Blasphemy Article by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

The Quran is the most authentic source of Islam. The Quran clearly states which actions are crimes and specifies what kind of punishments are to be meted out for them.

One notable example is what is called ‘qazaf’. The following is the verse of the Quran in this regard: “Those who defame chaste women, but cannot produce four witnesses, shall be given eighty lashes.” (24:4)

We learn from this verse of the Quran that if a pious woman is defamed without any proof, such a person, in the eyes of the Quran, becomes a criminal who deserves physical punishment by a court of law. When the Quran mentions this crime, it also mentions the specific punishment along with it.

Now let us look into this matter from another aspect. The Quran states that since ancient times God has sent prophets in succession to every town and every community. It says, moreover, that the contemporaries of all of these prophets adopted the same negative attitude -- but with far greater intensity -- as has been mentioned in the Quran with regard to chaste women. For instance, the Quran says: “Alas for human beings! They ridicule every messenger that comes to them.” (36:30)

There are more than two hundred verses of this nature, which reveal that the contemporaries of the Prophet repeatedly perpetrated the same act which is now called ‘abuse of the Prophet’ or ‘using abusive language about the Prophet’. Prophets down the ages have been mocked and abused by their contemporaries (36:30), some of the epithets cited in the Quran being “a liar” (40:24), “possessed” (15:6), “a fabricator” (16:101), “a foolish man” (7:66). The Quran mentions these words of abuse used by prophets’ contemporaries but nowhere does the Quran prescribe the punishment of lashes, or death or any such deterrent punishment.

This clearly shows that ‘abuse of the Prophet’ is not a subject of punishment, but is rather a subject of dawah. That is, one who is guilty of abusing the Prophet should not have corporal punishment meted out to him: he should rather be given sound arguments in order that his mind may be addressed. In other words, peaceful persuasion should be used to reform the person concerned rather than attempting to kill him.

There is a verse in the Quran to this effect: “God knows all that is in their hearts; so ignore what they say, admonish them and speak to them in such terms as will address their minds.”(4:63)

This verse means that those who adopt a negative stance towards the Prophet will be judged by God, who knows the innermost recesses of their hearts. The responsibility of the Prophet and his followers is to observe the policy of avoidance, and, wishing well, convey the message of God to them in such a manner that their minds might be properly addressed.

This case is made out in the Chapter entitled Al-Ghashiya: “Do they never reflect on the camels and how they were created, and on the sky, how it is raised aloft, and on the mountains, how they are firmly set up, and on the earth, how it is spread out? So, exhort them; your task is only to exhort, you are not their keeper. But whoever turns back and denies the truth, will be punished by God with the greatest punishment. Certainly, it is to Us that they will return.” (88:17-26)

These verses of the Quran tell us about what approach the Prophet was required to adopt. This approach was that people should be addressed by arguments. Attempts should be made to satisfy them rationally as to the veracity of the religion. And notwithstanding any negative reaction on the part of those addressed, this same positive style of dawah (conveying the message of God to people) has to be adhered to. It is not the task of the dayee to assume the role of a keeper. So far as punishment and reward are concerned, that is a subject wholly in the domain of God. God will gather together everyone on the Day of Resurrection and then, according to their deeds, will reward or punish them.

Another important aspect of this matter is that at no point in the Quran is it stated that anyone who uses abusive language about the Prophet should be stopped from doing so, and in case he continues to do so he should be awarded severe punishment. On the contrary, the Quran commands the believer not to use abusive language directed against opponents: “But do not revile those [beings] whom they invoke instead of God, lest they, in their hostility, revile God and out of ignorance.” (6:108)

This verse of the Quran makes it plain that it is not the task of the believers to establish media watch offices and hunt for anyone involved in acts of defamation of the Prophet, and then plan for their killing, whatever the cost. On the contrary, the Quran enjoins believers to sedulously refrain from indulging in such acts as may provoke people to retaliate by abusing Islam and the Prophet. This injunction of the Quran makes it clear that this responsibility devolves upon the believers, rather than that others be held responsible and demands made for them to be punished.

Looked at from this angle, the stance of present-day Muslims goes totally against the teachings of the Quran. Whenever anyone -- in their judgement -- commits an act of ‘abuse of the Prophet’, in speech or in writing, they instantly get provoked and their response is to start leading processions through the streets, which often turn violent, and then they demand that all those who insult the Prophet be beheaded.

All those who initiate such provocative processions and demand the killing of supposed ‘abusers of the Prophet’, are instead themselves the greatest culprits when it comes to abuse of the Prophet. Their violent conduct has resulted in the public being lead into believing that Islam is a religion of a pre-civilized era, that it imposes a ban on free thinking, that it is a religion which believes in thought crime, and that it is a religion of violence, etc.

It is Muslims themselves who are entirely responsible for the formation of this negative image of Islam. Distorting the image of Islam in this way is, indeed, the greatest of all crimes.

Center for Peace and Spirituality - USA

www.cpsglobal.org

www.alquranmission.org

www.alrisala.org

Blasphemy Law has NO Qur'anic Basis

Some Muslim countries have legislated punishment for blasphemy. This draws on the Classical Sharia (Law) of Islam that evolved in the medieval ages and was inevitably informed by the historical realities and entrenched customs and practices of the era. However, with a sea change in civilizational paradigms,  many of its rulings suffer anachronism, stand in conflict with international human rights charters and conduce to injustice, anarchy and barbarism in today's politically volatile and globalized world. All such rulings need to be examined in light of the universal message of the Qur'an which is by far the highest and incontestable authority in Islam. 

This essay - an exercise in ijtihad (intellectual scrutiny with the limits set by God) investigates the case of blasphemy. It draws on a recently published focused exegetic work, the Essential Message of Islam [Amana Publications, USA- 2009] that is duly approved by al-Azhar al-Sharif and endorsed and authenticated by Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl, Alfi Distinguished Professor of Law at the UCLA School of Law.

The Qur'anic pronouncement "not to insult those whom others (lit., 'they') invoke besides God" (6:108) is a clear reminder against profaning any deity, idol or symbols held sacred by other people. The Qur'an, however, does not prescribe any punishment for the offenders. It warns humanity that there will always be some people who will hurl seductive remarks at the Prophet (6:113) or be inimical to him (25:31) for fun or cupidity and asks the believers to simply ignore them. In other words, the Qur'an treats blasphemy as a moral vice and does not regard it as a punishable/ criminal offence.

