Protests staged against offensive caricatures

Hundreds of people take to the streets in Faisalabad.

FAISALABAD/ BHAKKAR: Hundreds of people came together to protest against publication of offensive caricatures by French magazine Charlie Hebdo.

The protests were organised by various religious organisations. The protesters carried placards inscribed with slogans against the publication of the caricatures. They condemned the publishing of the caricatures and said they would not hesitate to sacrifice their lives to protect the honour, prestige and esteem of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him (PBUH).

Tehreek-i-Ahle Sunnat chairman Qazi Muhammad Faiz Rasool Rizvi said non-Muslim residents of western countries had tested the patience of Muslims by having the temerity to publish the caricatures. He said they had conspired to incense Muslims by publishing the caricatures in an effort to alter the ideology of Islam. Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam Faisalabad president Abdus Shakoor Rizvi condemned the publication of the offensive caricatures. He said anti-Islam elements should stop hatching such conspiracies or be ready to face the music.  Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam district ameer Syed Muhammad Zakariya, addressing another rally, said Charlie Hebdo had hurt the sentiments of Muslims once again by publishing the offensive caricatures on the pretext of freedom of speech. He said such antics could spark another world war.  Separately scores of students from the Punjab Medical College came together on Friday to stage a protest demonstration against the publication of offensive caricatures by French magazine Charlie Hebdo. The demonstrators marched from the college to Allied Mor where they staged a sit-in. They carried placards inscribed with statements against the French publication. Pakistan Medical Association general secretary Muhammad Irfan condemned the publication of the caricatures.  Irfan warned Americans and Zionists from hurting the sentiments of Muslims across the world on the pretext of media freedom. He said press freedom and freedom of speech were not absolute. Irfan said these could not be used to denigrate religious beliefs of others. He urged the government to break relations with France over the episode. Separately, thousands staged a protest demonstration in Bhakkar.

The demonstrators marched from Masjid Umer Farooq to the Old Ghalla Mandi. The speakers said blasphemy should be declared a universal crime. They said the government should not hold religion hostage at the behest of anti-Islam powers.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2015.