KARACHI, March 3: Thousands of people took part in scores of rallies held in different parts of the city on Friday to mark the day of protest against the publication of blasphemous caricatures by European press.
A call for observing the protest day was given mainly by the opposition religious parties and groups as part of their Namoos-i-Risalat campaign.
Most of the rallies and public meetings to condemn the act of blasphemy were held outside mosques after Jumma prayers.
Ulema and other religious leaders, addressing the protesters, strongly condemned the United States, Denmark and other European countries for resorting to blasphemy or defending the act to provoke Muslims.
The protesters were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against blasphemous caricatures and their promoters.
At the rallies organized by Jamaat-i-Islami elsewhere in the city, handbills were distributed among protesters calling on them to join in the marches planned for Sunday (March 5). The participants demanded convening of an emergency meeting of the OIC to discuss the issue of blasphemy and Europe’s attitude towards the Islamic world and consider total boycott of products from the offender countries.
They also demanded exemplary punishment to all those involved in the publication of the blasphemous caricatures.
Maulana Asadullah Bhutto of JI, addressing a rally in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, pointed out that the peace and discipline at the anti-blasphemy rallies and the strike across Pakistan was a message to the entire world that “Muslims are a peaceful nation, and not terrorists as their enemies propagate.”
He said that the perpetrators of the blasphemous sketches and those who were out to offend Muslims must know that Muslims were united and could counter forcefully any act of blasphemy by anti-Islam elements. He noted that necessity of street protests and anti-blasphemy campaign was prompted by the attitude of our rulers who had utterly failed to give a befitting reply to the blasphemers and take a strong stand on the issue.
Nizam-i-Mustafa Party staged a demonstration against the President Bush’s visit to Pakistan. Speakers, including Haji Hanif Tayab said that Mr Bush should acknowledge the sentiments of Muslims. He should make the UN to redefine the ‘freedom of expression’ and ensure that in future no one was allowed to indulge in any act of blasphemy.
Anjuman Naujawanan-i-Islam also held rallies at different places in the city.
Its leader, Tariq Mahboob, told protesters that all Islamic countries should sever diplomatic relations with the European states involved in the act of blasphemy.
Tehrik Awam Ahl-i-Sunnat held several public meetings in the city to condemn the blasphemers. At one of the rallies, chief of the movement Hanif Billo said the peaceful protests had proved that Karachiites were the true followers of the holy prophet (PBUH).
