February 25, 2006	Saturday	Muharram 26, 1427

KARACHI, Feb 24: Thousands of people affiliated with different religious political organizations held protest rallies and demonstration on Friday against blasphemous cartoons published in the western press and the latest bombings in holy shrines in Iraq.

They held demonstrations and sit-ins in different parts of the city, particularly after Friday prayers, while condemning different acts of incensing Muslim sentiments the world over.

The enraged but peaceful religious and political activists saw a well-planned conspiracy against Muslims in the shape of cartons involving the Holy Prophet (SAW) and bombings of the holy shrines of Hazrat Imam Hasan Askari and Hazrat Imam Ali Naqi and stressed the need for perfect unity of the Muslim Ummah.

They also demanded cancellation of US President George Bush’s proposed visit to Pakistan, boycott of European products, and submission of formal apologies by the publications concerned and their respective governments for the blasphemous cartoons.

A large number of people on a protest call given by Jafferia Alliance Pakistan gathered centrally at the Khoja Masjid in Kharadar and marched up to the Merewether Tower. The rally participants also staged a sit-in on the MA Jinnah Road at Tower.

The protesters were holding flags and placards inscribed with slogans against Israel and the US. Speeches were made by Allama Abbas Kumaili, Maulana Hussain Masoodi, Allama Aftab Jaffery, Allama Furqan Abedi, Maulana Mahmood Moosavi and Maulana Ikram Hussain Tirmizi.

The speakers held that attacks on the holy shrines in Iraq on Feb 22 were the result of an international conspiracy against the fast building unity of Muslims against imperialist’ forces.

The enemies of Islam have selected a group of people having biases for fulfilling their evil designs against Muslims and opted for blasphemous activities and desecrating revered places, which was highly condemnable.

They added that the main culprits of the Sammarra incident could be found within the secret agencies run by the foreign occupants of Iraq and Zionist forces.

Some of the speakers said that imperialist powers, who feared failure of their plans due to the emerging situation in Iraq, in fact wanted to create law and order problems and religious differences. The flags of the US, Israel and Demark were also set to fire participants at Merewether Tower.

AHLE SUNNAT: The followers of the Jamaat Ahle Sunnat brought out rallies after Friday prayers outside different mosques in Liaquatabad, New Karachi, Landhi, Orangi and Korangi. These were addressed by Maulana Qazi Ahmad Noorani, Allama Zahid Siraj Qadri, Sahibzada Mohammad Sharif, Maulana Abdullah Qadri and other leaders.

The leaders held America responsible for the attacks on Muslims beliefs and their scared places throughout the world and said even the European block had now started accepting US influence.

ISLAMIC FRONT: The Islamic National Front staged a demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club, expressing sentiments against the European Union.

Leaders of the organization, Khanzada Abdul Hamid Khan, Munir Khan, Sarzameen Khan, criticized the role of the US and the UN and noted that now the EU had also joined hands with them for the destruction of Muslims.

AHLE HADITH: Speaking at a protest meeting after Friday prayers in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, the chairman of Tehreek Ahle Hadith, Allama Abdullah Ghazi, said Muslims across the globe will eventually emerge as a united bloc due to the wars imposed on them by the Zionists and imperialist forces, and the frequent acts of hurting Muslim sentiments besides attempts to create sectarian conflicts among them.

PASBAN: The Pasban Karachi staged a protest rally near the KPC against the publication of blasphemous sketches by some Western newspapers.

Speaking to the gathering, Syed Ashraf Hussain and Akram Agaria condemned the act in the strongest of terms and said that peace cannot be ensured in the world by fanning anti-Islam sentiments.

JAMAAT-I-ISLAMI: Protest demonstrations were held all over Karachi after Friday prayers outside major mosques and the Karachi Press Club against the publication of blasphemous cartoons in European newspapers under the Tahaffuz-i-Namoos-i-Mustafa (SAW) campaign, adds PPI.

The protestors strongly condemned the publication of blasphemous cartoons and the attitude of Islamic governments.

The call for holding protest demonstrations and protests was given by a Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), the A’almi Majlis-i-Tahaffuz-i-Khatme Nabuwwat and several other religious and political organizations. Rallies and demos were held in over 500 places in the city.

The biggest protest demonstration was held outside the Bait-ul-Mukarram mosque in Gulshan-i-Iqbal by the JI.

The rallies and demonstrations were addressed by JI and MMA leaders and parliamentarians including MNA Muhammad Hussain Mehanti, MPAs Nasrullah Shajji, Hameedullah Khan, Muhammad Younus Barai and others.

The JI Karachi Amir, Dr Merajul Huda Siddiqui said Pakistani Muslims and minorities were protesting against the blasphemous cartoons for the last one month but the government had kept mum on the issue and was instead trying to disrupt the protests.

He alleged that Europe and the Western world had nothing to do with democracy, human rights and freedom of expression, reasoning that anybody who denied the holocaust was sentenced to life imprisonment while people were free to attack other religions, which was clear hypocrisy.

The Chairman of the Shia Ulema Council Pakistan, Allama Hassan Turabi, said the publication of blasphemous cartoons was an attack on the Muslims of the whole world. He said they were ready to sacrifice their lives for the honour and respect of the Prophet (SAW).

He alleged that earlier the government had supported the US and its allies in the attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq, and now once again, it was failing to represent the Pakistani people on this important issue.

MILLAT-I-JAFFERIA: Protest demonstrations and rallies were held on Friday throughout the country on the appeal of the leader of Millat-i-Jafferia, Syed Sajid Ali Naqvi, against the bomb attacks on the shrine of Imam Hasan Askari in Sammarra in Iraq.

Demonstrations in Karachi were held in many areas including Ancholi, Rizvia Society, Jaffar-i-Tayyar Society, Abbas Town and others. People in these areas closed their shops for the protest.

REAL ESTATE AGENTS: Real estate agents and property dealers in Karachi on Friday observed shutter-down strike and staged a protest demonstration against the blasphemous cartoons.

A joint protest demonstration of the United Defence Clifton Estate Agents Association and All-Christian Defence Clifton Estate Agents Association was held outside the Karachi Press Club to condemn the blasphemous act.