KARACHI, May 13: Leaders of religio-political parties and people at large voiced strong protest on Friday against desecration of the Holy Quran by the American military personnel at the infamous Guantanamo Bay base, publication of a cartoon degrading Pakistan and urged the central leadership to give a nationwide strike call.

The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal had given a call for protest after Friday prayers which drew many emotionally charged people who were condemning US policies vis-à-vis Muslim world and the regime here for describing subservience to Washington the name of enlightened moderation.

Prof Ghafoor Ahmed, Naib Amir of Jamat-i-Islami, while presiding over a meeting said even national assembly had approved a resolution against desecration of Holy Quran in Guantanamo Bay and publishing of denouncing cartoon in US newspaper, Washington Times, against Pakistan, “but President Musharraf did not say a word against them”.

He observed that the “President has granted MQM open permission to do anything in the city”, and alleged that the city was handed to murderers.

Highly charged protestors outside Jamia Masjid Binnori town were carrying placards and banners inscribed with condemnation of desecration of Holy Quran and pro-American policies of the rulers. Prayer leaders in their Friday sermons also deplored the desecration of the Holy Quran from the pulpit.

MMA’s vice residents Molana Abdul Karim Abid, Allama Hassan Turabi, chief of Karachi chapter of Jamat-i-Islami, Dr Mairajul Huda, MMA’s local chief Hafiz Mohammad Taqi, deputy parliamentary leader of the MMA in the Sindh assembly Nasrullah Shaji, Syed Qutub and others addressed the protest rally outside the Jamia masjid Binnori Town.

Maulana Abdul Karim Abid said the incident of desecration holy Quran represented moral degradation of Americans. He alleged that rulers were using the language of Americans in their zest to transform Pakistan into a secular state and to wean the people away from their religious ethos. He said such a conspiracy would not be allowed to succeed at any cost.

Allama Hassan Turabi said that the incident of Guantanamo bay was just another example of anti-Islam polices of the US. He regretted that instead of strongly reacting to recent deplorable incidents, the rulers were keeping a mum and Gen Pervez Musharraf was advocating US interests.

Rejecting Gen Musharraf’s enlightened moderation, he said that Pakistan could only be made enlightened by following the tenets of Islam and Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and respecting Quran and the supreme code of life. He said that if jihadis were terrorists, then Sunnis and Shias were all terrorists.

Dr Mairajul Huda called upon the Mulsims to come out of their age-old slumber and alleged that subservience to Americans was given the name of enlightened moderation.

He said that Washington Times cartoon had exposed true mindset of Americans about their “friends” .

Hafiz Taqi termed the incident as an attack on Muslims’ faith and belief. Nasrullah Shaji said on the one hand America was preaching moderation and human rights, and on the other it was trampling human values.

Political activists, students of religious seminaries, traders and ulema staged demonstrations at many other places in the city.