Sunni Ittehad: Policing deviant thought
The group has declared that the blasphemy law must stay
The Sunni Itehad Council says that letting Aasia Bibi live is going to plunge the country into chaos. “Anarchy” will reign, as the boundaries of right and wrong are forever altered – all due to the unthinkable idea of allowing discretion in religion.
Discretion, after all, demands context.
It would not do for the Council to think about a poor woman, humiliated to the point of anger. It must have been blind rage that prompted words of bitterness against those more powerful than she. It would not do to wonder what religion was represented by people according to whom the vessel she touched was ‘unclean’. There are some things that you’re just not supposed to say, regardless of the provocation.
The truth is that no one really knows what Aasia Bibi said that day – not even the Qari who felt obliged to report the incident. This particular case, then, is one of “thought crime.” The rationale goes that if a maverick thought becomes pardonable, then nothing is inviolable. The Council’s insecurity therefore stems from a fear of having its moral authority questioned.
All this noise is not really about Aasia, or the tumult in a single life caused by a word let fly. It is about the precedent that this now high-profile case will set. For those who are riding their high horses against the idea of blasphemy, too much time has lapsed since a symbolic sacrifice was presented to the gods of principle. How dare she, or anyone else, distort something as beautiful as Islam?
The Sunni Itehad Council believes that people must be held accountable for what they think, say and do, especially when it will set a trend and affect so many others. What it has failed to note is the bigger thought crime, which originally drove Aasia to think that the religion championed by her accusers is cruel, condescending and unjust.
The idea that human dignity can be crushed by the heels of those who declare themselves to be morally and spiritually superior. Now, whoever came up with that one is truly beyond pardon.
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of The Express Tribune.
If they punish her, irrespective of whether she said anything or not, that will be a crime against God. I think the Sunni Itehad Council and all such “religious” councils/parties should be banned if Pakistan is actually an ally in the War on Terror.Recommend
Next thing we know – we will have the thought police like 1984….welcome to orwellistanRecommend
For Pakistan to become an Islamic state in spirit, it must separate religion from state affairs. Those who exercise the blasphemous laws must be tried for crimes against humanity.Recommend
I think both the parties in this case need self introspection,tolerance and have faith in the judicary. Let the court decide wether she is guility or not? Till have patience.Recommend
@Waqqas Iftikhar:
super like ur comment …..Recommend
All this debate about such laws , makes me laugh when i think about what Hazrat Mohammed (P.B.U.H) himself did to non believers who threw rubbish on him ? who called him names ? who made plans to kill him ? did he hanged them all ? did he chopped their heads of ?
NO he showed the mercy to the extent no one can ever imagine , and we the so called folllowers of islam think islam can be forced that way ? respect can be gained by fear ? did all those big bearded hypocrate mullas forgot what The Prophet (P.B.U.H) did himself in such situations ?
the biggest issue of our society, they dont think coz they are not taught to think they are only taught to do what they been told !Recommend
punishing a women in the name of religion is an indication of national pychology and it indicates menpowe and decline of wemenship ,it has been happening since day first that men can easily use religion for their own interests and dominency……we as muslims divided in million sects and proud of true followers of MUHAMMAD pbuh……pakistan is neither democratic nor theocratic …it is male dominent country where men are always considered to be devine right of interpreting islam…..for their own sack not for the true servicing of religion……….a divided nation on the basis of religion,ethnicity and geography is second nature of chaose……………..men are free interpreting what soever availe to them to capture and boost up their strenght…………….every individual even minorities have the the right to preach their rituals,,,,,,,,,,,Recommend
The purpose of giving punishment is actually to clean the person from the crime he or she has committed. Killing of one innocent person is like killing of all humanity. Islam is religion of peace, love and brotherhood and should be depicted as so – not by mullah or mulvis way of thinking to ensure their power and profits coming in. These outdated mullahs and mulvis need a big check and clear sign of stay away.Recommend
@Humanity. That comment is the best I’ve read regarding this issue. Succint yet so true.Recommend
@Waqqas Iftikhar: What’s “orwellistan”?Recommend
@saad…
1984 – the novel by George orwell was a depiction of a totalitarian state hell bent on restricting personal freedoms, it was written in 1948 by George Orwell, i was making a play on words here with orwellian and pakistan…..
i ‘ll get my coat then :D
@saud…thanks dude..Recommend
@ all who want pakistan to be not an islamic state
Regret to say that your dreams can never be achieved
Pakistan’s reason for existence is ISLAM so how can u say
separate islam from Pakistan.
