40,000 protest blasphemy law change in Pakistan: police

mohib · Jan 9, 2011

KARACHI: More than 40,000 people rallied in Karachi on Sunday, police said, against the controversial reform of a blasphemy law that was behind the killing of a senior politician.
Religious groups blocked a main thoroughfare in Karachis teeming metropolis holding banners in support of the police commando who shot dead Punjab governor Salman Taseer on Tuesday over his views in favour of the laws amendment.
Taseer had called for reform of the blasphemy law that was recently used to sentence a Christian woman to death. But his outspoken liberal stance offended the countrys increasingly powerful conservative religious base.
Mumtaz Qadri is not a murderer, he is a hero, said one banner in the national Urdu language in support of the man who carried out Pakistans most high-profile political killing in three years.
We salute the courage of Qadri, said another.
There are at least 40,000 people here, senior police official Mohammad Ashfaq told AFP, watching over a sea of protesters bellowing slogans in favour of jihad and waving the flags of religious parties.
Another senior police official confirmed the number and said some 3,000 police officers were guarding the event, which had forced the closure of businesses and roads in the area.
Rally leader Qari Ahsaan, from the banned Islamist group Jamaat ud Dawa, addressed the crowd from a stage.
We cant compromise on the blasphemy law. Its a divine law and nobody can change it, Ahsaan told the masses.
Our belief in the sanctity of our prophet is firm and uncompromising and we cannot tolerate anyone who blasphemes. Whoever blasphemes will face the same fate as Salman Taseer, 40-year-old labourer Abdul Rehman told AFP at the rally.
Controversy over the law flared when former information minister Sherry Rehman tabled a bill in November calling to end the death penalty for blasphemy, after Christian mother-of-five Asia Bibi was sentenced to hang.
Rights activists also say the law encourages Islamist extremism in a nation already beseiged by Taliban attacks.
Rehman spoke to AFP from her heavily-guarded home in Karachi on Sunday and said she would not be cowed by the protest.
They cant silence me its not any extreme position like a repeal bill, its very rational. They cant decide what we think or speak, these are man-made laws, said Rehman.
Politicians and conservative clerics have been at loggerheads over whether President Asif Ali Zardari should pardon Asia Bibi.
Pakistan has yet to execute anyone for blasphemy, but Bibis case has exposed the deep faultlines in the conservative country.
Bibi was arrested in June 2009 after Muslim women labourers refused to drink from a bowl of water she was asked to fetch while out working in the fields.
Days later, the women complained that she made derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). Bibi was set upon by a mob, arrested by police and sentenced on November 8.
Memorial services for Governor Taseer
Christian groups held memorial services in the Punjab cities of Lahore and the capital Islamabad on Sunday to honour the assassinated Muslim governor Taseer.
Bishop Alexander John Malik led a rare gathering of 300 Christians at a cathedral in the eastern city of Lahore.
He was a voice for the oppressed section of society. We dedicate this day to him, Malik said, before leading prayers for the governor.
Most of those convicted of blasphemy in Pakistan have their sentences overturned or commuted on appeal through the courts.
Rights activists and pressure groups say it is the first time that a woman has been sentenced to hang in Pakistan for blasphemy.
Fazal ur Rehman cautions government
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman has alleged that attempts at amending the blaphemy law are part of a foreign agenda. He cautioned the government to refrain from acting against the will of the masses.
Addressing a public gathering in Karachi, the JUI Chief said the government should carefully weigh its steps if it considers making any changes in the blasphemy law. He added that no Muslim would ever be willing to allow the government to bring any change to this law.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/101294/20000-protest-blasphemy-law-change-in-pakistan-police/

