the US government, which claimed to be the champion of human rights, should take action against the offence.

Shahzad Hassan Shaikh, the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) president, said the LBA would pass a resolution in this regard and send it to the Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (9)

Sultan Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply Desecration of any holy book is despicable act.

Sultan Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply More than nine years on, bloody and destructive 9/11 happened, and in the reaction, Bush administration invaded Iraq, lacks of peoples were killed,and more than injured, women were severely raped by U.S.A. army, country made greatest graveyard in the world. Subsequently, Afghanistan stood responsible for World Trade Center's incident and strike on it,it was also made by shelling and carpet bombardment a great stock of human dead bodies. What you think Mr.Pastor, there is further revenge you want to take? any episode of the film you want to play on the earth screen. please forget the past, and as a pastor pray to God for blessing on people of this world already surrounded by nuclear weapons

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Sultan Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply I mean, any one violate the international law would be liable to capital punishment, if you want to remove such objectionable acts from the earth.

Sultan Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply Now we should consider deeply,who is responsible for insurgency and terrorism ,who deliberately create the circumstance which become the main reason of counter productive and sever backlash emotional outburst as well . Pakistani leader ship,many time and so many occasions did invoke United States stopping Drone attacks because innocent people were dying but American leadership drew no attention on this brutal act. What we find in result? counter insurgency,revenge backlash,suicide attacks,blasts in public and private infrastructures, but in spite of it United States kept its barbarian act continue. After 44 death,Pakistani chief of army staff raised matter before the Nato command ,stationed in Afghanistan then they laid down this action. Now they has opened new front, that is more dangerous than all, every muslim has zero tolerance on this desecration,but being done deliberately. Stop it just stop it,arrest the pastor responsible and put him behind the bar,the matter is subject to trial and conviction otherwise counter productive will covered all important places in the world.

Waqar | 13 years ago | Reply @Ashraf R: You are right there, Ashraf. It's called 'Problem, Reaction, Solution'. Orchestrate an incident that will rile a particular group, get them to react and then provide a solution that was envisaged from the outset. In other words, knowing how sensitive such an issue is and how offensive it would be to Muslims, the ideal end scenario would be to reinforce people's stereotypical perception that Muslims are as a whole, a flag burning, hatred fueled mob. Splash it on the front pages of newspapers, whether it is the Teddy Bear issue, Danish cartoon outrage etc... @Sultan Ahmed Agreed with you, but not sure if arresting him would do any good. It would only provide more publicity and outcry over his arrest. Each scenario would elevate the story to another level and prolong it. As they say 'Any publicity is good publicity". The irony is that as a result of these anti-Islam campaigns, more non-Muslims read the Qur'an and as a result there have been conversions to Islam. One of my friends who is Danish worked in an Islamic Dawah (propagation) center in Denmark for a couple of years as a volunteer during the Danish cartoon fiasco, he stated that more Qur'ans were distributed to non-Muslims in that year than any other time. Many wrote back with donations asking for more copies for their friends. Peace.

Sultan Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply As a human being,it is our moral duty to respect each others religion The pastor who committed a crime by burning the holy Qurran and tried to create unrest in the world,especial in the Muslim states is liable to punishment. Government of the United States,in regard to religious harmony,arrest him and confine him so that he may not commit more such act.

Sultan Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply ?

Ashraf R | 13 years ago | Reply Perhaps this is what the pastor meant to accomplish. Pakistan - the last bastion of Islam, will now make its outrage felt by burning buses and destroying property. What better way to teach the west a lesson?

praveen | 13 years ago | Reply Pathetic to think that Bar council are doing these protest and marches against burning a book of koran. Beyond doubt , this proves what Islam does to human brain. Just, makes it a mud cake without any sign of reasoning and compassion. Burning a book is greater sin than burning alive of humans. Around the world many attrocieities are committed by so called muslim societies against kafirs. Their reiligious places, properties and lives are destroyed, but no one does raise a shout, organise a march against those actions. No wonder west is seriously awakening to cult of Islam and its danger to modern society. ps: moderator, be a man.

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