Rally against blasphemous cartoons contest

LAHORE: JI continued protest against blasphemous cartoons competition scheduled to be held in the Netherlands by taking out a rally from Bund Road to Moon Market.

The rally was led by JI Lahore ameer Zikrullah Mujahid. IJ workers, notables of the area and office-bearers of JI affiliated organisations were raising slogans against Amsterdam authorities. Addressing the rally, Zikrullah Mujahid urged the Muslim rulers to stress the contest organisers not to hold the contest. He warned that European anti-Islam forces were pushing the whole world into a new war of civilisations which could be avoided if they respect the fundamental rights of the Muslims.

He demanded the government to take a serious notice of the move against the rights of Muslims and take a strong action to restrain the Amsterdam authorities from endangering the world peace under this garb.

Qadri: Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri has dubbed blasphemous caricatures competition in the Netherlands a grave conspiracy against international peace and brotherhood, saying the sanctity of human rights demand respect of religious beliefs, sacred personalities and places of worship, and insulting the sacred personalities of others was not freedom of expression.

In a statement on international human rights day, Dr Qadri warned the Netherlands against pushing the world towards a new conflict. He said spreading hatred would only lead to destroy whatever peace was left in the world and also support anti-human narrative of extremists. He demanded immediate abandoning the provocative competition which had trampled and enraged the religious sentiments of 1.7 billion Muslims in the world. He warned that the world was already sitting on the verge of huge war and any new clash of civilisations must be averted at every cost. He said UN, EU and OIC should play a key role in this regard.

Meanwhile, a US youth embraced Islam at the hands of PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri. According to reports reaching at PAT secretariat, DR Qadri directed the scholars of Minhajul Quran International to undertake the basic Islamic education of the converted young man C J Homey.