The Meccan enemies of the Prophet called him impostor, a madman (30:58, 44:14, 68:51), and an insane poet (37:36). They ridiculed the Qur'anic revelation (18:56, 26:6, 37:14, 45:9), which they declared to be strange and unbelievable (38:5, 50:2), a jumble of dreams(21:5) and legends of the ancients (6:25, 23:83, 25:5, 27:68, 46:17, 68:15, 83:13). They accused the Prophet of forging lies and witchcraft (34:43, 38:4), forging lies against God, forgery and making up tales (11:13, 32:3, 38:7, 46:8), witchcraft (21:3, 43:30, 74:24), obvious witchcraft that was bewildering (10:2, 37:15, 46:7), and of being bewitched or possessed by a Jinn (17:47, 23:70, 34:8). By definition, all these accusations were blasphemous. Nowhere in its text does the Qur'an prescribe any punishment for those who uttered these blasphemies.

The advocates of blasphemy law may raise the following points:

1. The slanderer and maligner of the Prophet can upset peace and harmony like priests of Cordova (Spain, 851-859) [1].

2. Maligning any religion, religious leader, text etc. purports to demonize and dehumanize it and can fuel hatred, religious bigotry and animosity, and in the present day context, feed Islamophobia and Islamofacism.

The arguments appear convincing but there are more compelling grounds against prescribing any punishment for blasphemy.

The highly porous and subjective character of the 'offense' (blasphemy) can lead to a chaotic situation within the Muslim community and persecution of the minority community as is happening in Pakistan these days.

An uncouth citizen can use it to settle a score with a non-Muslim or even a Muslim neighbour or financially exploit him by a threat of blasphemy charge.

An Islamic State can use it for political repression of dissidents.

By strict application of blasphemy law in a broader sense, a Sunni Sharia Court can charge the entire Shia community of blasphemy for their invectives against the Prophet's close relatives - the first three Caliphs, who were either his father-in-law (Abu Bakr and Umar) or son-in-law (Uthman).

The theologians in the Islamic heartlands can issue an endless stream of fatwas for the heads of the countless Islam bashing scholars and writers, whose speech, writing and symbolism can sometimes be construed as blasphemous.

The very notion of killing a person for blasphemy contradicts the Qur'anic cardinal principle of justice that relates only to offences committed against fellow humans.

Conclusion: The relativism and porosity in the definition of 'blasphemy' can open a floodgate of blasphemy charges against unsuspecting individuals, members of the minority, Muslim sects and Islam.critcal scholars and writers. Since the Qur'an, conceivably cognizant of these caveats, does not  prescribe any punishment for blasphemy, the blasphemy law needs to be repealed. Blasphemy symbolizes and epitomises hatred that inevitably breeds hatred - regardless of any law against it. This can in turn feed radicalisation, foster terrorism, and trigger communal riots. Muslim jurists will do better by insisting on getting a firm Security Council Code of Conduct and may be limited punishment for blasphemy depending upon the gravity and potential impact of the offence and the attitude of the offender, rather than legislating a capital punishment or even, any punishment for blasphemy - which remains a porous act of misconduct and moral turpitude.

Notes

[1]. Between 851 and 859, some priests in Cordova, now southern Spain, used to utter in public places highly insulting and abusive remarks against the Prophet deliberately seeking capital punishment. They were an embarrassment to both the Christian community and the Emir and were executed by application of Sharia law as this was the only way to prevent them from a highly provocative behaviour in public.

Muhammad Yunus, a Chemical Engineering graduate from Indian Institute of Technology, and a retired corporate executive has been engaged in an in-depth study of the Qur'an since early 90's, focusing on its core message. He has co-authored the referred exegetic work, which received the approval of al-Azhar al-Sharif, Cairo in 2002, and following restructuring and refinement was endorsed and authenticated by Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl of UCLA, and published by Amana Publications, Maryland, USA, 2009.

August 24, 2012.

Muslims Condemn Blasphemy Charges Against Christian Girl in Pakistan

Blasphemy has become a tool of harassment to a few who have nothing better to do than create chaos. We ask the people of Pakistan to seriously debate the blasphemy laws. Islam is about free will and as Muslims we need to stand against any oppression towards any human being following in the footsteps of the prophet.

Full article at: 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/muslims-condemn-blasphemy-charges-against-pakistan-christian-girl_b_1815127.html

Blasphemy Law & Use of Violence - History

Pakistan’s Penal Code Section 295, better known as the Blasphemy Law, was first introduced to a pre-partition India in 1860. Back then, the law was applicable to every religion and any person with a maximum punishment up to two years with bail. And any disturbance of any religious gathering was also in violation of the law. There have been an estimated 1,274 people charged under the blasphemy laws between 1986 till 2010 according to reports. 1927: • There was an amendment made after the loss of a controversial case defended by India’s leading lawyer M.A. Jinnah. The Indian legislature cautioned against using the words “intentional outrage” or “attempted outrage” for their vagueness and instead chose to use words such as “deliberate” or “malicious intent.” REFERENCE: High-profile blasphemy cases in the last 63 years DAWN.COM | 8th December, 2010 http://dawn.com/2010/12/08/high-profile-blasphemy-cases-in-the-last-63-years/

Blasphemy Law & Violence - 4

Blasphemy Law & Violence - 4 (Reporter - Dawn News Jan 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjsSs712CSo

LAHORE, May 28: An under-trial blasphemy accused, who was attacked and wounded by a policeman on May 25, died in the Lahore General Hospital on Friday.

Labourer Samuel Masih (29) of Basti Saidan Shah had been accused of blasphemy in August 2003. The accused was caught by prayer leader Chaudhry Yaqoob of the Jinnah Bagh.

The prayer leader had alleged that the labourer had littered the walls of a religious institute in the garden, inscribed with some Quranic verses. Together with the prayer leader, dozens of people had allegedly tortured the accused before handing him over to the police.

A blasphemy case under Section 295 of PPC was registered against the accused with Civil Lines police and he was sent to the Kot Lakhpat jail. The accused fell ill there and doctors diagnosed him with TB in prison hospital.

He was shifted to the Gulab Devi Hospital. Two policemen were deployed on his guard duty. One of the policemen, Faryad Ali, on May 25 allegedly attacked him in his head with a hammer.

The staff caught the policeman and immediately shifted the blasphemy accused to the General Hospital where he died on Friday. The body was removed to the city mortuary for autopsy.

A case already registered against the accused policeman was turned into a murder case. He had already been sent to jail. The accused policeman is reported to have no regret for his act and believes that it will earn him paradise.

