Additional District and Sessions Judge Javedul Hassan Chishti has cancelled the pre-arrest bails of a school principal and six other employees, who are accused of blasphemy for including the principal in a list of role models alongside the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).
The respondents attended proceedings on a private complaint on Monday morning and were summoned by the judge for 3pm to hear his verdict. However, they did not turn up for the announcement.
Qurban Ali, the principal of Qurban and Surayya Educational Trust, and other school officials are alleged to have committed blasphemy in a school book that they made titled Qurban Agahi.
The book included a chapter on role models and a set of four questions and answers about what makes a good hero and some good examples. Six “heroes for our society” were listed as: 1) Holy Prophet (pbuh); 2) Quaid-i-Azam; 3) Sir Syed Ahmad Khan; 4) Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah; 5) Abdul Sattar Edhi; and 6) ‘Sir Qurban’, the principal of the school.
Advocate Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry, the counsel for the complainant and the president of the Khatme Nabuwwat Lawyers Forum, submitted that the school officials had blasphemed. He said that tests were given to students asking who their favourite role model was, and many wrote the principal’s name. He said that the principal had tried to compare himself to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). He said that Mufti Muhammad Khan Qadri had issued a decree (fatwa) declaring them to have committed blasphemy.
The respondents said that they were innocent. They said that the police had investigated the allegations and, finding them to be untrue, discharged the complaint for the FIR, which was registered in September 2009. They said that they had not intended to offend with the books. They said that ulema of Jamia Naeemia had issued a decree stating that they had apologised and had not intended to commit blasphemy. The ulema had said that there was room in Islam to forgive those who committed an act unintentionally.
Astonishingly, they also told the court that the ulema had asked them to expel all Christian and Ahmedi teachers from their school and that they had done so. They asked the court to grant them bail.
Advocate Chaudhry said that the police decision to discharge the complaint had been challenged before Judicial Magistrate Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry at the Model Town Courts and the judge had directed the police to submit the challan of the case. He said that the offence of blasphemy could not be forgiven. The judge cancelled the bail petitions of Qurban Ali, Abida Mehmood (school administrator), Sadia Saeed (IT coordinator), Naheed Naeem (assistant), Saima Khan (assistant), Sajida Perveen (composer) and Syed Yassir Ali (computer graphics designer).
The seven had received interim bail from ADSJ Mahrookh Aziz Tarar some six months ago.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 23rd, 2012.
COMMENTS (34)
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@thenindu:::Will someone with proper knowledge of Islam like to answer the points raised by this gentleman,Mr.thenindu.It will be of great service to the ignorants of religion like me too.Thanks
Muslims think that muhammad is a role model . But this mohammad when one of his followers killed daughter of marwan while she was breast feeding her children told that no two goats will lock horns over her. Also the same prophet when a women was mourning her husbands death called her devil . no wonder islam is such a beautiful religion
Blasphemy can be stretched to mean anything. Would that not be blasphemous if the student had not included Holy Prophet (pbuh) who is indeed a role model for all Muslims.
A role model is hard to define, because it can be different for everyone. Often, it is someone one would like to be like when one get older. What those Muftis” who passed the decree failed to understand that more often, the role model is not one person, but an entire group of people, each for different motive or belief. Role models come in many forms. one role model is not enough. No individual can be ideal in every way. So one select a cadre of role models in different field and emulate the best traits of each.
In todays society there are examples of role models in all fields, consequently there are role model from teaching, mentors, celebrities, athletics, religion and science.
For all Muslims Mohammad (pbuh) is or should be a role model but if in the list one include Einstein (Physicist who formulated the special theory of relativity) it does not mean he is being compared to Muhammad (pbuh).
The Sessions Judge who cancelled the pre-arrest bails of a school principal and six other employees did so to appease the bigots. I don't think Mr.Qurban the principal and other teachers have to repent or apologise. … @nuurries
Lest it is termed Blasphemy,commenting on this subject,I better keep shut
the CJ should take notice of this......... "the ulema had asked them to expel all Christian and Ahmedi teachers from their school and that they had done so".
why were these people expelled for no reason ???????