If u can’t be a muslim then don’t try to advocate the laws that
are against Allah’s will. Whatever punishment Allah has declared for
a sin no man can deny this.Recommend
@Ayesha Hoda:
who gave you this authority to declare that if they give her punishment irrespective of whether she said anything or not,will go against the God
dear Ayesha, u don’t have any idea what are you saying?
u can’t interfere with Allah’s commands
and if you don’t know what are Allah’s commands, better know these before
you declare some verdicts in this AAsia bb’s case.Recommend
All mentioned comments in favor or against the accused committed rather being in state of morbid or mental disorder is up to H.C decision may handle it eloquently or evasively. but what to do our’s innocent public being played in the hands of ” Mullah Brigade” i also agreed with waqqas but someone tried not handle this hot issue this may suffer the whole nation in pandemonium & angst. I’m not going to dissident but repeal blasphemy law is not right,Recommend
Ms Ansari you have a way with words that is fantastic and you have got right down to the heart of this issue. I appreciate and agree with your view point.
The SIC and a lot of local political small fry who appear on TV talk shows have been hasty in committing themselves and playing to the gallery.
I sincerely hope that the senior judiciary and the law makers do the right thing.Recommend
Its all about supressing the weaker sections of the society. Sunni Ittehad Council is absolutely helpless against extremists who are blowing up shrines and killing Barelwi clerics in KP and FATA.Recommend
Malik said:
“Islam is religion of peace, love and brotherhood and should be depicted as so….”
I believe that to be true, Malik. I’ve seen that not only depicted, but demonstrated and embodied over and over in these pages I’ve been reading for several weeks here.
I’ve always had a vague sense that Islam is a religion of peace, despite the bad press it often gets here in the West, but now that belief is tremendously reinforced and solidified.
Having grown up in a very strict Christian environment, I am struck, after reading these pages, by the similarities I see between the dialogues Christians have amongst themselves and the dialogues Muslims have amongst themselves.
The content of what is being discussed is very different, of course, but the dynamic seems very similar to me, namely, an interplay between the forces of expansion and contraction, if you will.
Having a naturally expansive bent myself, and having grown up in an environment dedicated to contraction (and I don’t mean that in a derogatory way), I’ve had many years to mull over what is actually going on in this seeming tug-of-war.
At length, I’ve come to believe that the dialogue between the expansive and contractive forces is necessary, as they are compliments to each other.
The contractive forces protect the “seed energy” of the religion, and without that energy, there is no template to grow from.
The expansive forces propel that seed energy to reach up and grow towards the sun, creating more seeds for future growth. Without the expansive forces, the seed would remain alone in its shell in the ground.
The “conservatives” conserve something of value, I’ve come to believe, and respect, both about Christianity and, now, Islam. This outlook has not come at a cheap price, but I believe it has been worth it.
Just as a bird needs two wings to fly, so our religions need their expansive and conservative/contractive elements to prosper, it seems to me.
The key is the dialogue between the two “wings.” One would never want one “wing” to be triumphant over the other. That would be absurd.
I’ve come to believe that intrafaith respect for the divergent beliefs within a single religion is as important as interfaith mutual respect among people of different religions.
This is a messy, costly process and cannot come easily, it goes without saying, and, as an outsider, I, of course, am just an observer, and have nothing to say about Pakistani religious and political process.
But I do want to say that I can find resonance inside myself with both sides of this issue: I am sorely grieved when Christians speak ill of Islam, and wish us all to learn wisdom and respect for those of differing beliefs, and I pray that Aasia will be returned to her children, whose little faces haunt me.
I dare to hope and believe that, whatever the outcome in this situation, we will all use it as an occasion for deepening our interfaith and intrafaith dialogues and growing in our humanity.
