Blasphemy allegations: Protesters vandalise school over ‘offensive notes’
The police arrested a teacher and the owner of a high school on blasphemy charges on Wednesday evening, following a day of clashes with enraged protesters outside the school in Karim Park.
An FIR was registered against the Farooqi Girls High School administration, owner and principal Asim Farooqi, and teacher Irfa Ahmed under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of Abdullah Saqib, the vice principal of Jamia Kareemia Sadidia, a religious school in the same area.
City Division SP (Operations) Multan Khan said that the teacher and owner had been taken into custody.
The blasphemy charges stem from comments allegedly written by Iftikhar in a class 6 student’s notebook while checking a homework assignment to translate a passage about the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) from English to Urdu. Photocopies of the offending page were being handed out at the protest.
The Farooqi Girls High School, which was set up in 1978 and has two other branches, has a good academic record, with one of its students coming second in the humanities group in the last set of matriculation results announced by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education.
According to police and eyewitnesses, crowds also chanted slogans outside the other two school branches on Yaseen Road and at Munshi Ladda on Wednesday morning, but soon dispersed.
Violent clashes
The trouble at the school began when protesters chanting slogans started marching towards it following a community meeting on Tuesday night. SP Khan said that police had been dispatched to the school on Tuesday night upon reports of unrest. He said that 200 police officials had been deployed there on Wednesday morning.
Saqib, the complainant in the case, said that local clerics and residents had met early on Tuesday morning and decided to pursue the case legally in order to quell the unrest. “We tried to stop the violent protesters, because they bring a bad name to our religion,” he said.
But before the FIR was lodged, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the school confronted the police guards, forcing them to take refuge in nearby houses. The protesters took charge of the street on which the school is located, burnt its furniture and computers and spray-painted “Gustakh-i-Rasool” on the walls. A car parked in the courtyard was destroyed.
The MNA for the area, Bilal Yasin of the PML-N, visited the scene and urged the protesters not to take the law into their hands.
Yasmeen Rehmat Ali, a resident of the area, said the protests began at around 1am on Tuesday night. “The police was there on the spot but there wasn’t much they could do since the mob was very charged,” she said.
The father of one of the students at the school said the alleged blasphemous incident had happened before Eid.
The police were eventually able to take back control of the building while senior officials met with locals to reach peace. “Until things normalise in the area, we will continue to monitor and provide security to the area,” SP Khan said.
Rescue 1122 District Emergency Officer Dr Ahmed Raza said that two fire vehicles and two ambulances had been dispatched to the area. He said the protesters had made it difficult for the fire fighters to get to the scene, but they had managed to do their job of preventing the fire from spreading. He said that no one was reported to have been injured.
‘He’s a bad man’
Many of the protesters at the scene didn’t appear to know exactly what the protests were about. “He [the school owner] is a bad man. His school should be destroyed,” said a nine-year-old child, though he said he didn’t know what offence the owner had committed.
“He is a very indecent person. He should be punished for doing this. He charges high fees and doesn’t listen to complaints,” said a protester who identified himself as Muhammad Abdullah.
Some 100 members of the Islami Jamiat Talaba also protested outside the school. IJT’s Railway Road College Nazim Sheikh Abid Javed and Civil Lines College Nazim Rohail Saif Khan tried to calm the protesters, saying they had toured the school with the police and found nothing blasphemous inside the premises.
All Pakistan Private Schools Management Association President Adeeb Jawdani said that Farooqi was an active and respected member of the association. “His school is one of the prominent schools in the city. This may be a conspiracy against him,” he said.
National Commission of Peace and Justice (NCJP) Chief Executive Peter Jacob said that it had become too easy to accuse someone of blasphemy and the police and the state must ensure that those making false allegations are prosecuted. “Until those who accuse others falsely and take the law into their own hands are brought to book, such incidents cannot be prevented,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2012.
COMMENTS (84)
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Do these people have nothing better to do??
