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| May 14, 2005 | Saturday | Rabi-us-Sani 5, 1426 |
JI, JUI protest against Quran’s desecration
PESHAWAR, May 13: Enraged by the desecration of the Holy Quran by US interrogators at Guantanamo Bay and publication of a derogatory cartoon in an American newspaper, workers of the Jamaat-i-Islami and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam staged demonstrations on Friday and alleged the government to sever diplomatic relations with Washington.
Speaking at a protest demonstration at the Qissakhawani Bazaar, JI MNA Shabbir Ahmad Khan demanded that the government should immediately cut off diplomatic ties with the US.
Carrying banners and shouting slogans against the US and President Pervez Musharraf, protesters also staged a march from Mahabat Khan mosque to the Qissakhawani Bazaar, where they were addressed by JI leaders.
Shabbir Ahmad Khan said it was a matter of grave concern that rulers of Muslim countries had been keeping mum over such incidents, which proved that most of them were US stooge.
“Even the OIC is reluctant to convene a meeting and discuss these issues which have hurt the sentiments of the entire ummah,” Mr Khan added.
According to him, the publication of the derogatory cartoon was aimed at disgracing the Pakistani government and not the people.
Pakistan was a great country, a nuclear power, but the rulers had mortgaged its sovereignty, he said, adding that the military operation in tribal areas against so-called terrorists at the behest of the US was enough evidence of the rulers’ weakness.
Another procession led by JUI MNA Qari Fayyazur Rehman Alvi began from Madni mosque in the Namak Mandi area and after passing through the Khyber Bazaar terminated at the Qissakhawani Bazaar where it was addressed by JUI leaders.
“The United States wants Muslims to become subservient to Israel, which is evident from its policies in Kashmir, Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine and elsewhere,” Mr Alvi said.
He alleged that President Musharraf was carrying out the US agenda in the garb of enlightened moderation, but warned that religious forces would foil all such efforts.
He said the US earlier supported Salman Rushdi and Tasleema Nasreen who had written derogatory things about Islam and now it was supporting Israel to curb Muslims.
Speaking on the occasion, Maulana Ihsanul Haq said that according to the UN charter, all religions enjoyed equal respect but in the present case, the US was responsible for disgracing Muslims and their religion.
“We want the UN secretary-general to initiate action against the US, because it has hurt Muslims’ feelings around the globe,” he said.
Amid slogans of ‘Allah is Great’, ‘Down with Bush and Musharraf’, he said the JUI workers were waiting for a call to march on to Islamabad and lodge their protest.
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