As Tahera said on another thread:
“I am reminded of some wise words from Einstein: ‘Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.’”Recommend
I applaud the people of Pakistan for taking on these Mullahs who have hijacked your religion. Apart from them, I also feel that the root cause of all this mess that Islam finds itself is the concept of “Muslim Ummah” and “Kafir Ideologies” and the teachings within Islam that gives second class status to a Non-Muslim person/Religion. Islam does talk of being kind to a non-muslim but condemns the person for having a different belief system…as opposed to rejoicing the difference in opinion and having an open heart to learn something good if there may be. Imagine if everyone in an arts class is forced to draw the same picture, this would defeat the purpose of creation, free will and God given creativity . All religions say God is Omnipresent, but they dont realize the deeper meaning of this word. It means that Gods holy spirit permeates each and every atom of this creation, which includes you , me, animals and even stones and mountains that seem inanimate(but are not). Gods consciousness permeates his creation and hence you cannot worship him in isolation to his creation. The only way to realize God is by learning to truly love and worship his creation as God. God does not reveal himself to those who consider the creation seperate from Him, and who have even an iota of hate/violence for his creation (i.e. Kafir, animals etc). Bottom Line, No matter what we worship, whether its stones, mountains, rivers, Prophet/Guru, One God, we cannot worship anything other than God, since God is Omnipresent. Indian religions have a word called Namaste which derives from “Namo Narayan/Namo Astutute” implying that I bow to the Lord within you. Hence acknowledging the fact that every being is God himself. Indian religions worship mountains, rivers and all animals(humans included) which serves to only bring love and harmony with the Creation and its Creator. While the whole world takes onto Kundalini Yoga and Vedic Litertaure the very people of Indus Valley are busy in immitating the Arabian Salafis/Wahabis. Remember religion is always personal (between man and God), no mullah or sadhu or religious organization has the right to come between God and Soul. True and sincere spiritual seekers must read holy books from all religions/saints/prophets and they should take liberally from any book that appeals to them. GOD is OMNIPRESENT and in LOVING this creation from the bottom of your heart is to know GOD.Recommend
Lahore High Court has gone nuts (Judges:no BASANT, no DABAL SAWARI, no SHADI KA KHANA, no FACEBOOK) (Lawyers: fighting with each other, fighting with media, fighting with police, taking side of their lawyer brother even if he has murder charges against him, slapping judges on the streets, beating judges in their rooms).
And then decisions like this, against a poor widow.Recommend
@the author
Please tell us where you got the information that even the Qari who reported the offence did not know what insulting remarks she had allegedly passed on the person of the Prophet (pbh). It might well be the case that he refused to repeat what she might have said because of his fear of God. But, that does not mean or imply that she was innocent in that she never said any such thing.
Everybody who is keen to write on the subject of blasphemy must do his/her research first. The starting point has to be the blasphemy law itself. One prominently objectionable aspect of the law is that it allows the court to convict on the basis of oral testimony alone of first hand witnesses.Many argue that Muslims use this shortcoming in the law to settle their personal grudges.Recommend
Many people have called me names, but I haven’t killed them. I know a lot of people who have been called named and they did not kill.Recommend
The point that I want to make is that even the laws that are made against terrorists and burglars, can become a nuisance if they’re abused. We might as well do away with the whole judicial and police system and repeal all laws if we are worried that someone may misuse them.Recommend
Sunni Ittehad Council’s viewpoint is that of the majority of the country, to my knowledge. What is wrong, is wrong; what is unlawful, is unlawful. ‘If’ she has said anything wrong, she should be rightfully punished.Recommend
@Zaheer Raza:
perfectly valid point.Recommend
@zaheer
Any law which can be abused should be amended so as to prevent its abuse.Recommend
@Ayesha Hoda:
why r u relating it to God? death penalty law is negotiable n can be amended ..but punishment is something very different thing all countries have blasphemy laws even non-Muslim countries n they punish according to the law….now if somebody entice religious sentiments in such a volatile society n due to its aftereffects there could be riots and potential killing n if u say leave this “innocent” with no punishment this is injustice n for me this is nothing to do with god but purely with state affairs ..remember v cannot copy paste everything from west since v have our own ground realities …v r still somehow at stone age where ppl kill each other for a worhless cell fone…hence I support to ammend the law considering the weaknesses of social system but refuse total removal of punishment ..Recommend
Our honourable Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has enough time to visit the Supreme Court at midnight to conduct meetings pertaining to hearsay reports on the government’s attempts to take down the judiciary, but he has not had the time to take notice (for days now) of a glaring issue in his own judicial system: the death sentence awarded to Aasia Bibi for blasphemy.I would like the Chief Justice to answer why he is hesitant to take suo moto notice on this rather critical issue which Amnesty International has lambasted, the Pope has appealed on and our own President has now taken notice of. When it comes to corruption, I thought speedy suo moto notices were the norm now – what is different in this case?I will let the honourable Chief Justice know what the rumor mills and the voice of the people have to say on this account.Recommend
@Mushood Sheikh:
I agree ..i think thats called democracy :)….apart from all v can check for consensus over amendment of law as v do have social weaknesses n it can b used easily to settle old debtsRecommend
Ms Ansari,
without tracing to the base info how can you defend some one.