Condemning the killing, All Pakistan Minorities Alliance chairman Shahbaz Bhatti called upon the government to repeal the blasphemy law. "This is not the first example of the misuse of the law." He said his organization was going to file a petition against a senior police official and prison hierarchy for their negligence, which had resulted in the murder.

Already a writ petition filed by advocate Pervaiz Chaudhry in the LHC had pleaded for an action against the police hierarchy. The judge had directed the city police chief and the police concerned to produce relevant record before him on Monday, the lawyer said.

He alleged the police were attempting to give favour to their colleague by distorting evidence against him. "The accused policeman has been sent to jail without completion of investigation." REFERENCE: LAHORE: Blasphemy accused dies By Our Reporter 29 May 2004 Saturday 09 Rabi-us-Saani 1425 http://archives.dawn.com/2004/05/29/local25.htm

Muslims Condemn Blasphemy Charges against Christian teen In Paksitan

MUSLIMS CONDEMN BLASPHEMY CHARGES AGAINST CHRISTIAN TEEN IN PAKISTAN

Blasphemy has become a tool of harassment to a few who have nothing better to do than create chaos. We ask the people of Pakistan to seriously debate the blasphemy laws. Islam is about free will and as Muslims we need to stand against any oppression towards any human being following in the footsteps of the prophet.

Full article at: 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/muslims-condemn-blasphemy-charges-against-pakistan-christian-girl_b_1815127.html

Silence has become the mother of all blasphemies

I am rather pleased to read the following, its central thrust is Silence, and I wrote the article just a day before this article appears in Guardian. http://blasphemylaws.blogspot.com/2011/03/pakistan-blaming-blasphemy-laws.html # # #

Pakistan: Silence has become the mother of all blasphemies http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/03/pakistan-silence-blasphemy-mohammed-hanif

Two months ago, after Governor Salmaan Taseer's murder and the jubilant support for the policeman who killed him, religious scholars in Pakistan told us that since common people don't know enough about religion they should leave it to those who do – basically anyone with a beard.

Everyone thought it made a cruel kind of sense. So everyone decided to shut up: the Pakistan Peoples party (PPP) government because it wanted to cling to power, liberals in the media because they didn't want to be the next Taseer. The move to amend the blasphemy law was shelved.

It was an unprecedented victory for Pakistan's mullah minority. They had told a very noisy and diverse people to shut up and they heard back nothing but silence. After Pakistan's only Christian federal minister, Shahbaz Bhatti – the bravest man in Islamabad – was murdered on Tuesday, they were back on TV, this time condemning the killing, claiming it was a conspiracy against them, against Islam and against Pakistan. The same folk who had celebrated one murder and told us how not to get murdered were wallowing in self pity.

In a very short span of time, Pakistan's mullahs and muftis have managed to blur the line between what God says and what they say. The blasphemy law debate was about how to prosecute people who have committed blasphemy against the prophet Muhammad and the Qur'an. Since repeating a blasphemy, even if it is to prove the crime in a court of law, is blasphemous, no Pakistani has a clear idea what constitutes blasphemy. Taseer had called the blasphemy law "a black law" and was declared a blasphemer. The line between maligning the Holy Prophet and questioning a law made by a bunch of mullahs was done away with. What would come next?

During the last two months sar tan se juda (off with their heads) has become as familiar a slogan as all the corporate songs about the Cricket World Cup. Banners appeared all over Karachi and Islamabad last week demanding death for a Pakistani writer. The only problem is that nobody quite knows what she has written. Her last book came out more than eight years ago and, if it wasn't so scary, it would be ironic that it is called Blasphemy. It was a potboiler set mostly in religious and spiritual leaders' bedrooms. The banners condemning her say that not only she has insulted the prophet, she has insulted religious scholars.

So now disagreeing with anyone who has a beard and armed bodyguards can get you killed. The PPP government has tried to appease this lot by silencing the one-and-a-half liberal voices it had. What it didn't realise is that you can't really appease people who insist their word is God's word, their honour as sacred as the Holy Prophet's. In Pakistan, silence is the mother of all blasphemies. Most Pakistanis are committing that blasphemy and being punished for it.

Mohammed Hanif is a journalist and author of the novel A Case of Exploding Mangoes

To Save Pakistan, What Miracles Shall We Ask of Allah?

January 21, 2011

Pervez Hoodbhoy

 In a society dominated by traditional religious values, heroism often means committing some violent and self-destructive act for preserving honor. Although Governor Taseer was not accused of blasphemy, his crime was to seek presidential pardon for an illiterate peasant Christian woman accused of blasphemy by some Muslim neighbours. Taseer’s intervention clearly crossed the current limits of toleration. With no party support, he went at it alone.

Malik Mumtaz Qadri – the official security guard who pumped 22 bullets into the man he was deputed to protect – is not the first such hero. The 19-year old illiterate who killed the author of the book “Rangeela Rasool” in the 1920’s, and was then executed by the British, was held in the highest esteem by the founders of Pakistan, Muhammad Iqbal and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. It is reported that Iqbal, regarded as Islam’s pre-eminent 20th century philosopher, placed the body in the grave with tears in his eyes and said: "This young man left us, the educated men, behind." Ghazi Ilm-e-Deen is venerated by a mausoleum over his grave in Lahore.

In his court testimony, Taseer’s assassin proudly declared that he was executing Allah’s will. Hundreds of lawyers – made famous by the Black Coat Revolution that restored Pakistan’s Chief Justice – showered him with rose petals while he was in police custody. Two hundred lawyers signed a pledge vowing to defend him for free. Significantly, Qadri is a Barelvi Muslim belonging to the Dawat-e-Islami, and 500 clerics of this faith supported his action in a joint declaration. They said that those who sympathized with Taseer deserved similar punishment.

Significantly most of these mullahs are part of the Sunni Tehreek and are supposedly anti-Taliban moderates. Indeed, one of their leaders, Maulana Sarfaraz Naeemi, was blown up by a Taliban suicide bomber in June 2009 after he spoke out against suicide bombings. But now these “moderates” have joined hands with their attackers. Jointly they rule Pakistan’s streets today, while a cowardly and morally bankrupt government cringes and caves in to their every demand.

Those who claim that Pakistan’s silent majority is fundamentally secular and tolerant may be clutching at straws. They argue that the religious parties don’t get the popular vote and so cannot really be popular. But this is wishful thinking. The mullah parties are unsuccessful only because they are geared for street politics, not electoral politics. They also lack charismatic leadership and have bitter internal rivalries. However the victory of the MMA after 911 shows that they are capable of closing ranks. It is also perfectly possible that a natural leader will emerge and cause an electoral landslide in the not too distant future.

