Demonstrations and rallies: JI, PTI, Shia Ulema Council protest against controversial magazine

Jamaat-e-Islami to organise a march on January 25 against the publication

KARACHI: The Jamaat-e-Islami's former chief Munawar Hassan urged Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to break his silence over French magazine Charlie Hebdo's controversial cover for its January issue.

Speaking at a rally organised by his party's Karachi chapter on Sunday, Hassan said that Nawaz should record his protest at a government level.

Supporters and members of the party marched from Islamia College to Mazaar-e-Quaid to protest against the magazine's cover, which shows a caricature of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Carrying placards and shouting slogans against the West, they demanded that the government should cut off ties with the French and boycott all 'Western' products.



According to Hassan, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) was an important part of Islam. He said that the West wanted a clash of cultures and was trying to accomplish that.

JI Karachi chief Naeeumur Rehman, who was also present at the rally, said that the party will organise a march on January 25 against the publication of the magazine cover.

JI Karachi's general secretary Abdul Wahab, naib ameer of the party's Karachi chapter Osama Razi, the vice-president of the Church of Pakistan Emanuel Victor and the party's minority wing leader Younus Sohan were also present.

Other protests

Several people also gathered around Numaish Chowrangi to protest with the Shia Ulema Council against the publication of the controversial magazine cover. They were also protesting against targeted killings of people in their community.

They shouted slogans against the government as they claimed that it was not taking steps to arrest the killers.

Speaking at the protest, Maulana Shehenshah Hussain Naqvi said that more than 18 policemen and doctors had been killed in January. He added that the city's law and order situation was due to the failure of the Sindh government and law enforcement agencies.

Maulana Shabir Mesami claimed that this was the time for the government to step up. "It needs to ban some organisations so that society can benefit, not suffer further," he said.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's Karachi chapter also held a protest against Charlie Hebdo's controversial cover. The protesters marched from the press club to Bath Island where they were stopped by the police. Party leaders met with the French consul-general and submitted a memorandum demanding that the French government ban the satirical magazine.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2015.