Please be optimistic that the court has investigated and found some valid reasons which caused her to death sentence.Plz never touch any topic with empty mind.All we have trend to discuss a thing which get remarks but don,t even care of its doomsday consequences.There are a lot of examples in muslim history (if u get time to study)in which a lot of ppl are sentenced to death and there is clear fiqa and ijtihad in which punishment are narrated.If u get time then please study hadidh books and then think what wrote were wrong or rite.Sorry for muslim behaviour that we write in defence one accused woman but can not wait of honourable court decision.Can u write against holo cast then the day u will be missing! Each country has the law where u can not use a single word agaisnt there saints but here u r teaching us law of Humanity!Recommend
Everyone must be aware of the Kidnapping Law in Pakistan, anyone can file a suit against any innocent. This is one of the most easy way to victimize your opponents in our society. Scores of innocent People have been forced to live in prisons for years because of this law. I am not sure but definitely lives of tens of thousands of innocents are being devastated by such immoral and cruel acts on part of our society,Recommend
@ nazia, can we actually grow up and not want to ‘kill’ someone every time he or she says something that is not amenable to us….and in this case the woman is denying she said anything derogatory…which is why LHC has a stay order on it.
its hypocritical how the same people who defend blasphemy laws here have the nerve to protest french laws banning headscarves crosses turbans etc (which btw is also ridiculously infantile as a law). People living in glass houses should not be throwing stones….and the last time i checked there wasn’t any specific execution of a blasphemer by the Prophet of Islam, hypocrites though faced his wrath and Masjid-e-zarrar was indeed torn down.Recommend
@affie
Reason for existence of states is not religion. Nobody was stopping us from practicing Islam before partition and more than half of the muslim population stayed in India. Bengalis didnt leave us because of theological differences. Pakistan was not created by some mullah. The mullahs were against the founder and the concept of Pakistan. Jinnah appointed an Ahmadi as foreign minister and a Hindu as Law minister. Ofcourse the Hindu Law minister wasnt going to turn the country into an islamic state. And can you quote any statement by Jinnah where he talked of theocracy?
So what punishment has the Book of God prescribed for Blasphemy? Which Hadees has asked Muslims to kill people for Blasphemy? And fiqh of each sect declare the people of other sects as heretics, so nobody survives if you follow the “Ulema”.
You need to differentiate between a muslim and a non-muslim when it comes to Blasphemy. According to Imam Abu Hanifa, when a muslim commits Blasphemy, he becomes a ‘murtid’ (a person who repudiates Islam after embracing it) and its punishment is death. While a non-Muslim cannot be a murtid. Therefore, the Hadd punishments are not applicable to the non-Muslims. They could be punished only under tazir’ (non-hadd punishments).
Then we have to clearly define Blasphemy. Obviously nobody would tolerate pamphlets, books, cartoons or movies that insult the Prophet (PBUH). But we shouldnt expect non muslims to respect the Prophet (PBUH) the same way as muslims do. Christians dont believe in the Prophet (PBUH) and they would cite reasons for that; thats why they arent muslims. Now those reasons can easily be perceived by a muslim as Blasphemous .
According to 295-C, one may defile the sacred name of Prophet (PBUH) by indirect visible representation or innuendo! Blasphemy law is different from other laws; other laws wont punish you for indirectly killing a person through visible representation.Recommend
Nazia Khan, you are true. I agree with your input. The court has reasons to believe she was involved.Recommend
Might is Right.