But even without winning elections, the mullah parties are immensely more powerful in determining how you and I live than election-winning parties like the PPP and ANP. For a long time the religious right has dictated what we can or cannot teach in our public and private schools. No government ever had the guts to dilute the hate materials being forced down young throats. They also dictate what you and I can wear, eat, or drink. Their unchallenged power has led to Pakistan’s cultural desertification because they violently oppose music, dance, theatre, art, and intellectual inquiry.

To be sure there are scattered islands of normality in urban Pakistan. But these are shrinking. Yes, the Baluch nationalists are secular, and so is the ethnically-driven MQM in Karachi. But these constitute a tiny fraction of the population.

It is indeed a complete abdication. When the bearded ones brought out 50,000 charged people onto the streets of Karachi, a terrified government instantly sought negotiations with them. Even before that happened, the current interior minister – Rahman Malik, a venal hack and as crooked as they come – promptly declared that he’d personally gun down a blasphemer.

The government’s pants are soaking wet. In fact, so wet that the ruling party dumped Taseer – who was their own high-ranking member – after the murder. There’s talk now of getting American guards for Zardari since his own guards may be untrustworthy. Sherry Rahman, the brave parliamentarian who dared to table a bill to reform the blasphemy law, is now bunkered down. She is said to be receiving two death threats an hour. Significantly, the Army high command has made no public statement on the assassination, although it is vocal on much else.

The media’s so-called independence and vibrancy is reserved for attacking a manifestly corrupt, but nominally secular, government. On other issues – such as a rational discussion of religion and the army’s role in society – it is conspicuously silent. Few sane people are brought on to shows, or are too scared to speak.

Let me recount some personal experiences. The day after Taseer’s assassination, FM-99 (Urdu) called me for an interview. The producer tearfully told me (offline) that she could not find a single religious scholar ready to condemn his murder. She said even ordinary people like me are in short supply.

The next day a TV program on blasphemy (Samaa TV, hosted by Asma Shirazi) was broadcast. Asma had pleaded that I participate. So I did – knowing full well

what was up ahead. My opponents were Farid Paracha (spokesman, Jamaat-e-Islami) and Maulana Sialvi (Sunni Tehreek, a Barelvi and supposed moderate). There were around 100 students in the audience, drawn from colleges across Pindi and Islamabad.

Even as the mullahs frothed and screamed around me (and at me), I managed to say the obvious: that the culture of religious extremism was resulting in a bloodbath in which the majority of victims were Muslims; that non-Muslims were fleeing Pakistan; that the self-appointed “thaikaydars” of Islam in Pakistan were deliberately ignoring the case of other Muslim countries like Indonesia which do not have the death penalty for blasphemy; that debating the details of Blasphemy Law 295-C did not constitute blasphemy; that American Muslims were very far from being the objects of persecution; that harping on drone attacks was an irrelevancy to the present discussion on blasphemy.

The response? Not a single clap for me. Thunderous applause whenever my opponents called for death for blasphemers. And loud cheers for Qadri. When I directly addressed Sialvi and said he had Salman Taseer's blood on his hand, he exclaimed “How I wish I had done it!” (kaash ke main nay khud kiya hota!). You can find all this on YouTube if you like.

One can debate whether this particular episode (and probably many similar ones) should be blamed on the media, whether it genuinely reflects the public mood, and whether those students fairly represented the general Pakistani youth. But there is little doubt which side the Pakistani media took. This was apparent from the unwillingness of anchors to condemn the assassination, as well as from images of the smiling murderer being feted all around. Mullah guests filled the screens of most channels. Some journalists and TV-show participants favorably compared Qadri with Ilm-e-Deen. Others sought to prove that Taseer somehow brought his death upon himself.

 If the US had never come to Afghanistan, Pakistan would not be the violent mess that it is today. So there is an element of truth in this claim, but no more than an element. Let me give you an analogy: imagine lots of dry wood and a lighted match. The US-led anti-Soviet war was that match. But the combustible material is that dangerous conservatism which accumulated over time. The strength of the Islamist parties vastly increased after Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto kow-towed to them after 1973-4. This was 5-6 years before the Soviet invasion so one can scarcely blame America for that.

Yes, the West did set dry wood on fire. But the staggering quantity of wood comes from the rotting mass of Pakistan’s state and society. Ours is an apartheid society where the rich treat the poor like dirt, the justice system does not work, education is as rotten as it can be, and visible corruption goes unpunished. Add to all this a million mullahs in a million mosques who exploit people’s frustrations. You then have the explanation for today’s catastrophic situation.

Of course I would love to see the Americans out of Afghanistan. The sooner they can withdraw – without precipitating a 1996 style Taliban massacre – the better. But let’s realize that US withdrawal will not end Pakistan’s problems. Those fighting the Americans aren’t exactly Vietnamese-type socialists or nationalists. The Taliban-types want a full cultural revolution: beards, burqas, 5 daily prayers, no music, no art, no entertainment, and no contact with modernity except for getting its weapons.

 The grievances in Tunisia are similar in some ways to those in Pakistan: raging unemployment, grotesque corruption, and the opulent lifestyles of the elite. Like Zardari, who fills Pakistani cities with pictures of the Bhutto clan and renames streets and airports, Ben Ali also promoted his family. Both plundered national wealth, and both got the West’s support because they claimed to be bulwarks against extremism. Today Ben Ali is gone, and tomorrow Zardari will be gone.

But the differences are profound: Tunisia’s population of 10 million is miniscule compared to Pakistan’s 180 million. Young Tunisians do not suffer from a toxic overdose of hard-line religion. So they came out bravely into the streets to fight for real social change. One can therefore hope that Ben Ali’s departure will lead to a flowering of Arab democracy rather than invite the dark forces of religious extremism. Yet one can be absolutely sure that Zardari’s departure, which may happen sooner rather than later, is not likely to lead to a more secular or more peaceful Pakistan.

As for Bangladesh: let us recall that it emerged from the collapse of Jinnah’s Two-Nation theory. Nationalism triumphed over religion in 1971. Hence the positive new developments in Bangladesh are not difficult to understand.

