PIL condemns publication of blasphemous caricatures

Islamabad
The Pakistan Interfaith League (PIL) has condemned the publication of the blasphemous caricatures by the French weekly magazine ‘Charlie Hebdo’ and termed the move a clear incitement to provoke Muslims all over the world by hurting their religious feelings.
Talking to ‘The News,’ PIL Chairman Sajid Ishaq said that hurting religious sentiments of any faith always draws a sharp reaction, almost always leading to acts of violence. This being a glaring fact the publication of those blasphemous caricatures was as much condemnable as is terrorism.
“And the re-publication of such caricatures could not be accepted by any civilised society and nothing can justify the act. Freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of the press are indeed basic rights and need to be respected, guarded and followed. But this freedom should not be allowed to incite hatred between the followers of different religions,” Sajid Ishaq said.
He said that the people who published these caricatures were highly educated and well aware of the sensitivities of such matters. “So, there is no excuse to present in defense of these acts. Those people were well aware of reaction by the Muslims all over the world to such acts in the past and the publication of those blasphemous caricatures were clearly in bad taste and amounted to provocation,” the PIL chairman said.
“This latest unfortunate incident in Paris has once again stirred the whole world to take up this sensitive issue very seriously and come up with some meaningful steps that may prevent such unfortunate incidents of hurting the religious sentiments of not only Muslims but the followers of any faith or ideology in future all over the world,” he added.
He stressed that such acts have always led to create and widen the divides between different faiths and cultures and a minuscule minority immediately exploits and turns those into fuel to stoke the flames of hatred and terrorism even higher.
He said that while the world leaders and communities are mourning the Paris incidents and lending unequivocal support to France against terrorism and terrorists, they also need to give a serious thought as to how to prevent such acts of provocation against Muslims or for that matter against the followers of any faith.