R.A.W.K · Jan 10, 2011

mohib said:
KARACHI: More than 40,000 people rallied in Karachi on Sunday, police said, against the controversial reform of a blasphemy law that was behind the killing of a senior politician.
Religious groups blocked a main thoroughfare in Karachi’s teeming metropolis holding banners in support of the police commando who shot dead Punjab governor Salman Taseer on Tuesday over his views in favour of the law’s amendment.
Taseer had called for reform of the blasphemy law that was recently used to sentence a Christian woman to death. But his outspoken liberal stance offended the country’s increasingly powerful conservative religious base.
“Mumtaz Qadri is not a murderer, he is a hero,” said one banner in the national Urdu language in support of the man who carried out Pakistan’s most high-profile political killing in three years.
“We salute the courage of Qadri,” said another.
“There are at least 40,000 people here,” senior police official Mohammad Ashfaq told AFP, watching over a sea of protesters bellowing slogans in favour of “jihad” and waving the flags of religious parties.
Another senior police official confirmed the number and said some 3,000 police officers were guarding the event, which had forced the closure of businesses and roads in the area.
Rally leader Qari Ahsaan, from the banned Islamist group Jamaat ud Dawa, addressed the crowd from a stage.
“We can’t compromise on the blasphemy law. It’s a divine law and nobody can change it,” Ahsaan told the masses.
“Our belief in the sanctity of our prophet is firm and uncompromising and we cannot tolerate anyone who blasphemes. Whoever blasphemes will face the same fate as Salman Taseer,” 40-year-old labourer Abdul Rehman told AFP at the rally.
Controversy over the law flared when former information minister Sherry Rehman tabled a bill in November calling to end the death penalty for blasphemy, after Christian mother-of-five Asia Bibi was sentenced to hang.
Rights activists also say the law encourages Islamist extremism in a nation already beseiged by Taliban attacks.
Rehman spoke to AFP from her heavily-guarded home in Karachi on Sunday and said she would not be cowed by the protest.
“They can’t silence me… it’s not any extreme position like a repeal bill, it’s very rational. They can’t decide what we think or speak, these are man-made laws,” said Rehman.
Politicians and conservative clerics have been at loggerheads over whether President Asif Ali Zardari should pardon Asia Bibi.
Pakistan has yet to execute anyone for blasphemy, but Bibi’s case has exposed the deep faultlines in the conservative country.
Bibi was arrested in June 2009 after Muslim women labourers refused to drink from a bowl of water she was asked to fetch while out working in the fields.
Days later, the women complained that she made derogatory remarks about the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). Bibi was set upon by a mob, arrested by police and sentenced on November 8.
Memorial services for Governor Taseer
Christian groups held memorial services in the Punjab cities of Lahore and the capital Islamabad on Sunday to honour the assassinated Muslim governor Taseer.
Bishop Alexander John Malik led a rare gathering of 300 Christians at a cathedral in the eastern city of Lahore.
“He was a voice for the oppressed section of society. We dedicate this day to him,” Malik said, before leading prayers for the governor.
Most of those convicted of blasphemy in Pakistan have their sentences overturned or commuted on appeal through the courts.
Rights activists and pressure groups say it is the first time that a woman has been sentenced to hang in Pakistan for blasphemy.
Fazal ur Rehman cautions government
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman has alleged that attempts at amending the blaphemy law are part of a foreign agenda. He cautioned the government to refrain from acting against the will of the masses.
Addressing a public gathering in Karachi, the JUI Chief said the government should carefully weigh its steps if it considers making any changes in the blasphemy law. He added that no Muslim would ever be willing to allow the government to bring any change to this law.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/101294/20000-protest-blasphemy-law-change-in-pakistan-police/

only 40,000 now isnt that a shame for a city over 20 million, mostly muslims

FlyHigh · Jan 10, 2011

Its not a shame, shame would have been if more people would have showed up. This shows like all the elections people are still refusing to have religion trusted down their throats....Read the history of Muslim countries in the last 60 years.....Muslim Brotherhood in Eygpt; Libya; syria and Lebanon; Alegeria in the 90's; somalia, Afghanistan and don't forget Sudan which (it looks it will happen) cut itself in two pieces because they wanted to shove religion down non-muslims throats; and how can we forget Nigeria. Enjoy yourself in the UK a secular nations, while to wish our country becomes another Afghnistan.

mrbaig · Jan 10, 2011

FlyHigh said:
Its not a shame, shame would have been if more people would have showed up. This shows like all the elections people are still refusing to have religion trusted down their throats....Read the history of Muslim countries in the last 60 years.....Muslim Brotherhood in Eygpt; Libya; syria and Lebanon; Alegeria in the 90's; somalia, Afghanistan and don't forget Sudan which (it looks it will happen) cut itself in two pieces because they wanted to shove religion down non-muslims throats; and how can we forget Nigeria. Enjoy yourself in the UK a secular nations, while to wish our country becomes another Afghnistan.