@Eddie dex: Thanks for your enlightening comment.
@Muhammad Yaqub: Naam to insano wala hay tumhara ... kaash belief bhi insano wala hota
@Eddie dex: Eliminate: lolz, nice wishful desires, keep it up ... You need to learn a lot before seeing the elimination of secularism from society ... that 'alot' includes alot of blood too :)
@Masood Khan: Pakistani are planning to go even farther i.e. Hell by repeatedly commiting blasphemous acts... 'Sandy' is more needed than 'Drones'
Eliminate the mullahs and Pakistan will be a better place...
@bain: No, Not fake...the college is in front of my grandfather's street...I thought this issue had got resolved in 2009 ...The principal had even put up a banner of assalatu wasalam ..that darud thing in front of his college to pacify the mullahs
1st...Who is this hero Mr. Qurban?...I never heard of him. 2nd...All those who think, 'we should grow up', why don't you grow up? They may be charged differently....but the judge did the right thing.
@Rana Amjad: Yes, grow up a lot and some how extricate themselves from the vortex of blasphemy. This 'black hole' of blasphemy will one day devour Pakistan.
O Justice thou art fled to the Bearded Beasts !! And men have lost their reason !!
Shame Shame Shame...
There are 5 ladies accused: Abida Mehmood (school administrator), Sadia Saeed (IT coordinator), Naheed Naeem (assistant), Saima Khan (assistant), Sajida Perveen (composer). Most of these laborers are getting less than 10 thousand rupees, not enough to run a kitchen, they may have children, old parents and other liabilities and accusers are making their life miserable.
@Pir Bulleh Shah:
ha, ha! Funny!!!!
I agree with main farooq.
Dear All, Shame on the Tribune Correspondent who published this without detailed Investigation. I just investigated this issue in depth as being a member of Ministry of Defence and concluded that Mr. Qurban, was running this trust for the sake of the poor, orphaned and needy families, whose children have extra-ordinary talent but are affected by poverty. This trust provides the best result in the Education with lowest fees. Now the problem is with certain groups, whose target is to De-stabilize Pakistan by disturbing true business communities and social workers. Also, Mr. Qurban apologized and repented, and Allah is with those who repent, and those who forgive, but certain groups are not willing to forgive and are continuously terrorizing Mr Qurban instead of realizing how many poor families will be effected if this trust was to be closed down.
Kindest Regards,
Engr. Umer
Get well soon judges.
duh!
I think, that Mr. Qurban (the principal of the school) have not any conversant with Hazrat Mohammed (P.B.A.H) status , which can not be explained by any one in true sprit instead of Allah , only Allah knows the level and value of the Hazrat Mohammed (P.B.A.H). Unfortunatly in our country , right man is not at a right job, in result thereof , we face miserable situation , however , this is our society responsibility to flourish such matters, not feel any hesitation , furthermore Mr. Qurban is not a principal of any education school, he runs a business in shape of school, so parents kindly check the principal and his staff education level before the admission of their children.
@@pir, your point is your belief just like hindus belief that lord Ram was the perfect human creation
This country needs to learn the true meaning of "Blasphemy". By the way Tribune, this was a very misleading title to the article.
@T Khan:Only one will be enough.
When will we use our minds to think logically? What is wrong with our people? We need to go through a total reform… In all aspect of life; starting with education.
This is horrible. How can a true believer compare himself to our dearest Prophet (PBUH) who was the only perfect human being ever created?
God may have pity on us .What sort of judges we have and the people who have the mentality to find perceived blasphemy in any action.
Shame on the judge, the complainant and his advocate for wasting our (tax payers) money on such nonsense. Not drones, a few atomic bombs are needed to sort us out.
I understand the US is planning a manned mission to Mars while China and India' are planning the moon missions in near future; and we Pakistanis??
More drones needed
this is all wrong!
fake news.