@ Dr Tiwari Though being a Pakistani and loving my roots, I feel ashamed of what our society has emerged into due to ignorence, intolerance and extremism in our thoughts. However, in my opinion changin the law wont help. Moreover, this is definitely not what ISLAM's teachings are, its what this society has made up out of it.
@Israr: "This is NOT the way of Islam. Its only been the way of Zia-ism after 1979. Pakistan was never like this before that. There was no blasphemy, no Taliban and no religious extremism."
I endorse your views, But all are responsible to let it happen. Society is infected . Still no concrete efforts initiated to eradicate systematization to extremist ideology.
"I hear only what I want to hear" and now you will teach me only what I want to learn
How come people have so much free time on their hands?see the huge crowd in the picture...
@Akbar: Could you separate Muslim with Islam? Pakistan constitution says that it is an Islamic Country. Muslims are free to practice their religion any where in the world, including India. Therefore there was no need for a separate country.
@Ali: What do we expect in a country where people are glamorized for killing socalled blasphmers? I do not like what that Ghazi did and now is repeated time and again. Seems like these people are looking for an easy way to get to heaven.
Religion of peace at its best!
I am sure its a personnal grudge of Madarssa admin against the school as madarssa can not attract many students if normal schools are operating in the area. We might see more of these incidences to get rid of proper schools and spread madarssa education.
@Israr: And the country still allows Zia's son to participate in Pakistan politics. It just doesn't make sense.He should be afraid (read as embarrassed!) to even show his face.
and why is no one talking about the REAL blasphemy and how they are planning to raze holy sites in Mecca to the ground for expansion. NOW thats blasphemous.
It is extremely unlikely that anyone would ever commit blasphemy in Pakistan knowingly especially keeping in mind how dangerous it is. How then can people be so STUPID and BLIND as to think that this is real? First our nation persecutes innocent children, and minorities- the weak and the helpless, and now they've moved onto persecuting teachers and educators. what do they want? Its obvious they want Pakistan to regress to the dark ages so that nobody can think for themselves and everybody behaves like robots for the taliban to control. this is how bad the situation is, this is the level of taliban influence. Just ebcause you may not have experienced it personally does not mean its not happening. Look around you and take notice- do something- unite in protest, like people did in Zia's time, REJECT THIS MOB-MINDEDNESS AND SENSELESS VIOLENCE.
Looking at the picture above one's mind is assailed by such questions :
Who has taught these youngsters , our future generation , the violent and extremist
behaviour ? Some evils forces desceding from Mars or sent by Raw and Mosad ?
Obviouslly , we ourselves are responsible for filling their minds with hatred .
And what is the police doing ? Applauding the voilent and criminal behaviour of these
youngters misguided by their parents and elders ?
Given this state of our yougsters, what hope is there that our society will ever be rid
of extremism violence and bigatory ?
@Nitish: There is some heated argument is going on b/w native and nonresidential pakistani.LOL… It should be read as"There is some heated discussion is going on b/w native and nonresidential pakistani.LOL…
Arrest all the protesters and the organisers at once .
If pilice has failed the civil administration should be assisted by the army .
Yes ,this is the way of Islam . ..........
"Mob justice'' ......
Economic rivalary between Jaahil of madarssas and educated of schools .
Let's ignite this rivalry all over the Pakistan .
A mutation is required .
Give a shape to secular Pakistan . TIME IS RIPED ENOUGH ?
I will recommend some paki commentators on ET to visit TOI.Many of the pakistani commentator there blatantly favoring the mob's act of burning girls school.Some of them even arguing with some verse of quran stating there is no need to educate girls.There is some heated argument is going on b/w native and nonresidential pakistani.LOL...
@Beatle:
Overseas Pakistanis could stop supporting PTI if they don't want this to continue. I know, not a big step or anything, but it's the least you could do from your comfort zone.
Have a personal feud with anyone? Scream "blasphemy" and they'll be done in no time. Sadly, that's what it's come to - this nation has zero respect for human life, civility or religion.