Jawab nahin,kiya khuli khuli bat kahi hey.Shabash(clap)

shaheedchoudry · Jan 10, 2011

Good Job. Hats off to those who are standing up and speaking out against this injustice. To all 40000 people who attended that rally............Thank you

rolnrol · Jan 10, 2011

FlyHigh said:
Its not a shame, shame would have been if more people would have showed up. This shows like all the elections people are still refusing to have religion trusted down their throats....Read the history of Muslim countries in the last 60 years.....Muslim Brotherhood in Eygpt; Libya; syria and Lebanon; Alegeria in the 90's; somalia, Afghanistan and don't forget Sudan which (it looks it will happen) cut itself in two pieces because they wanted to shove religion down non-muslims throats; and how can we forget Nigeria. Enjoy yourself in the UK a secular nations, while to wish our country becomes another Afghnistan.

You forgot to mention that many muslims doctors engineers and intellectuals moved from the west to afganistan when they implemented sharia to help and live free. Afganistan did not attack uk or ussr or usa but they were attacked. so keep the facts straight. wishing about making pakistan like Afghanistan is only a wish so far. Afghanistan is way way more gairatmand then pakistan. they did not hand over a muslim without proof to the superpower and we on the other hand sold our sister and selling many muslims day in and day out. our gov eat from the blood of poor people supari lete hain muslamoon ko marne ki . i guess they are not getting enough money by selling pakistan so they have decided to sell Deen.

salaam · Jan 10, 2011

DAWN IS RUNNING AN EXCELLENT REPORT ON MANY RELIGIOUS MINORITIES OF PAKISTAN. I ENCOURAGE ALL TO VISIT THE SITE AND READ THE ARTICLES. FOLLOWING IS ONE OF THE ARTICLES REGARDING HINDU MINORITY OF PAKISTAN.

KARACHI: The legend is almost as old as the Indus River, Lord Shiva and his consort Sati, daughter of King Dakhsha, were vexed by Sati’s father for not inviting them for a ceremony. Sati went to the ceremony uninvited and in return was ignored. She was hurt by the behavior that she sacrificed herself in the fires and was burnt alive. Upon hearing the fate of his love, Lord Shiva went mad and began chaos on earth.
In order to help Lord Shiva deal with his grief, Lord Vishnu cut Sati’s body in 12 pieces and scattered them across the earth where her head fell upon Hingol. Wherever the pieces of Sati’s body fell became Shakti Peethas, holy places of cosmic power, for all gods and worshippers.
Hingol is not a legend – as a matter of fact – today it is known as Hingol National Park and lies almost 170 km outside of Karachi in Balochistan. Sati’s head fell by Hinglaj Matajee Temple located inside a natural cave of a hill which is a holy pilgrimage site for the 2.5 million Hindus in Pakistan, although many feel the numbers have doubled in the last decade, and more than 90 per cent of them live in the Sindh province.
Hindus are the third religious group, after Muslim and Christians, and Hinduism is considered the indigenous religion of the sub-continent by local and international historians, which is not far from the truth.
There are over 40 Hindu temples across Pakistan, and in Sindh alone there are almost 30 temples in Karachi and interior Sindh.
Many Hindu families are indigenous to the land and some claim to have been for centuries. Over the centuries, empire after empire, some families facing persecution converted to Islam but others have remained Hindus.
“The Hindu community is not protected here,” said Dr. Raj Motwani, a general physician who sits as the Vice President for Shree Ratneshwar Mahadev Welfare Shewa Mandly, a committee for the Hindu community in Karachi. “I remember that Lee Market, Bolton Market, Nagam Colony, and Food Street belonged to Hindu families that lived there for decades before Pakistan’s existence.”
“We never left this land – people migrated here,” he said. “We are still here – fighting for what we deserve as humans.”
During the 1947 partition, almost 15 million Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims left Pakistan for India and vice versa but some families stayed behind because they considered the land in Pakistan their home. More than half a million people died during the migration.
“Everyone knows the truth, but we cannot speak it out loud,” he said. “The minute that we speak up – we are automatically accused of being part of an enemy intelligence agency and we can get questioned without any legal support.”
Most Hindus families come from lower class backgrounds and those that live in rural areas like interior Sindh are forced into bonded labour by influential landlords. In the past few years, kidnappings have increased among the Hindus, for ransom and women, who are kidnapped and then convert to Islam, have been reported but with no real legal repercussions from the local government.
“The Hindu community is not protected here,” repeated Dr. Motwani. “The converting is explainable; once a girl is kidnapped the men have their way with her and she knows that she won’t be accepted back into her community so she converts and becomes a servant- girl for the men or the family that kidnapped her – tragic but the culture in interior Sindh is traditional, especially when it comes to women.”
The constitution clearly states that religious minorities have many rights and freedom however in the political system Hindus, Christians and Sikhs are still treated as second-class citizens.
After General Pervez Musharraf took power, he wanted to remove the separate electorate system put in place by the former dictator General Ziaul-Haq.
The separate electorate system limited non-Muslims to only vote for candidates from their own religion – the government had a reserved number of seats for minorities in the provincial and national assemblies.
General Musharraf and many others felt that it limited Muslim candidates from reaching out to minority groups to solve the major problem in their communities. He was thwarted in his efforts and many minorities felt that the removal of the policy would not have made a difference in their communities.
“I have friends of all faiths in Pakistan – friendships made up of decades,” mentioned Dr. Motwani. “But that is not the problem – the system is the problem; a small example, the Hindu Gymkhana has finally been given back to us after so many years spent in court yet the management is Muslim and we still do not have a safe place to congregate and celebrate our holidays. Who do I go to for help? a MPA or an MNA – not possible.”
Since the recent attack on the Shah Ghazi Shrine, the security at mandirs across Karachi has tightened but it has not stopped Hindu worshippers from making their offerings to their gods and goddesses who wait patiently for their prayers of better days ahead.