No Law. Money is the Law in this Country.
No tolerance.
Aggression is the Answer.
Bla Bla BlaRecommend
Utter Shame for Pakistan!!!
Fundamentalists like these, distort all the facts about Islam and leverage it for committing social sins.Recommend
Maggie Bockman said “But I do want to say that I can find resonance inside myself with both sides of this issue: I am sorely grieved when Christians speak ill of Islam, and wish us all to learn wisdom and respect for those of differing beliefs, and I pray that Aasia will be returned to her children, whose little faces haunt me.
I dare to hope and believe that, whatever the outcome in this situation, we will all use it as an occasion for deepening our interfaith and intrafaith dialogues and growing in our humanity.”
Thank you for your kind words of wisdom.
All religions originate from One God and thus must promote a consistent message of benevolence for God’s creation. It is a shame the Aasia’s family has to go through the torture because of those who play God. The Holy Prophet (SAW) would be very displeased at the tyranny being committed in his name. The irony is that the arrogance of the holier than thous has blinded them to not see the blasphemy of their beliefs and deeds. Only God can guide the stray minds and soften the hardened hearts.
Aasia and her family needs all the prayers. May God Almighty end their ordeal and may she go back safely to her family. May God have mercy on her oppressors.Recommend
These cowards are seeking death penalty for a poor helpless Christian mother who may or may not have committed any crime after all. I challenge them to show some manhood and go after real criminals, i.e. those who commit corruption, take bribes, exploit, terrorize, rob, steal, and kill others, rape women and molest children, make the lives of common folks miserable through hoarding and profiteering, manufacture and sell counterfeit medicines and adulterate almost everything citizens consume and thus endanger their lives. These are indeed our real enemies and they can destroy Pakistan from within. Moreover, these are the real blasphemers, as they reject or disobey God’s clear commandments. In fact the Quranic terms Kafiroon (deniers of the Truth), Dhilamoon (tyrants and evil-doers), Munafiqoon (the hypocrites), Fasiqoon (evil-livers), and Mufsideen (who spread corruption) apply to them. God Almighty clearly warns us in the Quran that He neither guides nor loves these evil folks. Please check the following verses in the Quran for verification and ponder.
2:205, 2:258, 2:264, 2:276, 2:124, 3:32, 3:57, 3:77, 3:86, 4:107, 4:137, 4:148, 4:168, 5:64, 5:67, 5:87, 5:108, 6:141-142, 7:31, 7:55, 9:19, 9:24Recommend
@Think About it
It is not for the supreme court of Pakistan to make or amend laws. This is a prerogative of the parliament. Sherry Rehman, a MNA of PPP, has presented a Private Member’s Bill in the Nationaly Assembly to amend the present law. However, she was aware that the Assembly will never take it up. Perhaps she wanted to provoke religious parties through the bill so as to practically demonstrate to us that it was very difficult for the government to change the present law.Recommend
Blasphemy law is totally un-Islamic, it was put through by the religio-political parties for their own interests. If we ponder into Islamic history we do not find anyone executed for blasphemy. However, the (so called) Muslim scholars distort the facts and the character of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) just to prove that blasphemy law existed in his lifetime.
My question is simple. If someone is executed by someone for saying names to him, will that not fall in the category of revenge? Do these scholars really think the blessing for the universe (peace be upon him) will fall to such a degree?
I did some research on blasphemy law and it is discussed here http://dinopak.wordpress.com/2010/11/27/the-blasphemy-law-of-pakistan/.
The distorted historical facts these Muslim clerics have put forward are discussed in detail. It proves there was no blasphemy law in the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). It is a man made law by these political ‘Muslim’ scholars.
