Desecration Of Quran: Silence of political leaders condemned

SWAT: Like other parts of the country, a furious demonstration against the burning of the Holy Quran at a US airbase in Afghanistan was held in Swat on Thursday.

Thousands of protesters assembled at Mingora Press Club, from where they marched towards Nishat Chowk. “The act of burning the holy book by Nato forces clearly indicates who the extremists are.

They [Nato and US forces] have shown their inborn hatred towards Islam and Muslims,” said Zahir Shah, a resident of Mingora. “All Muslim states should have broken off diplomatic relations with the US as a mark of protest. At a personal level, people should boycott the use of US products,” said Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf Swat General Secretary Fazal Hakim.

The protesters warned that unlike the political leadership, the people would not tolerate such humiliating acts and would offer any sacrifice to protect the sanctity of their holy book.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2012.