Who is Blasphemous Yaani Gustakh e Rasool Kaun - Part 2

LONDON: British Home Secretary Theresa May has said Britain will continue to lobby the Pakistani government for making amendments in the country's controversial blasphemy laws to prevent more innocent people falling on its wrong side. In a wide ranging interview with The News/Geo TV, the home secretary said she had met the assassinated Punjab governor on a number of occasions and found him to be a moderate and liberal-minded person, who still had a great contribution to make for Pakistan's progress and she was "appalled" at his murder after the governor campaigned for the release of Aasia Bibi, the Christian woman who is alleged to have committed blasphemy, which she sternly denies. "I was very pleased to meet Salmaan Taseer in October in Lahore and we had a good discussion. His murder should make us all think very carefully on these issues. From our point of view, we have been on a number of occasions - and continue to lobby the government to amend the blasphemy laws so that they cannot be abused," she said, adding that the proposals made within Pakistan are the sort of amendments required. "The final decision is for the people of Pakistan to make but there is a need for the government to amend the laws so that they are not abused." She said that since coming into the government after last year's 5 May election, which resulted into Conservative and Liberal Democrats Coalition government, she had taken on board many of the recommendations made by John Vine, the Independent Inspector of UK Border Agency (UKBA), which said in a damning report that the UKBA may be unlawfully discriminating against Pakistanis and it was harder to enter the UK from Pakistan, the 4th largest group to apply for UK visas each year, than from the likes of Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. REFERENCE: REFERENCE: UK calls on Pakistan to amend blasphemy laws Updated at 1050 PST Friday, January 14, 2011 http://archive.thenews.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=9354&title=UK-calls-on-Pak-to-amend-blasphemy-laws  Saturday, October 15, 2011, Ziqad 16, 1432 A.H. http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/oct2011-daily/15-10-2011/u84895.htm  30 September 2011 PAKISTAN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service 29 September 2011 http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/coi/pakistan/report-0911.pdf?view=Binary  PAKISTAN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service 17 January 2011 http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/coi/pakistan/report-0111.pdf?view=Binary  http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/coi/pakistan/
Court summons SHO for refusing to book Mirza By Ishaq Tanoli | From the Newspaper http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/16/court-summons-sho-for-refusing-to-book-mirza.html 

MQM Delegation attended Funeral of Governor Punjab Salman Taseer

URL: http://youtu.be/7RPrwrQ99ag

LONDON: 9TH MARCH 2011: Founder and Leader of Muttahida Quami Movement Mr Altaf Hussain has said that religious extremism, bigotry and intolerance are pulling down the country and in order to save the country from utter devastation it is necessary to promote the principles of harmony, toleration and live and let live. He said this while talking to a delegation of NGOs at Nine Zero over telephone. Members of the Co-ordination Committee were also present on the occasion. Mr Altaf Hussain said that Islam guarantees protection to the life and property and places of worship of all non-Muslims. He further said that the founder the country Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had made it clear in his speech to the Constituent Assembly on 11h August 1947 that the followers of all the religions would have the freedom to worship in the country according to their beliefs but unfortunately religious extremism and bigotry was encouraged that has brought the country on the edge of the precipice. Mr Altaf Hussain said that he has been trying to wake the people up for quite some time now and informing them that Talibanization is being promoted in the country which is wrong and lethal for the country and hence it should be stopped. He lamented that his statements were not taken seriously and some elements not only ridiculed his statements but also denied them altogether. He deplored that the situation has come to a point that masjids, imam bargahs, shrines of saints, religious gatherings and even funeral processions are not safe from the hands of the terrorists and suicide attacks and bomb blasts have become commonplace. Mr Altaf Hussain bewailed that all this terrorism is being carried out in the name of Islam which is tarnishing the image of Islam and the Muslims throughout the world. Condemning the murder of Governor Punjab Salman Taseer and Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti, he said that such incidents are increasing the sense of insecurity in the minorities. Mr Altaf Hussain said that the MQM considers that it is imperative to create the feeling of security in the minorities people belonging to various segments of the society must come forward to assure a sense of security for them. He said that it is necessary to promote the principles of toleration and live and let live in order to free the country from the menace of terrorism. Mr Altaf Hussain said that he personally opposes the use of the term “minority” for the non-Muslims. “I consider all citizens of the country as equal irrespective of their religion, religious persuasion and beliefs. I stand for religious and sectarian harmony and dignity of human beings. I have always been the proponent of sticking to ones beliefs and not touching the beliefs of others. Everyone should worship according to his belief and show respect for the beliefs of others.” Mr Altaf Hussain said that people should not be victimized on the basis of religion, faith and beliefs. Logic and reasoning should be adopted instead of intimidation and threats. He assured the delegation that MQM will continue to extend unconditional support for the religious harmony and tolerant views in the country. He also demanded of the government to apprehend the assassins of Mr Shahbaz Bhatti and give exemplary punishment to those resorting to bloodshed in the name of religion. REFERENCES: LONDON: 9TH MARCH 2011 RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM AND BIGOTRY DEVASTATING FOR THE COUNTRY: ALTAF HUSSAIN - Mr Hussain urged the Supreme Court and religious scholars to take notice of alleged blasphemous remarks of a former Sindh minister who had also said that Mohajirs were hungry and destitute when they migrated from India to Pakistan.MQM to field candidates across country By Our Staff Reporter | From the Newspaper (9 hours ago) Today http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/17/mqm-to-field-candidates-across-country.html 

