Issuing murder edict illegal, says CII chief

Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairman Dr Raghib Hussain Naeemi said on Thursday that no one had the authority to issue a fatwa of murder in cases of blasphemy and expressed regret that unfortunately most people in the country were unaware of the blasphemy laws.

While briefing the media about the CII's work in the last 100 days, Dr Naeemi stated that when the fatwa regarding the killing of the chief justice was declared haram, 400-500 threatening messages were received. He added that detailed decision of the Supreme Court in the Mubarak Sani case was awaited.

"Issuing a fatwa to kill or taking the law into one's own hands is illegal and unconstitutional. But because of intolerance, people are not ready to listen in religious matters," the CII chairman said. "No person has the right to punish another even if he knows about the blasphemy," he added.

Dr Naeemi emphasised that the authority and the right to punish someone was vested only in the state. Shariah does not authorise a person to take the life of another person," he continued. "A mob has no right to kill anyone in the streets or issue fatwas to kill."

He said that there were laws in the country regarding blasphemy, but most people were unaware of them. He added that the blasphemy laws had four different punishments, including the death penalty. But unfortunately, the general understanding was that those four crimes carried death penalty.

"Desecration of the holy Quran is punishable by life imprisonment, but people are killed for it too. The Religious parties have made the issue of blasphemy very sensitive. Killing an innocent person is illegal and unconstitutional," the CII chairman said.

Dr Naeemi said that despite the prohibition in Islam, usury was still in vogue in the country. The laws related to transgender had been declared unconstitutional by the Shariat Court.