Islamists condemn re-publishing of blasphemous sketches

LAHORE: Religious leaders have condemned re-publishing of blasphemous sketches of Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) by the French weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo, and setting on fire the Holy Quran by Swedish white supremacist groups.

They have urged the government for calling an urgent OIC meeting to chalk out a joint strategy to deal with the situation. They announced countrywide protests on Friday (tomorrow) to condemn such acts of provocation.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Senator Sirajul Haq has termed these acts as disgusting, shameless, fascism and terrorism against millions of Muslims who have proved time and again that they could not tolerate these blasphemous acts by the supremacist mindset. Presiding over a meeting of party leaders at Mansoora on Wednesday, he said such acts are aimed at destroying the peace of the world. He demanded that the government immediately call an OIC meeting.

He asked the government to take the matter to the UN to devise a universal agreement on the respect of all religions. Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith President Senator Sajid Mir demanded that the Muslim world take notice of the dastardly and condemnable acts of enemies of Islam. Addressing a meeting on Wednesday, he also demanded that the government call an immediate meeting of the OIC and the UN to discuss the organized and systematic blasphemy attempts against sacred Muslim figures and the holy book, which has conflagrated the sentiments of nearly two billion Muslims all over the world.

MWM Secretary General Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri condemned re-publication of the sketches by the French magazine after more than a decade and setting on fire the Holy Quran in Sweden as cowardly and dangerous acts by the enemies of Islam. He appealed for holding demonstrations on Friday all over the country.