KARACHI, Feb 8: Leaders of the minority communities in a unanimous resolution have demanded the Pakistani government to call back its envoys from responsible countries, whose newspapers had published the blasphemous cartoons, seek apologies from their ambassadors based here, and immediately stop trade with these countries.

The resolution was adopted at a conference organized by the Jamaat-i-Islami on Wednesday.

The leaders of the Christian, Hindu and Sikh communities flayed the EU countries for justifying the publications as press freedom in the wake of widespread agitation these had provoked among Muslims.

They said that the blasphemous images published in newspapers of European countries had not only enraged Muslims but the outrageous way of expressing press freedom had also worried Christians, Hindus and Sikhs about the sanctity of their own beliefs.

The minority leaders pledged all-out support to the JI in any protest against the cartoons, and termed the ignorance of European governments as a “conspiracy to dent interfaith harmony.”

Bishop Saleem Raza of the United Church of Pakistan, Saleem Michael, Asif Gill, Samuel Nazir, Lashman Singh, Dial Lal and others said that defaming a religious figure only indicated that those involved in such acts were bent upon creating rifts between different faiths.

They ridiculed the notion used by EU countries to defend press freedom, saying their own faith — Christianity — barred anyone from hurting the religious believes of others.

“And ironically, Denmark’s constitution, whose newspaper started this all, says that freedom of press cannot be used against faith. Yet, its government is stubbornly defending the paper.”

“The defence of these newspapers by EU governments in the face of widespread condemnation is intolerable,” they said.

They demanded the EU governments to seek an apology from Muslims and ensure that such outrage does not recur in the future. “Modernization and development does not authorize the EU to transgress any faith.”

Naib Amir of the JI Prof Ghafoor Ahmed, lauding the support extended by the minorities, said this would serve to send a message that blasphemy of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) would be treated as an offence against the believers of all faiths.

He lauded the elected representatives of minorities for voting in favour of resolutions against the blasphemous images. “The EU countries by trying to justify it are only aggravating the situation,” he said.

Europe’s claim of being secular is baseless because they are deeply involved in the promotion of Christianity. Regretfully, the EU governments are not only acting against the basic beliefs of that religion, but they are also hurting the feelings of followers of other religions, he said.

The JI Amir of Karachi, Dr Merajul Huda Siddiqui, recalled that a cinema in an EU country was set ablaze after it featured a movie against Christ.

He said there was no evident proof in history involving Muslims in defaming Prophets.

He said the global situation demanded a dialogue between civilizations and the EU should desist from paving way for the “clash of civilizations”.

Nasrullah Shajji, Younus Khan Advocate and Rafiq Ahmed also spoke.—PPI