You call your self Pir Belleh Shah :) how ironic , he was a blasphemous himself to some extent and look at the aggression you have , you are saying kill everything till last muslim s alive ... @Pir Bulleh Shah:
So senseless. Blasphemy laws have taken Pakistan to the dark ages. It's basically the Muslim version of the Salem witch hunts. MOVE FORWARD PEOPLE! Come into the 21st Century. If someone blasphemes, I'm sure God is more than capable of punishing them himself...why do so many feel the need to meet out punishment themselves? Perhaps they desire to be gods themselves....
Excuse my ignorance but I don't understand from the story what was done by the teacher that was offensive? And protesters not even knowing what they are protesting. The police afraid or unwilling to stop the protest. This is a crazy story. Mob justice? That is not justice. That is a violation of justice. All the protesters should be arrested. They are the ones who commuted crimes. You need to control your emotions and use logic. Peace can not be with violence.
ha ha ha Pakistanis are barbarians.
What kind of society assembles at 1a.m to participate in silly protests? Seems like these people have nothing better to do and look forward to committing acts of mayhem and violence in the name of religion.
@Tariq Khan: Yes and this is our country, don't you ever forget it! Your likes are parasites who have been ruling over us through deceit since independence. Your time is over. Now the Sunni majority will dictate the limits of discourse.
Your laws are crazy!!!
@Majority: PHIR PAKISTAN KA ALLAH HI HAFIZ.
awesome.............go pakistan go!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How come all these "religious protests" in Pakistan remind me of scenes from zombie movies?
It is ALL commercial and economic issue. The matters has been concocted by the competetors of this school in the neighborhood, of which the said Madrasa is also one.
people i'm a student of this school and i know that our principal is innocent. he is an extremely religious man.he loves the prophet very much and he has taught us all to do the same. do you think that a well educated, intelligent and sane person could come up with this blasphemy project? our school has had an excellent reputation for decades and everyone in the area knows that its a conspiracy against the principal n that he's innocent. it's the teacher who's not. the protests you saw on tv were not by the students or parents but by people from areas far away coming here to burn things up. and of course all those who conspired against our sir. Sir should be released. he has no hand in this.
Ghazi Ilm uddin birth anniversary celebrated with zeal and high spirits.
@Aviator: Yes, this is exactly the way of islam
After Terrorism new Craze in Pakistan.... blasphemy tournament
I could not find about what really happened which lead to protests. I think there is an underworld who are operating in the name of religion. They do not care about society and humanity. These protest instigators are always in hunt of such issues so they could demonstrate their frustration.
Why don't more Muslims speak out against the wanton destruction of Mecca's holy sites? Saudi Arabia's Wahabists are tearing down buildings that have links to the Prophet and replacing them with skyscrapers and shopping malls. No clerics has taken any action against them. Where it seems this is real blasphemy. Please see the link of the article:
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/why-dont-more-muslims-speak-out-against-the-wanton-destruction-of-meccas-holy-sites-8229682.html
@bukhari: there must be a glimmer of hope in this country left if kids like you are still there using their brains.
'The MNA for the area, Bilal Yasin of the PML-N, visited the scene and urged the protesters not to take the law into their hands.'
Typical PML-N supporters what else do you expect.
To create Pakistan our Quaid was only able to galvanise and unite the Muslim masses by using the slogan of Islam and Muslim being under threat. He had to abandon his initial view point of a united post British India.
I do not believe Pakistan can be a secular country when its creation was based on a non-secular movement.
Don’t get me wrong I would love for Pakistan to be non-secular but I don’t think it is possible for Pakistan to be anything other than an Islamic republic.
Being an Islamic republic does not however mean we have to be imposing regressive laws such as the Blasphemy law.
It will be hard to do away with such a law completely, as we can all see how easy it is to incite the masses against a perceived threat to Islam. We can however fine tune it to something more humane.