If you want the truth: the answer is, nothing. Our goose is cooked. Sometimes there is no way to extinguish a forest fire until it burns itself out. Ultimately there will be nothing left to burn. But well before the last liberal is shot or silenced, the mullahs will be gunning for each other in a big way. Mullah-inspired bombers have already started blowing up shrines and mosques of the opposing sect. The internet is flooded with gory photographs of chopped-up body parts belonging to their rivals. Qadri, the assassin, admitted his inspiration to murder came from a cleric. So you can also expect that Muslim clerics will enthusiastically kill other Muslim clerics. Eventually we could have the situation that prevailed during Europe’s 30-Year War.

To save Pakistan, what miracles shall we ask of Allah? Here’s my personal list: First, that the Pakistan army stops seeing India as enemy number one and starts seeing extremism as a mortal threat. Second, that Zardari’s government is replaced by one that is less corrupt, more capable of governance, and equipped with both the will and legitimacy to challenge religious fascism. And, third, that peace somehow comes to Afghanistan.

In an interview with Viewpoint, Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy discusses the situation in Pakistan. Hoodbhoy received his undergraduate and PhD degrees from MIT and has been teaching nuclear and high-energy physics at Quaid-e-Azam University in

Islamabad for 37 years. He also lectures at US universities and laboratories, and is a frequent commentator, on Pakistani TV channels as well as international media outlets, on various social and political issues

Pakistan's defiant prisoner of intolerance

Sherry Rehman, Pakistan's defiant prisoner of intolerance, vows to stay put

'These death threats won't make me flee', says Rehman, who supports reform of Pakistan's blasphemy laws

Declan Walsh in Karachi

The Observer, Sunday 23 January 2011

Sherry Rehman, a liberal parliamentarian with the ruling Pakistan People's Party who proposed a bill to reform Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws, at her home home in Karachi. Photograph: Declan Walsh for the Observer

All Sherry Rehman wants is to go out – for a coffee, a stroll, lunch, anything. But that's not possible. Death threats flood her email inbox and mobile phone; armed police are squatted at the gate of her Karachi mansion; government ministers advise her to flee.

"I get two types of advice about leaving," says the steely politician. "One from concerned friends, the other from those who want me out so I'll stop making trouble. But I'm going nowhere." She pauses, then adds quietly: "At least for now."

It's been almost three weeks since Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer was gunned down outside an Islamabad cafe. As the country plunged into crisis, Rehman became a prisoner in her own home. Having championed the same issue that caused Taseer's death – reform of Pakistan's draconian blasphemy laws – she is, by popular consensus, next on the extremists' list.

Giant rallies against blasphemy reform have swelled the streets of Karachi, where clerics use her name. There are allegations that a cleric in a local mosque, barely five minutes' drive away, has branded her an "infidel" deserving of death. In the Punjabi city of Multan last week opponents tried to file blasphemy charges against her – raising the absurd possibility of Rehman, a national politician, facing a possible death sentence. "My inbox is inundated. The good news is that a lot of it is no longer hate mail," she says with a grim smile. "But a lot of it is."

Pakistani politicians have a long tradition of self-imposed exile but 50-year-old Rehman – a former confidante of Benazir Bhutto, and known for her glamour, principled politics and sharp tongue – is surely the first to undergo self-imposed house arrest. Hers is a luxury cell near the Karachi shore, filled with fine furniture and expensive art, but a stifling one. Government officials insist on 48 hours' notice before putting a foot outside. Plots are afoot, they warn.

She welcomes a stream of visitors – well-educated, English-speaking people from the slim elite. But Pakistan's left is divided and outnumbered. Supporters squabble over whether they should call themselves "liberals", and while candle-lit vigils in upmarket shopping areas may attract 200 well-heeled protesters, the religious parties can turn out 40,000 people, all shouting support for Mumtaz Qadri, the fanatical policeman who shot Taseer. "Pakistan is one of the first examples of a fascist, faith-based dystopia," warns commentator Nadeem Farooq Paracha.

Is it really that bad? At Friday lunchtime worshippers streamed into the Aram Bagh mosque, a beautiful structure in central Karachi inscribed with poetry praising the prophet Muhammad. "He dispelled darkness with his beauty," read one line. At the gate a banner hung by the Jamaat-e-Islami religious party offered less inspiring verse: "Death to those who conspire against the blasphemy laws."

Qamar Ahmed, a 50-year-old jeweller, said he "saluted" Taseer's killer, Qadri. "Nobody should insult the glory of the prophet, who taught us Muslims to pray," he said.

A sense of siege is setting in among Pakistan's elite. Hours later, at an upscale drinks party in the city, businessmen and their wives sipped wine and gossiped about second homes in Dubai. One woman admitted she wasn't aware of Rehman's plight because she had stopped reading the papers. "Too much bad news," she said.

Yet Pakistan is not on the verge of becoming a totalitarian religious state. The fervour is being whipped up by the normally fractious religious parties, delighted at having found a uniting issue. Leading the protests is Jamaat-e-Islami, which made the mistake of boycotting the last election and now wants to trigger a fresh poll.

More significant is the lack of resistance from every other party. Rehman is polite when asked about the silence of her colleag ues in the ruling Pakistan Peoples party on the blasphemy issue. "They feel they want to address this issue at another time," she says. The truth is, they have abandoned her.

The party played with fire over the blasphemy issue last November when President Asif Ali Zardari floated the idea of a pardon for Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman sentenced to death on dubious blasphemy charges. According to Rehman, he also agreed to reform the law. But then conservative elements in the party objected, a conservative judge blocked the pardon and, even before Taseer had been killed, the party had vowed not to touch a law that has become the virtual sacred writ of Pakistani politics.

The opposition has also been quiet. "The greater the failure of the ruling class, the louder the voice of the cleric," says politician and journalist Ayaz Amir.

The mess is also the product of dangerous spy games by the powerful army, which propped up jihadi groups for decades to fight in Afghanistan and India. Some of those militants have now "gone rogue" and allied with al-Qaida; others, according to US assessments in the WikiLeaks files, are still quietly supported by the military. "Our establishment, especially the army, is in league with these people," says Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, a moderate cleric. "And until they stop supporting them they will never be weakened."

The furore has exposed the fallacy of western ideas about "moderate" Islam. Qadri is a member of the mainstream Barelvi sect, whose leaders previously condemned the Taliban. But after Taseer's death, Barelvi clerics were the first to declare that anyone who even mourned with his grieving family was guilty of blasphemy.

Progressives demonstrate loudly in the English press and on Twitter but lack political support, having largely spurned corruption-ridden politics. Politicians say now is the time to come back. "They will be contemptuous of the politician, but they will not actually soil their hands with politics. But none of them has a constituency from which to stand," says Amir.