http://dinopak.wordpress.com/2010/11/30/why-blasphemy-law-is-not-islamic/Recommend
@faraz:
That’s everything I wanted to say but you said it alot better with quotations and citations and everything…Giddy up partner!Recommend
@faraz:
Your explanation is good, may be your point about blasphemy law is right but if there are any loop holes (but i doubt there would be any because this was a law and must be enforced after a careful study by the accepted scholars of the country) anyway if there are any, they should be corrected. And you have idealized Jinnah, (good) so be aware that Jinnah was the advocate for Ghazi Ilm Din Shaheed in his famous case. Ghazi was the one who killed a Hindu for the same blasphemous reasons. And Jinnah advocating this man clearly shows that he considered the punishment that was given to that Hindu by Ghazi Ilm Din was perfectly justified (whole world accepts Jinnah as a man of principles and he would never took a case when he felt that his client is wrong). I believe Jinnah, Iqbal, Maulana Jauher all would not have been wrong as all of them supported the act of Ghazi. Iqbal even said that “assi galla e kerdy reh gay tay ay munda baazi ly gya (mean we only kept on talking and this boy has beaten us all”
Anyways I was only pointing the way anti islamic minds are using this issue. They don’t bother much about Asiya but their own evil motives. because if they are too worried about Asiya then they must be worried for tens of thousands of other innocents who are the victims of various cruel and falsified laws prevailing in this country. You people always use the word Mullah or Molvi to criticize islam, mind you dear friend Mullah is not islam, Mullahs are part of this society and so they are also corrupt like the whole society is. Before pointing to a mullah just see yourself, where do all of us stand.
Let us talk more about Jinnah don’t say that he was a secular (though u didn’t say but you mean same). He was better muslim than many of us, and all his struggle was for a muslim homeland in which people to practice islam with all freedom. He said in his death bed that creation of Pakistan is only a spiritual blessing of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). He was a man of true faith who took his inspiration from Iqbal. and who don’t know that Iqbal’s all philosophy and political thoughts were none other than what Allah and his Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has given to us. If we failed as a nation or Bangladesh was created it was our failure as a good nation, nothing to blame to ideology. Just remember Jinnah’s words that Pakistan was created on the very day first muslim came into India//// clearly means We are separate, and don’t you say that before partition there was a joy ride for muslims and for that matter in present day India. The plight of muslims there is much worst then the condition of minorities here (for which there is too much of a fuss), and if there is any problem with minorities, its not only those but all of us irrespective of religion are passing from a harder time.
I felt much sorry when people like you misuse the sayings of Jinnah & Iqbal.Recommend
Fr all those who say punishment mst not be given ,simply give me the answer of one thing that,
wt mst be the punishment for the 1 speaking against the prophet Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W) in a wrong way.
answer the solution of the prob. that wt if after smtime ,sm 1 else would spoke out such words against our prophet Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W).
ain’t we r an islamic state ,where we can xcercise islamic principles.Recommend
@Rj Jillani:
Dear Jillani,
When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never gave any blasphemer any sort of punishment, who are you and I to decide that? Allah has clearly told the believers in the Holy Quraan that they will be called names, they will be mocked and tortured, but they should continue their journey towards the truth and enlightenment.
This law is based purely on political interests as I have mentioned in my previous comments. We do not need any Mullah telling us how to practice Islam. We should know what our religion is.Recommend
@Humanity:
If Aasia were able to collect herself before God, and, if accusations apply, offer a sincere confession and a heartfelt apology for speaking ill of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and for speaking harshly and harboring bitterness in her heart towards her Muslim sisters, is there any provision in the law, or any precedent, for releasing her from condemnation that you (or anyone here) know of? (I wish I could speak with her; I am certainly praying for her, and all involved.)
“Allah loves those who are equitable.”
It is not for me to say what is equitable in this case. Every person must obey as Allah leads them.
You spoke of God being able to soften hardened hearts, and that I believe with you. Surely there is nothing so disarming as one who speaks with true humilty, remorse and heartfelt desire for reconciliation and healing.
And, if pardon cannot be, I pray God’s mercy and grace be poured out without measure on every person involved with this case, especially the children, and that great good may come from this, whatever the outcome. May there be no bitterness between Christians and Muslims, only understanding, creative spiritual growth, love and brotherhood. May the will of Almighty be done.