Just_one · Jan 10, 2011

FlyHigh said:
Its not a shame, shame would have been if more people would have showed up. This shows like all the elections people are still refusing to have religion trusted down their throats....Read the history of Muslim countries in the last 60 years.....Muslim Brotherhood in Eygpt; Libya; syria and Lebanon; Alegeria in the 90's; somalia, Afghanistan and don't forget Sudan which (it looks it will happen) cut itself in two pieces because they wanted to shove religion down non-muslims throats; and how can we forget Nigeria. Enjoy yourself in the UK a secular nations, while to wish our country becomes another Afghnistan.

Good point. These 40,000 are ignorant, brainwashed zoombies who have given up their humanity in support of a killer.

gazoomartian · Jan 10, 2011

rolnrol said:
You forgot to mention that many muslims doctors engineers and intellectuals moved from the west to afganistan when they implemented sharia to help and live free. Afganistan did not attack uk or ussr or usa but they were attacked. so keep the facts straight. wishing about making pakistan like Afghanistan is only a wish so far. Afghanistan is way way more gairatmand then pakistan. they did not hand over a muslim without proof to the superpower and we on the other hand sold our sister and selling many muslims day in and day out. our gov eat from the blood of poor people supari lete hain muslamoon ko marne ki . i guess they are not getting enough money by selling pakistan so they have decided to sell Deen.

agreed 100%

gazoomartian · Jan 10, 2011

salaam said:
DAWN IS RUNNING AN EXCELLENT REPORT ON MANY RELIGIOUS MINORITIES OF PAKISTAN. I ENCOURAGE ALL TO VISIT THE SITE AND READ THE ARTICLES. FOLLOWING IS ONE OF THE ARTICLES REGARDING HINDU MINORITY OF PAKISTAN.