ISLAMABAD: Polarisation on religious issues again became visible at the highest level when lawmakers in Senate stood divided over the issue of offering fateha for a deceased person. When Senator Abdul Khaliq Pirzada of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was asked to lead the prayers for the soul of the assassinated governor of Punjab, Salmaan Taseer, he flatly refused. A parliamentarian later termed the incident an “abhorrent aberration” in the country’s parliamentary history. The prayers were requested by Senator Nilofar Bakhtiar of the PML-Q, who requested chairman Senate Farooq H Naek that the house should offer prayers for the late governor’s departed soul. She also urged the upper house of parliament to pass a resolution to condemn elements supporting Taseer’s killer. Offering prayers for persons of national repute is a routine matter. After the MQM lawmaker refused to lead the prayers, the Senate chairman himself led the prayers to avoid further controversy. Published in The Express Tribune, January 29th, 2011. REFERENCE: MQM lawmaker declines to lead Fateha for Taseer Published: January 29, 2011 http://tribune.com.pk/story/110880/intense-polarisation-mqm-lawmaker-declines-to-lead-fateha-for-taseer/

Jang Group & GEO TV Murdered Salman Taseer (Abbas Athar BBC)

URL: http://youtu.be/Ikfp-6Nee2M

ISLAMABAD: In what could be described as an eye-opening development, none of the members of the upper house of parliament on Friday came forward to offer Fateha for slain Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer. Not only that, the house members stayed away from leading Fateha, but also prevented a resolution by Senator Nilofar Bakhtiar to condemn the killing of Salmaan Taseer by his security guard Mumtaz Qadri. In other words, the Senate refused to own Salmaan Taseer who was killed at Kohsar Market in Islamabad for what his security guard Mumtaz Qadri said Taseer called blasphemy law a black law. None of the PPP senators including Leader of the House Nayyar Bokhari or any other ruling party member got the opportunity to support Nilofar Bakhtiar. Qadri not only confessed his act, but also gave a statement to the investigators that prior to the shooting, he hadasked his colleagues that he would surrender after killing the governor. Jamaat-e-Islami senator Professor Muhammad Ibrahim in full-throat voice said: “We oppose it”, as Nilofar Bakhtiar on a point of order said she wanted to move a resolution to condemn Taseer’s murder and incident of petals showered on Qadri by lawyers. On seeing mood of the members, Senate chairman Farooq H Naek did not allow Bakhtiar to move the resolution. On that Nilofar said the house at least should offer fateha. The chair asked Abdul Khaliq Pirzada to lead fateha. But it was also astonishing that a senator who hails from the MQM, which is considered as a liberal party, refused to follow instructions from the chairman. In the meantime, JUI-F senators also left the Senate Hall. Leader of Opposition in the Senate Wasim Sajjad said the senators could offer their individual fateha. The senators belonging to Jamaat-e-Islami, MQM and Fata did not raise their hands for fateha. It may be mentioned here that Khateebs of the Governor’s House mosque and Badshahi Mosque had also refused to lead Nimaz-e-Jinazah of Salman Taseer in Lahore. REFERENCE: Senate refuses to pray for Taseer Muhammad Anis Saturday, January 29, 2011 http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=3636&Cat=13&dt=3%2F8%2F2011

