APC against sacrilegious sketches

Islamabad
The Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) has called an All-Parties Conference (APC) against the publication of the sacrilegious sketches to be held in Islamabad today (Monday) to raise a joint voice expressing concern and condemnation over these acts by individuals and groups in the name of freedom of expression and freedom of speech.
Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, chairman of the PUC, who also is a member of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), while talking to The News, said that recurrence of such incidents have become a big source of concern for the Muslims all over the world.
“There is nothing wrong with the freedom of speech and freedom of expression or the freedom of the press. But this freedom has to be exercised with utmost responsibility and the sensitivities, especially the religious sentiments, are too fragile to be tinkered within the name of freedom of expression or freedom of the press,” Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi said.
“We have time and again said it loud and clear that hurting someone’s faith and religious feelings are like playing with fire. There are always such elements in the society which the extremist groups exploit and use the highly charged individuals to resort to extreme acts of violence like we have seen recently in case of the French magazine which published sacrilegious sketches,” the PUC chairman said.
He said that such irresponsible acts performed in the name of freedom of expression and freedom of the press amounts to provoking and instigating violence and providing the fodder for the guns being used by the terrorist groups in the name of religion.
“Once it (publication of sacrilegious sketches or material) could be a mistake. But repeat of such acts is clearly a well thought and deeply contemplated strategy to provoke the Muslims all over the world. Every sane person has condemned such acts in the past and this time as well. Even Pope Francis has voiced grave concern over this latest act of publication of sacrilegious sketches, which led to an unfortunate and violent reaction leading to murder of over 10 persons in Paris,” Tahir Ashrafi said.
He said that the recurrence of such unfortunate incidents of publication of sacrilegious sketches or articles or books has become a huge source of concern for the Muslims all over the world and is causing serious problems for the Muslim religious leaders and scholars to prevent ordinary Muslims from reacting violently to such acts of provocation.
He said that Islam is the only religion which makes it binding for every Muslim to respect the Prophets, the Holy Books and the worship places of followers of all other faiths.
“Those who desecrate other religions are in fact trying to create a wedge and widen that through provoking violence between the followers of different faiths. This is a highly condemnable act and the world has to take this matter with all seriousness. And not only the religious leaders of different faiths shoulder a great responsibility in this regard but the world political leaders belonging to all faiths and the international journalist organizations also stand responsible to wake up and deal with the situation in a sensible and civilized manner,” Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi said.
He said that today’s APC, likely to be attended by at least 28 religious and political parties, will prepare a joint strategy to protect and respect all religions, their followers and their worship places and come up with recommendations to prevent such unfortunate incidents of uncalled-for religious provocation at international level.