Jaranwala incident triggers nationwide Condemnation Day

Mufti Usmani calls it ‘tantamount to defacing Islam and Muslims’

The Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) and the International Interfaith Harmony Council (IIHC) on Friday jointly observed a solemn 'Condemnation Day' across the country, denouncing the shocking desecration incidents of worship places in Jaranwala.

The widespread outrage echoed through mosques as religious leaders and scholars addressed Friday congregations.

The call for unity and justice resonated as Ulema and Mashaikh from different regions of the country condemned the heinous act.

Demanding swift justice, they reiterated that the perpetrators of the tragic incident must face a speedy trial.

Religious scholars, while speaking to the public during Friday sermons, firmly labelled those who were inciting violence as enemies of Islam and Pakistan.

The incident has deeply saddened and embarrassed the entire nation, with religious scholars asserting that it tarnished the image of Islam, Muslims, and Pakistan.

Emphasising the responsibility of safeguarding non-Muslims within a Muslim-majority state, the Ulema and Mashaikh reminded that protection was a duty shared by the state and its Muslim citizens.

PUC Chairman Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi announced that a delegation of Muslim and Christian leaders would embark on a journey to Jaranwala on Saturday (today), asserting "we stand as plaintiffs of the Jaranwala tragic incident".

Moreover, he revealed plans for an upcoming interfaith harmony conference scheduled to be held in Islamabad next week.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), prominent religious scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani has called the Jaranwala incident “shameful” and “highly condemnable”.

“If someone has committed an unlawful act, no one is authorised to take the law into his hand and burn the church or assault any peaceful Christian citizen,” he stressed.

Mufti Usmani stated that the incident was “totally against the basic and classic Islamic teachings” and “is tantamount to defacing Islam and Muslims”.

He also called on the government to take action against it.

Separately, at a news conference, Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad said a high-level commission should be constituted to probe the Jaranwala rampage.

“We should remember that Pakistan is a state and will take action against anyone doing anything wrong. But not everyone has the permission to set up their own courts and set houses on fire,” he asserted, recalling the times when the Christian community stood with Muslims and protested against the desecration of the Holy Quran.

Maulana Azad demanded that those who were involved in the Jaranwala violence should be given an “exemplary punishment”, stressing the need to make Pakistan free of violence, terrorism, and disruption.