War of words: Mirza rubbishes blasphemy claim with mufti by his side

The MQM’s Rauf Siddiqui had wanted to file an FIR based on the October 9 press conference.

KARACHI:

Dr Zulfiqar Mirza shot down the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s attempts to implicate him in a blasphemy case based on his remarks at a press conference by paying a visit to influential Deobandi clerics on Saturday.

Jamia Binoria International principal Mufti Muhammad Naeem, who has issued fatwas for or against causes, addressed a joint press conference with Mirza after a ‘friendly’ meeting. After highlighting four key sticking points, Naeem asked Mirza to clarify his position in his own words.

Naeem said there was a suspicion among the ulema that Mirza had tried to compare his act of staying put in Karachi to fight political rivals with the Holy Prophet’s (pbuh) migration from Makkah to Medina. Mirza clarified that his political rival, the MQM, was twisting his words. “The truth is that I’m not even worth the dust beneath the shoe of the Holy Prophet (pbuh),” Mirza said.

The mufti brought up a certain sectarian insult which he said Mirza should refrain from using as a politician. “I only said this because such words were used for me on the floor of the National Assembly in 1995,” the Pakistan Peoples Party leader clarified.

Mufti Naeem stressed that the leading Sunni ulema were extremely concerned when Mirza said that he would bring a “Khomeini-style” revolution to the country with Iran’s reference. Mirza explained that the only reason he used that example was because the only successful revolution in his lifetime and in recent Muslim history was the one brought by Khomeini. “If any other revolution comes up and is better than this, I will refer to that as well,” he said, stressing that it had nothing to do with sect.

In the end, Naeem urged Mirza and all other political leaders to stop using the Holy Quran for political purposes. He was referring to Mirza’s oath-taking during a press conference. “It is a sacred book and if it is used in a political playground, people would stop taking it as something sacred, but as a joke.”

During the press conference, Mirza expressed his gratitude to the clerics and described their suggestions as wise and sound. In a lighter vein, he said that although Mufti Naeem had expressed the hope that he too would one day convert to the Sunni sect from his current Shia sect, “it would be a tough contest”. “You try your best to make me a Sunni and I’ll try my best to make you a Shia,” he quipped.

Earlier in the day at the additional district and sessions court, Judge Mohammad Azeem directed the MQM’s Rauf Siddiqui to himself go to the Kalakot police station and file a First Information Report against Mirza for his alleged blasphemous remarks. Kalakot SHO Chand Khan Niazi was instructed to record Siddiqui’s statement and determine whether the accusations made against Mirza were cognisant of an offence. The SHO had stated before the court that in the press conference that was held on October 9 within the jurisdiction of his police station he had found nothing objectionable. Nonetheless, the judge directed the official to record the statement.

However, soon after the court’s directive was issued, hundreds of people in Lyari, including scores of women armed with eggs and tomatoes gathered around the Kalakot police station in anticipation of the MQM leader’s arrival. They chanted slogans against the party and Rauf Siddiqui and in favour of Mirza.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23^rd, 2011.