I am a student of Farooqi Grammar School, a branch of Farooqi Girls School Karim Park Lahore which was burnt. Farooqi Grammar School, Farooqi Kids Campus & Farooqi Girls School were burnt & ransacked (robbed). I know the real story!
These all blames are wrong. The Principal is a very learned, educated & pious man. He can never think of any blasphemy. This is just a conspiracy. I would say that these protesting Maulvis & extremists are the real enemies of Islam. Now my school is burnt, it is closed. My education has stopped. This is what they Maulvis wanted! NO EDUCATION!
This has very little to do with religion but a lot to do with the misuse of a Law that no one has the courage to amend, so that it is not misused.
People are blaming Gen. Zia for present mess and mentality in Pakistan and hesitate to accept the reality . In this age of information nothing can remain closed ,every thing will be open and will be subjected to criticism . Let other say their views on any issue . Only trueth will ultimatly prevail in the blogosphere . Law of blasphemy will do much harm to Islamic society than a Kafir .
"The blasphemy charges stem from comments allegedly written by Iftikhar in a class 6 student’s notebook while checking a homework assignment to translate a passage about the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) from English to Urdu."
Ever considered lost in translation
this is total bakwas! no one knows what happened... or what the blasphemy was, just stirred up the crowd and off they went! 200 policemen couldnt stop this! what rot!! and i'd like to know what was so blasphemous anyway!
@bukhari: You are fighting a losing battle. :(
Most of the commentators who understand your point of view here, are Indians.
Back to business as usual in this damn country!
@Pir Bulleh Shah: You are using the name Bulley Shah and talking about Intolerance??. It seems you forgot even the basic teachings of religion and tell me how come you would call Religion Islam as a Religion of Peace when you will show this Attitude.?? I cannot understand that followers of one Religion chant most of the time that we are the only ones spreading peace but unfortunately if you would see any Islamic country then they are the most intolerant and peace is non existent in them. Your statement is like a Slogan i once saw in a protest that Kill those who say Islam is violent as we are followers of peace!!!!
Do you know anything about real islam ? @Pir Bulleh Shah:
@Shaid No one knows including the protesters@observer: thanks its true..
@p r sharma: thanks for understanding this point...thanks...
The reporter has failed to report that what has actually happened. ET should also report the real incident not only it's after effects. Just filling pappers and using thrilling words is not journalism. Please respect your profession.
Whatever else needs to be fixed but any insult to the Prophet (PBUH), of any kind by anybody can never be accepted till the last Muslim is alive.
aoa i m an old student of this school i never heard any thing which could be taken as blasphemy there..it may be a trap because people their were really jaelous of our school.our principal taught us to recite DAROOD pak throught-our way to our examination centre for matric exams.and we did this practise.how can such a man who taught us to belive can be a blasphemer its directly a plan against him and the girls school.please condemn it because this will really destroy the education if people will start making such issues and accusations against teachers to grind their own axe.
Seems like Lahore will become a new Kabul in the coming days.
..what was written in the notebook..the cause of all this???
We are back in the dark ages. This is mob rule, anarchy and religious hysteria. The govt has to exert its authority but useless to expect that from the Punjab govt which shares the sentiments of the mob!
@Akbar: "...It was Zia-ul-haq who sparked this stupidity of calling Pakistan an Islamic republic..."
And Zia-ul-Haq was not a Pakistani ? And the people he ruled over for so many years were not Pakistanis ? And people who regularly and happily tolerate being ruled over by military dictators are not Pakistanis ? And people who didn't protest against genocide in East Pakistan in 1970-71 were not Pakistanis ? And people who cheered while watching on TV as Taliban bombed Bamiyan Buddha were not Pakistanis ? And people who planned, created, financed, trained Taliban were not Pakistanis ?
Nonsense people
Education is necessary but some people are so modern that they eve disrespect the Prophets of Allah? Amazing education!!!