KARACHI: The legend is almost as old as the Indus River, Lord Shiva and his consort Sati, daughter of King Dakhsha, were vexed by Satis father for not inviting them for a ceremony. Sati went to the ceremony uninvited and in return was ignored. She was hurt by the behavior that she sacrificed herself in the fires and was burnt alive. Upon hearing the fate of his love, Lord Shiva went mad and began chaos on earth.
In order to help Lord Shiva deal with his grief, Lord Vishnu cut Satis body in 12 pieces and scattered them across the earth where her head fell upon Hingol. Wherever the pieces of Satis body fell became Shakti Peethas, holy places of cosmic power, for all gods and worshippers.
Hingol is not a legend as a matter of fact today it is known as Hingol National Park and lies almost 170 km outside of Karachi in Balochistan. Satis head fell by Hinglaj Matajee Temple located inside a natural cave of a hill which is a holy pilgrimage site for the 2.5 million Hindus in Pakistan, although many feel the numbers have doubled in the last decade, and more than 90 per cent of them live in the Sindh province.
Hindus are the third religious group, after Muslim and Christians, and Hinduism is considered the indigenous religion of the sub-continent by local and international historians, which is not far from the truth.
There are over 40 Hindu temples across Pakistan, and in Sindh alone there are almost 30 temples in Karachi and interior Sindh.
Many Hindu families are indigenous to the land and some claim to have been for centuries. Over the centuries, empire after empire, some families facing persecution converted to Islam but others have remained Hindus.
The Hindu community is not protected here, said Dr. Raj Motwani, a general physician who sits as the Vice President for Shree Ratneshwar Mahadev Welfare Shewa Mandly, a committee for the Hindu community in Karachi. I remember that Lee Market, Bolton Market, Nagam Colony, and Food Street belonged to Hindu families that lived there for decades before Pakistans existence.
We never left this land people migrated here, he said. We are still here fighting for what we deserve as humans.
During the 1947 partition, almost 15 million Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims left Pakistan for India and vice versa but some families stayed behind because they considered the land in Pakistan their home. More than half a million people died during the migration.
Everyone knows the truth, but we cannot speak it out loud, he said. The minute that we speak up we are automatically accused of being part of an enemy intelligence agency and we can get questioned without any legal support.
Most Hindus families come from lower class backgrounds and those that live in rural areas like interior Sindh are forced into bonded labour by influential landlords. In the past few years, kidnappings have increased among the Hindus, for ransom and women, who are kidnapped and then convert to Islam, have been reported but with no real legal repercussions from the local government.
The Hindu community is not protected here, repeated Dr. Motwani. The converting is explainable; once a girl is kidnapped the men have their way with her and she knows that she wont be accepted back into her community so she converts and becomes a servant- girl for the men or the family that kidnapped her tragic but the culture in interior Sindh is traditional, especially when it comes to women.
The constitution clearly states that religious minorities have many rights and freedom however in the political system Hindus, Christians and Sikhs are still treated as second-class citizens.
After General Pervez Musharraf took power, he wanted to remove the separate electorate system put in place by the former dictator General Ziaul-Haq.
The separate electorate system limited non-Muslims to only vote for candidates from their own religion the government had a reserved number of seats for minorities in the provincial and national assemblies.
General Musharraf and many others felt that it limited Muslim candidates from reaching out to minority groups to solve the major problem in their communities. He was thwarted in his efforts and many minorities felt that the removal of the policy would not have made a difference in their communities.
I have friends of all faiths in Pakistan friendships made up of decades, mentioned Dr. Motwani. But that is not the problem the system is the problem; a small example, the Hindu Gymkhana has finally been given back to us after so many years spent in court yet the management is Muslim and we still do not have a safe place to congregate and celebrate our holidays. Who do I go to for help? a MPA or an MNA not possible.
Since the recent attack on the Shah Ghazi Shrine, the security at mandirs across Karachi has tightened but it has not stopped Hindu worshippers from making their offerings to their gods and goddesses who wait patiently for their prayers of better days ahead.

" Everyone knows the truth, but we cannot speak it out loud, he said. The minute that we speak up we are automatically accused of being part of an enemy intelligence agency and we can get questioned without any legal support.

Its true on both sides of the border, isnt it?

simple_and_peacefull · Jan 10, 2011

Fazal calls for withdrawal of BL bill in NA

Updated at: 0136 PST, Sunday, January 09, 2011
KARACHI: Chief JUI-F Maulana Fazlur Rehman has expressed demand of withdrawal of the private bill that was tabled in National Assembly seeking amendment in Blasphemy Law, Geo News reported Saturday.

Fazal termed governments action against religious institutions and Madaris, allegedly linked to the assassination of Salman Taseer, as bad intentions and nefarious designs.

This he said to a press conference here at a hotel after attending a meeting of the leaders of religious parties on Tahaffuz-e-Namoos-e-Risaalat organized by JUI-F.

Meeting was also attended by JI chief Syed Munawwar Hassan, Sahabzada Abul Khair Zubairi, Maulana Hafeez Jalandhari and others.

Later, talking to media, Maulana Fazal expressed his intolerance over actions being taken by government against religious institutions and Madaris in connection with assassination of Salman Taseer, warning the latter against strong reaction from people.

Citing the recent incidents of violence in Karachi, he linked the incidents with a conspiracy being hatched to discourage people who aim to take out rallies and hold conferences on Tahaffuz-e-Namoos-e-Risaalat.

A private bill tabled in National Assembly seeking amendment in Blasphemy Law should immediately be withdrawn, he demanded, urging president Asif Ali Zardari to dissolve committee which had been formed earlier to deliberate on the procedure of sentence in accordance with Blasphemy Law.

http://www.geo.tv/1-9-2011/76994.htm

basent · Jan 10, 2011

Re: Fazal calls for withdrawal of BL bill in NA

No comment ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

ourpakistan · Jan 11, 2011

Jamaat e Islami : Tahafuz e Namoos e Resalat Rally In Karachi

Love for Our Rasool Hazrat Muhammad S.A.W.

Speech of Maulana Fazl ur Rehman Sahib.

ourpakistan · Jan 11, 2011