And there are signs that extremists do back down when confronted. Qari Munir Shakir, the cleric accused of calling Rehman an "infidel", denied his comments after Rehman supporters filed a police case against him. "It's all been blown out of proportion," he said. "All I did was ask her to take the law back. I can't imagine calling her a non-Muslim or declare her Wajib ul Qatil [deserving of death]."

Rehman is unlikely to attend Pakistan's parliament when it resumes this week. Her progressive credentials are strong, having previously introduced legislation that blunted anti-women laws and criminalised sexual harassment. But critics, including senior human rights officials, say she made a tactical mistake in prematurely introducing last November's blasphemy bill without the requisite political support.

"There's never a right time," she retorts. "Blasphemy cases are continually popping up, more horror stories from the ground. How do you ignore them?" At any rate the bill is a dead letter: clerics are demanding its immediate withdrawal from parliament and the government is likely to comply.

Amid the gloom there is some hope, from unlikely quarters. On a popular talk show last Friday night Veena Malik, an actress who faced conservative censure for appearing on the Indian version of Big Brother, gave an unforgettable tongue-lashing to a cleric who had been criticising her. "You are attacking me because I am a soft target," she railed into the camera, wagging her finger.

"But there's a lot more you can fix in the name of Islam… What about those mullahs who rape the same boys that they teach in mosques?" As the mullah replied, she started to barrack him again.

Hope also springs inside the silent majority. "The blasphemy law should be changed," declared Muhammad Usman after Friday prayers. Clutching his motorbike helmet, the 30-year-old pharmaceutical company representative said he was unafraid of speaking his mind. "It's just the illiterate ones who are supporting Mumtaz Qadri. They don't have any real religious knowledge," he said.

Some analysts downplay the worst predictions, saying blasphemy is exceptionally sensitive in a country obsessed by religion. They are right. Pakistan will soon return to more concrete worries: Taliban insurgents, economic collapse, the rise of extremism. Yet there is no doubt the aftermath of Taseer's death points to a country headed down a dangerous path.

"We know from history that appeasement doesn't pay. It only emboldens them," said Rehman.

She has no idea how long her self-imposed house arrest will last, but the precedents are ominous. In 1997 a judge who acquitted two Christians accused of blasphemy was gunned down – three years after the judgment.

"It makes me realise that life is pretty fragile," she says. "But we don't want to leave. I see no meaning to a life away from my country. It's my identity, it's everything."

Punishment of Blasphemy in Quraan

We are pleased to present different points of view,  publication does not mean endorsement - Mike Ghouse,  Muslims together.

# # #

Quraan does not contain any verse for the Punishment of Blasphemy

By Irshad Mahmood

Forget about blasphemy against Allah, his Prophets (Peace-Be-Upon-Them) and Sahaba (Raḍiyul-Laahu-Anhu), even if someone says anything about Religious Scholars (Faqui, Peer, Molvi or Mufti etc.), we are just so ready to KILL, KILL and KILL again and destroy our own economy with our own hand and put Billions of Dollars of loss in just few hours, which might have taken ages to established. This could be Shaitaan’s another Trap to destroy Muslims economy.

Blasphemy and these types of slogan are not new and many times, Prophet Muhammad (Peace-Be-Upon-Him) was subjected to verbal and physical humiliation. He (Peace-Be-Upon-Him) was narrowly escaped assassination by migrating to Medina along with Hazrat Abu Bakar (Raḍiyul-Laahu-Anhu). He was accused of FORGERY (Ref: Al_Quraan_021.005), and MAD/CRAZY/POSSESSED (Ref: Al_Quraan_068.002). His personal reaction, as also the reaction of all his devoted Companions (Raḍiyul-Laahu-Anhu), while both in and out of power, was impeccable adherence to the Quraanic teachings.

Punishment for Physical Abuse/Crime in the Quraan:

The Quraan sets strict limits on punishment for any and every physical abuse/crime, i.e. tit for tat, e.g., eye for eye, teeth for teeth and wounds for similar wounds as its maximum punishment, while recommends to forgive to set a role model for others (Ref: Al_Quraan_002.178, 004.092-093, 005.032, 005.045, 062.040, 028.054). The honorable ministers and lawyers must have clear knowledge of the Quraanic directives on crime and its punishment.

And if you punished, let your punishment be proportionate to the wrong that has been done to you; but if you show patience, that is indeed the best course. (Al_Quraan_016.126)

There is no punishment mentioned in the Quraan regarding verbal abuse, however Allah has given limited authority to Islaamic Government to established peace for non-Physical Abuse in a balanced way (Ref: Al_Quraan_018.028, 004.059). 

True peaceful rally in front of Parliament/Secretariat Buildings, Courts and Palaces etc. is necessary during the weekends, which do not hurt Peoples economy. True Islaamic Government must fines those doing these types of verbal abuses/crimes, in addition to put them into jail for limited time and teach them all the Quraanic (True Book of Guidance) Messages in their language during this jail time regardless of diplomats or high officials (Ref: Al_Quraan_009.006). Anyone entering into Muslims Country must be taught a Brief Quraanic Messages before issuing them visas including Diplomats and High Officials.

Be patient with what they say, celebrate (constantly) the praises of thy Lord and leave them with noble (dignity). (Ref: Al_Quran_020.130, 050:039, 073.010)

And withhold yourself with those who call on their Lord morning and evening desiring His goodwill, and let not your eyes pass from them (always yes sir, till they follow the Quraan and Really Authentic Sunnah), desiring the beauties of this world's life; and do not follow him whose heart We have made unmindful to Our remembrance, and he follows his low desires and his case is one in which due bounds are exceeded. (Al_Quraan_018.028)

If Quraan cannot convince you nothing will:

None argue concerning the revelations (Ayaat) of Allah BUT those who Disbelieve... (Al_Quraan_040.004)

The command is for none but Allah. (Al_Quraan_018:026)

Whom do you fear, public opinion, fatwa or Allah?

Continuation of exchange on Blasphemy at WorldMuslimcongress@yahoogroups.com it is a public forum, all are welcome to join by sending an email to: WorldMuslimCongress-subscribe@yahoogroups.com  The group is about nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam

Whom do you fear, public opinion, fatwa or Allah?

Good fatwa against Qadri

http://blasphemylaws.blogspot.com/2011/01/whom-do-you-fear-public-opinion-fatwa.html

 

Dear Javed,

I am copying a few paragraphs from the material published in Arab News yesterday.