“If you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is best and most commendable in the end” [4:59]Recommend
The core crux of the whole issue is that we, as a society are very intolerant of diversity. We are a very judgemental nation, and extremely intolerant of those who are different from us. This intolerance is particularly visible amongst the religious minds, or those claiming to be religious minds with expertise in it, not only directed towards religious minorities, but extends to include non practising Muslims as well. We as a nation in order to move forward should have a Live and Let Live Attitude, instead of a Live and Let Die attitude. For some weird reason, religious people show extreme intolerance towards their fellow Muslims who are the non practising types, they see it as their obligation towards humanity from God. They see themselves as God’s chosen warriors, who are obligated to fight in this world in the name of Islam, as that is one path that will lead them to a place in paradise. I am a non practising Muslim, I cant even last 2 minutes inside the house of a religious person without getting harassed over not practising.Recommend
@affie
The person who was killed by Ghazi Ilm had written a book in which he disgraced the Prophet (PBUH). I have already said that nobody would tolerate books that abuse the Prophet (PBUH). Jinnah never said that Ghazi was justified in killing the person. Jinnah challenged the evidence on legal grounds and argued that death sentence was too harsh for a 19 year old kid.
Do you know that Jinnah wholeheartedly supported the Special Marriage Amendment Bill which sought to provide legal protection to mixed religion marriages? Jinnah was opposed by many members on the grounds that the bill contravened the injunctions of Quran.
You are right that mullahs aren’t Islam but then you make this serious allegation that those who oppose this law hold anti Islamic views. Now this is typical mullahism. Unlike mullahs, I don’t claim monopoly over the interpretation of Islam. I have the right to apply my own mind in understanding Islam and I am not imposing my views upon others like fascist mullahs.
Did I say that the legal procedures regarding murder, kidnapping etc, shouldn’t be improved? So you want to apply the all or none approach; either amend all laws at once or don’t amend at all?
Which restriction on practice of religion was present before partition? Why didn’t the clergy support Muslim league? And I am not one of those who praise Jinnah because their parents or society tells them to. Who told you that Jinnah was inspired by Iqbal? Can you explain Iqbal’s ideology? Iqbal wrote poems in support of fascist Mussolini while Italians were colonizing Muslims of Libya. Iqbal praised Al-Saud who revolted against Ottoman Empire and he opposed Khilafat movement. Like a nationalist poet, he wrote “Hindustan Hamara”. Iqbal never talked of independence; he talked of autonomy, please read his Allabad speech.
Jinnah was a politician par excellence. To earn political advantage over Congress, he supported the British war effort and encouraged Muslims to enlist in the same army which had colonized India. Do you know Jinnah accepted the Cabinet Commission Plan of 1946 which talked of autonomous regions inside an Indian Federation? It was the Congress which refused to accept the Cabinet plan and British were left with no option but to divide India. I never said that Muslims enjoyed equal rights. Jinnah fought for the rights and welfare of Muslims, and that’s the main purpose of Pakistan. It wasn’t meant to be a murderous playground for mullahs who opposed its creation.
Our great founder attended service in Karachi’s Saint Patrick’s Church on Sunday 17th August 1947; thats Jinnah’s concept of state and citizen. You should study something other than Pakistan Studies textbook board books.Recommend
Firstly we all love Prophet Muhammad PBUH more than our lives.
Basically there is no concept of any such kind of offence and law in Islamic Law specially Quran Pak which is the basic Constitution of Islam.
The prevailing Law of blasphemy in our country is exclusively human made with no backing of Islamic Law.
Before enacting such kind of law or supporting the same, why we always forget the life and classic example of sympathies, patience and mercy set by our great Prophet Muhammad PBUH specially in case of their disrespect by non-muslims.
The another important legal issue/lacking in the said law which should become a great cause of miscarriage of justice is;
In Islamic law to establish any offence especially for the death sentence, presence of 4 eye witnesses is mandatory, but under the instant law the harshest penalty of death can be given on the basis of one witness only, which is a matter of grave concern. No mulla or molvi has a right to demonstrate the Islam according to his own personal whims moods and wishes to achieve only his political motives or goals. Even they have no authority to declare any muslim as non-muslim.
We should take this issue factually not emotionally.Recommend
This case should set an example !Recommend
@Sana Saleem: “This case should set an example !”
Set an example for what ? It will only wrongly show to the world that Islam is a barbaric religion. That Muslims do not even know that the Holy Prophet (saw) is a mercy for the universe. That the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a failed state that can’t even protect its own citizens from its those who are abusing Islam as a lethal tool for petty vendetta and political mileage..
