Parliament calls for government action: Blasphemous cartoons
By Raja Asghar
ISLAMABAD, Feb 3: The Senate and National Assembly on Friday unanimously condemned the publication of ‘blasphemous and derogatory’ cartoons by some European newspapers and demanded action by Pakistani and European governments to prevent such outrages in future.
Both houses passed resolutions on the issue following public protests in Pakistan and several other Muslim countries against the cartoons first published by a Danish newspaper in September and recently reproduced by newspapers in some other European countries.
The National Assembly held a four-hour-long fiery debate marked by calls for snapping diplomatic ties with countries where these caricatures were published, a boycott of their goods and taking up the matter in the United Nations and the World Court.
But the resolution, which seemed to have a foreign ministry input despite the absence of Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, only called for summoning ambassadors of these countries to warn them of a ‘strong backlash’ and urged European democracies to take “political, administrative and legislative measures” to prevent a repetition of such acts.
The Senate resolution was even more cautious, calling for “coordinated and effective protest” through diplomatic channels, the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) and other international agencies, and recommending that Pakistan consider “other economic and political actions”.
POOR ATTENDANCE: A total of 36 members from opposition and the ruling alliance, including some from the minority communities, spoke in the NA debate before a poorly attended house passed the resolution, which Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain said had the consent of leaders of all parliamentary parties and groups.
Only 35 members — 12 from the ruling coalition — were present in the 342-seat assembly when the resolution was put to vote and passed before the house was adjourned until 4:30pm on Monday.
The resolution said the publication of the “highly derogatory and blasphemous caricatures” had caused a “wave of anger, resentment and anguish across the length and breadth of Pakistan”.
“The Prophet of Islam Hazrat Mohammad (pbuh) is a symbol of peace, tolerance and forgiveness as is borne out by his entire life history,” it said, adding that portraying him in “such diabolical terms” was an abuse rather than a manifestation of press freedom.
“Islam enjoins respect for all prophets and all religions but as Muslims we also expect that other religions and civilisations should reciprocate to Islam in a similar manner.
“We call upon the government to summon the ambassadors of the countries in which these blasphemous caricatures have been published and warn them of the strong backlash amongst the people of Pakistan and the entire Muslim Ummah if such distortions of our religion continue to take place in the West. We call upon the democracies of Europe, and particularly the European Union, to take political, administrative and legislative measures to ensure that bigots and blasphemers do not take the shelters of the freedom of expression to target other people and religions and embark on a path of hatred, bigotry and violence to divide the people of the world.”
SENATE RESOLUTION: The Senate resolution, passed after a few speeches, condemned in “strongest terms” what it called “deliberate and concerted actions on the part of European media in general and Danish daily Jyllands Posten in particular” that it said hurt the faith and feelings of Muslims.
“A number of European newspapers have and are continuing to target Muslims and Islam in (a) vicious manner despite Muslims’ protests. This vicious, outrageous and provocative campaign cannot be justified in the name of freedom of expression or of the press. Freedom also requires responsibility and cannot be extended to justify abuse, insult or injury to the religious sentiments of people belonging to other faiths,” it said.
The resolution asked the government to take “immediate steps to lodge coordinated and effective protests through diplomatic channels and also through the Organisation of Islamic Conference and other international agencies to bring an end to this irresponsible onslaught against the Islamic faith.”
It said: “The Senate further recommends that the government of Pakistan should consider other economic and political actions to prevent uncivilised behaviour by the Danish daily and other European media against the Muslim faith. It does not need emphasis that Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance and gives respect to all other religions and expects similar respect from people belonging to all other religions and cultures.”