Islam forbids killing anyone, unless it is in self-defense and it is indeed a morbid sin to commit suicide. This statement breeds an enormous confusion among a few Muslims and non-Muslims, they want to know what to believe, what the radicals are doing in the name of Islam or the ones who say they are misrepresenting it. http://arabnews.com/world/article232984.ece

If we take Brother Shamim’s position and your partial agreement with him, you are making Islam look like a religion of dominance, punishment and revenge. Let me submit to you, Islam is a religion of leadership, leading people out of chaos into peace through free will, it is a religion of peace and the majority of the Muslims believe that.  Prophet Muhammad is indeed the mercy to mankind; Salaam us per ke jis nay bekasoon pay dastagiri ki.  He brought the idea of equality and showed how to work it through the rituals embedded in Islam, he raised the level of consciousness towards the oppressed, forgave the wrong doers, he took over Mecca peacefully and did not order killing of the very people who were determined to kill him.

It calls for a serious discussion, in the name of the man of the peace, you guys are creating chaos, you are making the prophet of peace look like a man of revenge, you have to stop this and stop denigrating the prophet that we admire, adore and hold him as the ultimate peace maker, the Rahmatul Aalameen.

A few, very few in every majority community, be it Christian, Hindu, Muslim or Jewish claim themselves to be the guardians of the community and act out bullying with the power bestowed in them as a majority and make the lives of the minorities difficult.  Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) showed the examples of how to subdue the arrogance within oneself and not exercise the power of the beast for the sake of peace. He initiated the Madina Treaty as a man in charge of the political, military and religious power to protect the minorities from the onslaught of the majoritarianism. The Prophet taught us to stand up for the oppressed.

Javed, ruefully, brother Shamim and his ilk is discarding the examples of kindness prophet set; towards a lady who threw trash on him, praying for the ones who pelted stones on him and more and more at …http://www.petitiononline.com/Asiabibi/petition.html 

Javed, let’s wake ourselves up from our arrogance and do the inner Jihad, Islam is about peace and not dominance. For the conversion-bent among us, this an opportunity missed out.

The silent majority needs to speak out at crucial times like this where the murderer Qadri is being hailed as a hero in defending the very Prophet who was a mercy to mankind. This entire sordid affair started when Bibi, a Christian woman was denied the water by a few senseless individuals, they are the ones that need to be questioned (not punished). Does not Quraan and Hadith say, don’t denigrate the faith of others, lest they do that to you?

Javed, please speak up your mind, you don’t need to appease any one, you are one of the leaders and you need to lead and not worry what others say and compromise.  Standing up will bring fatwas on your door, the question is whom do you fear, Allah or Fatwa?

Mike Ghouse

www.MikeGhouse

From: doctorforu
To: TSidd, WorldMuslimCongress@yahoogroups.com, MikeGhouse@aol.com, hasniessa, Sent: 1/12/2011 7:30:46 A.M. Central Standard Time
Subj: Re: MuslimAgenda :: RE: Good fatwa against Qadri...

Mohatram Shamim Sb

ASAK

I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that the punishment for what is called in Fiqh as “Shatim-e Rasool” is nothing but death. A person who has blasphemed against a personality or book, which is dearer to a community more than their own nafoos certainly deserves to be sentenced to death because his action is an insult to the beliefs of huge numbers of people and also because it can cause widespread trouble leading to a great number of deaths. Death to him is therefore a preventive measure against greater number of deaths. But my point is that we have to understand the finer differences when deciding on the issues:

1. There is difference between committing blasphemy and supporting for condonement of a person accused of blasphemy. Both are not crimes of equal severity. The person who supports condonement of a person for crime of blasphemy does not necessarily have disrespect for Prophet himself. Many people whose Iman cannot be doubted did not support the fatwa by Khomeini against Rushdie. Does that mean that they committed blasphemy themselves and deserve to be given the same punishment as Rushdie? I have no first hand knowledge but my feeling is that Taseer did not support the views of Asia Bibi and only spoke against the punishment of death for her. I do not think that Taseer had ever expressed any views that make him a shatim-e rasool. Does he deserve death for merely advocating mercy for a person who committed a serious offence? I have my doubts. If Taseer had been tried in a shariah court, would a Mufti declare his crime worthy of punishment by death?

2. If a person does not deserve death for an offence committed by him, howsoever serious or condemnable his offence is, can his killing be justified?

3. Even if his killing is justified under Sharaiah, would anyone be allowed to kill him without any fatwa issues for it or without proceeding in a court in a country where the current laws punish blasphemy by death?

Emotions and sentiments must not dither us from making judgements in accordance with Quran. Allah forgive me if I am wrong!

Javed Jamil

---

From: "TSidd @ >
To: doctorforu123@yahoo.com; WorldMuslimCongress@yahoogroups.com; MikeGhouse@aol.com; hasniessa; .. and the list

Sent: Tue, January 11, 2011 7:21:57 PM
Subject: Re: MuslimAgenda :: RE: Good fatwa against Qadri...

Mohtram Javed Bhai,  ASA

Perhaps you are otherwise busy and had no time to go through the write-up by the  undersigned and that of HK Saheb. You are missing the very genesis  of the issue.

I. Act of blasphemy is crime against humanity when one insults the personality of our beloved Prophet (S), he injures the finest feelings of the Muslim Ummah as a whole. His punishment is death as prescribed in law.

2. If government is hesitant and shows sympathy with the person who has been committing this horrible crime, the  Muslims who love him (S) will have to take the law in their hands as it is the matter of "crime" against an individual person, specially when the person is arrogant and feel proud of doing it as Taseer was behaving.

3, The law of blasphemy is the target of the government  to change under the outside pressure from the secular West, the entire Christendom and the prejudiced Vatican.

4. General Muslim masses have natural sympathy with the assailant who did a noble job to revenge the insult of their Mahboob Prophet Muhammad (S). He act was not a crime but the need of time,

5. The issue is the inefficiency and weakness of Pakistani Government and the lopsided propaganda of the secular vested press that is siding  with the late  secular Governor. and the wilful interference of foreign powers.    

6. If the government  declares that the  Act of Blasphemy  will stay as it is, the Movement  will subside immediately and the fate of the assailant will then be sealed by the legal process. 

7. It will be left to public pressure wether to set him free or hanged to death. Let love for Prophet (S) decide  the  issue on the streets of Pakistan - the most authentic court of democracy that west loves most.         

Justice  demands it.