The Farooqi Girls High School, which was set up in 1978 and has two other branches, has a good academic record, with one of its students coming second in the humanities group in the last set of matriculation results announced by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education.
Apparently the school is guilty of Double Blasphemy,
A. Teaching Girls.
B. Teaching them well.
Absolutely unacceptable according to, Abdullah Saqib, the vice principal of Jamia Kareemia Sadidia, a religious school in the same area.
PS- Will Mr Khan plese come and isolate the 'hardcore deologues' from the general public?
@ Beatle
Please do explain them the role media plays in hyping things as well. Just to give you an example, A protest was being held in karachi in front of KESC office. Geo News journalist asked the kids to burn tyres if they wanted their video made.
But incidents like these at any level are appalling. - OS Pakistani
What was the note, what are the blasphemy charges.. ET please
@Dr.A.K.Tewari and all the other people who will feel the need of bringing the Blasphemy law into this, please explain how abolishing blasphemy law will ensure people won't protest or vandalise. Stop makiing connections because the news has a word "Blasphemly" in it.
@Dr.A.K.Tewari Pakistan did not come into existence under the pretext of Islam, but rather as a state for Muslims, where muslims would be able to practice their religion freely as would those of other religions. The founding fathers made it clear that Pakistan was not an islamic state. It was Zia-ul-haq who sparked this stupidity of calling Pakistan an Islamic republic.
My heart groans on...
Lets pray that these events should not compel the Government of Pakistan to repeal or modify the Blasphemy Law ! Educate people, make investigation thorough, do whatever is required.... but blasphemy law is here to stay in Pakistan and we as a majority totally support it.
@Truth: This is NOT the way of Islam. Its only been the way of Zia-ism after 1979. Pakistan was never like this before that. There was no blasphemy, no Taliban and no religious extremism. I really wish you could see the Pakistan before Zia. And I wish even more we could find a way to roll back what Zia's regime did in the name of religion.
From the news report, it is not clear what exactly was the offence that made it blasphemous. Perhaps, does even reporting verbatim the offence itself constitute blasphemy? It looks like there is no dearth people in Pakistan out to go on a destruction spree at the drop of a hat! What can one say about the regular repetition of anti-social acts in the name of religion? Does Islam need protection from insane mobs or freedom from them?
Another drama under blasphemy umbrella
We, the overseas Pakistanis living amongst variety of nationalities really feel ashamed of such incidents, and have nothing to reply to the quiries of our non-Pakistani friends and colleagues.
ripleys believe it or not "only in pakistan"
@Aviator Read your history. This IS the way of Islam.
You'll find very few examples in which some ruler exercised his better judgement on some specific occasion, but this is how its always been.
See the society that has evolved in Pakistan under the exclusive inpact of ISLAM for the last 64 years . Even the educated persons are religiosly so blind that on the name of religion they can do any thing . It is due to such mentality the Pakistan has came in to existance and will vanish due to it . There is no need of blasphamy law . Man protected religion is no more a religion . A true religion needs no protection, it is protected by god himself .
How can a six year old commit blasphemy? When you teach rubbish to kids they're bound to make mistakes in reproducing it. There is no law and order in this screwed up country. The school should have been protected by lethal force. But what can people do when the enforcers of the law also subscribe to this mindless ideology?
Burning schools,threatening to kill educationists,is this the religion of peace?
Another proud achievement for the faithful in the Islamic republic of pakistan.
This is the real Pakistan.These people represent the regressive mentality of the majority of our people.All those bleeding heart apologists making excuses by claiming that it's only a minority that's extremist.No,it's the majority that is bigoted,intolerant and fond of violence. The school teacher and the principal need to be given protection,otherwise the hordes of savages will murder them as they've murdered countless people over the decades for the glory of religion. And the apologists need to wake up and stop making excuses for these people.Have the courage to call a spade a spade.
Anyone and everyone these days seems to be a blasphemer, society seems gripped in a crazed witch-hunt. Is this the way of Islam?