God forbid, if Ms Saleem, you and your family are ever put through similar torture as Aasia Bibi and her family are facing. May God have mercy on you and guide you towards tolerance and compassion, which is true Islam!Recommend
@JUNAID, Advocate:
Ummm, there is no such law in Islam. Death penalty isn’t Islamic in any way.
I have a question for ALL those who are ‘FOR’ the blasphemy law.
In Pakistan, many other religions exists some are monotheist, some are polytheist. We all understand that in Islam worshiping any other deity other than God is blasphemy towards Allah, but Allah in Qura’an says that they(idolaters) are responsible for their actions.
Now my questions is:
As a devout Muslim can you sit quietly when the idolaters are doing blasphemy towards Allah, while you are beheading people who do blasphemy towards the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)? Who is higher in rank for you, the King of Kings (Allah) or Allah’s Holy servant (peace be upon him)?Recommend
What, a Sunni Itehad Council? These guys are together because of this poor Christian woman. Throw some bone and these guys will tear each other apart.Recommend
@Maggie Bockmann wrote:
“If Aasia were able to collect herself before God, and, if accusations apply, offer a sincere confession and a heartfelt apology for speaking ill of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and for speaking harshly and harboring bitterness in her heart towards her Muslim sisters, is there any provision in the law, or any precedent, for releasing her from condemnation that you (or anyone here) know of? (I wish I could speak with her; I am certainly praying for her, and all involved.)
“Allah loves those who are equitable.””
Based on what has been published about the case, it seems that her condemnation is illegal. Many people doubt that she actually abused the Holy Prophet (saw). This is a classic case of witch hunt. I am afraid that even if she confesses the crime (which, she most likely did not commit) and seeks forgiveness, the holier than thou ‘owners‘ of Islam are unfamiliar with the concept of forgiveness.
@Maggie Bockman wrote:
“And, if pardon cannot be, I pray God’s mercy and grace be poured out without measure on every person involved with this case, especially the children, and that great good may come from this, whatever the outcome. May there be no bitterness between Christians and Muslims, only understanding, creative spiritual growth, love and brotherhood. May the will of Almighty be done. ”
I believe in Allah’s justice rendered in ways that humans do not understand. Not only the accusers, but the supporters, sympathizers, and the officials involved in such travesties are accomplices in Allah’s eyes. They better not think they are beyond Allah’s reach. Allah does not play favorites.
May Allah have mercy on all and protect the helpless woman and her family from the tyranny of arrogance and ignorance. Ameen.
Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers. Aasia, her family and we all need a lot of prayers. I have faith in prayer and Allah answers them, insh’Allah!Recommend
@ Maggie Bockman
On dispensation of Allah’s justice, I include the following excerpt from Caliph Ali (RA) letter that he wrote to Governor Malik on governence about 1,400 years ago. (This excerpt was deleted from my earlier comment by the ET moderators for some reason. Hopefully they will publish this time.)
“Do not say: ” I am your overlord and dictator, and that you should, therefore, bow to my commands”, as that will corrupt your heart, weaken your faith in religion and create disorder in the state. Should you be elated by power, ever feel in your mind the slightest symptoms of pride and arrogance, then look at the power and majesty of the Divine governance of the Universe over which you have absolutely no control. It will restore the sense of balance to your wayward intelligence and give you the sense of calmness and affability. Beware! Never put yourself against the majesty and grandeur of God and never imitate His omnipotence; for God has brought low every rebel of God and every tyrant of man.
Let your mind respect through your actions the rights of God and the rights of man, and likewise, persuade your companions and relations to do likewise. For, otherwise, you will be doing injustice to yourself and injustice to humanity. Thus both man and God will turn unto your enemies. There is no hearing anywhere for one who makes an enemy of God himself. He will be regarded as one at war with God until he feels contrition and seeks forgiveness. Nothing deprives man of divine blessings or excites divine wrath against him more easily than cruelty. Hence it is, that God listens to the voice of the oppressed and waylays the oppressor.”Recommend
@Humanity:
Would that Christians had always lived by the wise words of Caliph Ali (RA)! History would be a very different story, as we all know!
Thank you for sharing such deep wisdom from Islam, which can enrich the whole world.Recommend