Peaceful protest: Thousands rally against anti-Islam film, sans violence
Clerics call for global legislation against blasphemy.
KARACHI:
Saturday’s forecast was ominous.
Haunted by the rioting and pillage last Friday on the government-designated Ishq-e-Rasool (PBUH) Day, Karachiites braced for similar lawlessness on Saturday when religious parties and clerics announced a rally to protest the sacrilegious film ‘Innocence of Muslims.’
Instead, the citizens witnessed an organised, peaceful gathering.
Thousands of protesters gathered at Numaish Chowrangi and marched from Jinnah’s mausoleum, on MA Jinnah Road, to Tibet Centre to condemn the anti-Islam film.
Protesters from different religious and political groups carried green flags, stomped on the American flag and chanted slogans against the filmmaker.
“We condemn this anti-Islam movie; it is a criminal act,” said prominent religious leader and chairman of the Central Moon-sighting Committee, Mufti Muneebur Rehman, while addressing the rally. Condemning blasphemy, Rehman said that vociferous protests will continue until global legislation against blasphemy is enforced.
“Those who have participated in this peaceful rally are giving the government and the world a message that there is a need to organise a conference of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, just like the one Zulfikar Ali Bhutto held when a fire erupted in Baitul Muqaddas,” he said.
“We do not believe in extremism and violence but this rally has proved that followers of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) cannot be stopped,” said Sunni Tehreek leader, Sarwat Ijaz Qadri.
Other clerics and leaders, including Nizam-e-Mustafa president Haji Hanif Tayab and Owais Shah Noorani also addressed the rally.
“There were around 15,000 protesters, but the rally organisers claimed that there were ‘millions of people’ who participated,” said a senior police officer, Shafiq Ahmed.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 30th, 2012.
Saturday’s forecast was ominous.
Haunted by the rioting and pillage last Friday on the government-designated Ishq-e-Rasool (PBUH) Day, Karachiites braced for similar lawlessness on Saturday when religious parties and clerics announced a rally to protest the sacrilegious film ‘Innocence of Muslims.’
Instead, the citizens witnessed an organised, peaceful gathering.
Thousands of protesters gathered at Numaish Chowrangi and marched from Jinnah’s mausoleum, on MA Jinnah Road, to Tibet Centre to condemn the anti-Islam film.
Protesters from different religious and political groups carried green flags, stomped on the American flag and chanted slogans against the filmmaker.
“We condemn this anti-Islam movie; it is a criminal act,” said prominent religious leader and chairman of the Central Moon-sighting Committee, Mufti Muneebur Rehman, while addressing the rally. Condemning blasphemy, Rehman said that vociferous protests will continue until global legislation against blasphemy is enforced.
“Those who have participated in this peaceful rally are giving the government and the world a message that there is a need to organise a conference of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, just like the one Zulfikar Ali Bhutto held when a fire erupted in Baitul Muqaddas,” he said.
“We do not believe in extremism and violence but this rally has proved that followers of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) cannot be stopped,” said Sunni Tehreek leader, Sarwat Ijaz Qadri.
Other clerics and leaders, including Nizam-e-Mustafa president Haji Hanif Tayab and Owais Shah Noorani also addressed the rally.
“There were around 15,000 protesters, but the rally organisers claimed that there were ‘millions of people’ who participated,” said a senior police officer, Shafiq Ahmed.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 30th, 2012.