JI demands parliament take up blasphemy issue
Secretary General Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Syed Munawar Hassan has demanded that the issue of blasphemous caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) should be debated in the National and provincial assemblies, and strong resolution should be passed to severe diplomatic ties with the countries involved in these blasphemous acts.
Addressing a big Shaan-e-Mustafa (PBUH) rally here on Sunday, he said that these cartoons were published in 17 Danish newspapers to provoke the Muslims the world over.
Munawar Hassan asked the people to be aware of their enemies, present in the county and outside. He added that the United States and its allies had been invading Muslim countries like Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine, adding, their hands were stained with the blood of millions of innocent Muslims. “Sometimes they attack Muslims in the name of modernisation and secularism; sometimes they launch a war on the pretext of terror and sometimes for the freedom of expression,” he added.
Munawar Hassan said that these so-called champions of freedom of expression had double standards, adding: “They do not allow even a single statement against the Holocaust or Jews, but freely commit blasphemies against Islam and Muslims”. He said that though Muslims had weak rulers, they could not tolerate any blasphemy against their religion.
“While condemning these blasphemies we should follow the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in letter and spirit and mould our lives accordingly. This is the only way to fight these blasphemies,” he added.
The JI Secretary General predicted that the Western civilization was headed towards collapse, saying that the unity of Western counties to attack Muslim lands and using deadly bombs and weapons against their civilian population depicts the state of their moral character.
He said some rulers of Muslim counties feel no shame in declaring Muslims as terrorists, but they have no guts to call such journalists (committing blasphemy) even extremists.
He demanded of the government to sever all ties with the countries involved in this conspiracy. He also asked the people to boycott the goods from these countries.
JI Amir (Sindh) Asadullah Bhutto said that the new government had taken oath under the Constitution and as such they should protect the Islamic ideology. He regretted that no assembly had yet passed any resolution against these blasphemous acts.
He asked Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to respect the sentiments of Pakistani people.
A large number of people, including women, participated in the march and chanted slogans against the blasphemous acts. Carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans against blasphemous caricatures, they demanded of the government to sever ties with the countries involved in the matter. They also burnt the flags of certain countries.
The rally participants also passed resolutions against electricity load-shedding in Karachi, the volatile law and order situation and inflation. They also demanded the restoration of judiciary and reinstatement of judges.
JI Amir (Karachi) Muhammad Hussain Mehnati, Habib Junaidi of PPP, PML-N leader and former Sindh governor Mamnoon Hussain, Siddique Rathore, Shabbir Abu Talib of JUP, Jaffar Subhani of Islami Tehreek and others also spoke on the occasion.
Source: The News
Date:4/7/2008
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