Shamim Siddiqi

In a message dated 1/11/2011 7:46:28 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, doctorforu @yahoo.com writes:

I have been closely following the discussion emanating from the murder of Punjab Governor and support for the one who killed him because he defended a person who insulted Prophet Muhammad SAW. Two opinions are emerging and I have a middle position. If anyone says that there should be no punishment for blasphemy, he is only befoolng himself. In a world where denial of holocaust is a punishable act, where burning of flags and insult to the constitutions are punishable crimes, to think that insult to religious figures should be made illegal is nothing but an open attempt to defeat religion as a system and institution. The Law aims to keep society away from drifting to chaos, disorder and such conditions where life and honour of the people is at stake. Blasphemous actions are an insult not only of the figures related to a religion but an insult to the conviction and commitment of a vast section of society or almost the whole society in a country dominated by single religion. Such acts of blasphemy are bound to creat chaos at a large scale and cannot be condoned. In such cases the law must act swiftly s that the hurt feelings of the people do not convert into open violence.

If the Law does not act rightly or swiftly, there is every chance that Qadris will emerge.  If the acts of blasphemy are committed or are supported in one way or the other by the custodians of law themelves, people will surely lose confiedence in Legal institutions. But to openly admire an act of reprisal without a legal aurtority in a country where legal recourse was available is not justified. Such an action could have been justified in a country where the culprit cannot be boked under law (for example, Salman Rushdi). In that case, the one who acts like that must be reay to face the law for his act. But in Pakistan, there is a blasphemy law in force. Instead of taking recourse to that, if someone kills a person taking law in his own hands, he should definitely be put to trial for murder. It is another matter that the judge should take all the circumstances into consideration before declaring his punishment. If he hasd one something that has pleased Allah, He will have his reward in Hereafter; but in the world he should face the law.  The sympathies of the people towards him are understandable but the Law must not act on sympathies.

Javed Jamil

---

From: Faiz <tahir
To: MikeGhouse@aol.com; hasniessa  ; and the list
Sent: Mon, January 10, 2011 5:05:55 PM
Subject: MuslimAgenda :: RE: Good fatwa against Qadri...
 From another forum:

Brother Munir alHaq,

 I am not blaming the whole nation.  All I am saying is that a large section of Pakistani society is sympathetic towards Qadri. So much so that many ‘educated people” (some on this forum as well) have lost their minds in this frenzy—and that I find VERY disturbing. There are more facebook pages on Qadri side than on Taseer side.

I am still a citizen of Pakistan and I love my country from the core of my heart. I have spent 32 years of my life living in it in good old days.

 When I see a large segment of society (which means most of the villagers who are unlettered, but also many of the educated class), it tears apart my heart.  I say, how come we don’t think, how come we don’t reflect, how come we don’t listen to the voice of reason? 

I have yet to find a person in the US who opened his mouth to praise Jared Loughton!  And that’s the point I am making.

On the other hand, Qadri—as of today—is being treated with some respect, flower petals and garlands—even the lawyers are willing to fight his case out when the government had a real hard time to lead the funeral prayers for the slain governor!

This is rape of common sense—a ‘toofaan-e-badtameezi’ that I simply fail to understand.

People are scared to death to speak about how they feel about the whole orgy. I am waiting for the day when some enlightened people will pick up the courage and appear in rallies and TV shows to let people know that the concept we call “tahaffuz-e-namoos-e-risalat” can best be achieved by following the Qur’an—the book that Prophet Muhammad (sws) himself followed and commanded all of us to follow.  That Book has clear guideline about all kinds of blasphemies.

And that book never ever allowed its followers to take law in their own hands and commit murderous activities—for any reason whatsoever.  The legislative bodies have the responsibility to make and enact laws, and the Law enforcement agencies will be enforcing them.  There are no ifs and buts in this governing protocol.  If we are not happy with a law, let’s make it known our concerns and let’s adopt legally allowed ways to change it by mutual discussion and deliberation in the legislative domain.

All people of conscience and enlightenment in Pakistan should stand up as one man and push forward to modify this law in a way that the mischief-mongers will find it real hard to misuse and manipulate.  I am hoping this  but I realized it’s not going to happen any time soon because of the presence of ‘scare crows’ everywhere.  The government is weak and corrupt—so is a significant segment of the opposition contingent. The scare tactics of the religious clergy is dancing naked and there’s chaos that can only promote further irrational behavior.

As for as I am concerned, I believe that these blasphemy laws MUST be repealed immediately before anyone else gets hurt.  I call these laws barbaric and draconian---not because they would seem so to anyone sane around---but because these laws violate the basic tenets of the Holy Qur’an.  They do not protect the noble name of the blessed protect at all; in fact, believe me or not, they have the opposite effect.  These laws go way to the ‘tauheen’ o the Prophet because the reasons behind making these laws—the cruel, fabricated historical stories—go a long way to vilify the blessed prophet.  Let anyone go over those stories and you will appreciate what I am saying.   We are not realizing it because many of our enlightened minds are ‘disoriented’ and benumbed at the moment—thanks to the military dictator Zia-ul-Haq; he gave us a murder and vilification gift that, sadly, we love to keep close to our hearts. 

Best,

Irfan

From: Moderate s@yahoogroups.com  
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2011 5:12 PM
To: fff
Subject: Re: [ModerateMuslims] RE: Asia Bibi Petition for Signature

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I understand the anger we all have against Qadri and that is justified. But the point was that these murderers do not represent the entire society. 

All societies are different from different aspects, some greatly better than others but from specific angles, of course, and vice versa. No religions, races or societies are monoliths that we just paint these with a broad brush as essentially good or evil.

The fanatic zealots supporting Qadri exist as well but my point is one should also realize that there are rallies and protests that were also held against Qadri's horrific actions as well in different parts of the country.

Just wanted to toss out that it seems we should keep the target of our anger to specific groups responsible and not entire religions or entire nations because that tends to undermine our criticism.

Thanks again,

Munir

From: MikeGhouse@aol.com [mailto:MikeGhouse@aol.com]
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2011 4:04 PM
To: hasniessa

Check it out at:

www.Blasphemylaws.com

Mike

In a message dated 1/10/2011 2:53:45 P.M. Central Standard Time, hasniessa.com writes:

• Pope Asks Pakistan To Reverse Blasphemy Law

ASSOCIATED PRESS

VATICAN CITY— Pope Benedict XVI urged Pakistan to reverse its blasphemy laws, saying Monday they were a pretext for violence against non-Muslims, and demanded that all governments do more so Christians can practice their faith without fear