May assured that she had taken measures to stem such discrimination but said that the John Vine report related to the period under New Labour and things had improved significantly under the new government. "We have made improvements to the service for people applying from Pakistan. We have improved the process. We have introduced premium service for business class and that was widely welcomed. What we are trying to do is to ensure that we welcome those who have genuine reasons to come and those with fraudulent reasons should be stopped," May said. She referred to the MoU renewed during her last visit to Pakistan to send a message that illegal immigrants will be sent back because the new immigration approach is "risk-based" and drastic overhaul in the immigration system is reflective of that "risk-based approach". She acknowledged that Pakistani applicants were concerned about the Abu Dhabi hub but stressed that the "Abu Dhabi hub is working well and we are getting good turnaround of service". She also said the opening of a new centre for application in Lahore recently showed that the system under the new government was working properly and Britain wanted more Pakistanis to visit the UK. REFERENCE: UK calls on Pakistan to amend blasphemy laws Updated at 1050 PST Friday, January 14, 2011 http://archive.thenews.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=9354&title=UK-calls-on-Pak-to-amend-blasphemy-laws  Saturday, October 15, 2011, Ziqad 16, 1432 A.H. http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/oct2011-daily/15-10-2011/u84895.htm  30 September 2011 PAKISTAN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service 29 September 2011 http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/coi/pakistan/report-0911.pdf?view=Binary  PAKISTAN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service 17 January 2011 http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/coi/pakistan/report-0111.pdf?view=Binary  http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/coi/pakistan/
Court summons SHO for refusing to book Mirza By Ishaq Tanoli | From the Newspaper http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/16/court-summons-sho-for-refusing-to-book-mirza.html  Mr Hussain urged the Supreme Court and religious scholars to take notice of alleged blasphemous remarks of a former Sindh minister who had also said that Mohajirs were hungry and destitute when they migrated from India to Pakistan.MQM to field candidates across country By Our Staff Reporter | From the Newspaper (9 hours ago) Today http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/17/mqm-to-field-candidates-across-country.html 

Funeral of Salman Taseer Slain Governor Punjab : MQM Leaders attended

URL: http://youtu.be/Tg6trgCNyYs

RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM AND BIGOTRY DEVASTATING FOR THE COUNTRY: ALTAF HUSSAIN LONDON: 9TH MARCH 2011:

She revealed that she will soon be looking to bring changes to the student visa system and will ensure that those who come to study at graduate and post-graduate level are welcomed but not through the bogus colleges, which sprang up in their hundreds in the last few year but many of them have been now closed down and hundreds under review at the moment. Theresa May said: "Too many students have been coming on courses with view to work and live here, instead of going the university to get the degree and return at the completion of the studies. We cannot allow the abuse of the system and we need to crackdown on the system that allows such abuses. We are also looking at family visas and settlement rights. The aim is to ensure we crackdown on abuses." She said the threat of terrorism to the UK, both the Islamist-inspired and the Northern-Ireland related, remained at high and severe level and "an attack is highly likely". She talked at length about the PREVENT programme, Labour's flagship programme to counter the spread of violent extremism, which has not only failed to achieve its objectives but it has been said that public funds were misused on propping up so-called community groups. Theresa May, soon after taking over the reign at the Home Office, announced to review the PREVENT strategy in an acknowledgment that the Muslim community was wronged and that the programme had not been working as it should have been. "One of the concerns we had was that it was a wide ranging programme but all too often it parts of it related to community cohesion and working on integration was only seen as counter-terrorism strategy. I think we need to be clear about the purposes of the different aspects about the work that is being done. We have a consultation active on this programme and officials from the Home Office have been holding events and talking to people on the ground to see how it has worked so that we can put a review proposal together," she stated, adding that it was important to ascertain that what drives people to go down the route of radicalisation where they want to kill indiscriminately. She said Britain had an interest in dealing with this threat to ensure that vulnerable young people are not radicalised and they participate in the affairs of the society generally. Theresa May recently used her powers to exclude an influential Indian Muslim preacher and prior to that also banned Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders but was criticised by some that the Indian televangelist should have been allowed in. But she told during the interview that she will continue to exclude and ban those individuals who in any way are deemed to be causing danger to community cohesion in Britain, be they Christian, Muslims or of any other faith. British Muslim community has strongly felt that it has been a victim of the Labour government's anti-terrorism legislation as the measures unfairly focused on targeting people of Muslim background. The coalition government has been in pains to point out that it will rectify the legislation to put the balance right between "the security and civil liberties of individuals". "We are also looking at pre-charge detention, section 44, stop and search powers. We are fully aware that the Muslim community has felt strongly about these issues. "The other thing we are keen about is to talk to the Muslims about the whole range of government activity because obviously we have got shared interests, education, health provision and these are all important matters. It's right that the government talks about all issues and not only about counter-terrorism. All of us who live in this country have shared values and it's our concern what happens on the streets," she said, elaborating how the government wants engagement at grassroots levels. REFERENCE: UK calls on Pakistan to amend blasphemy laws Updated at 1050 PST Friday, January 14, 2011 http://archive.thenews.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=9354&title=UK-calls-on-Pak-to-amend-blasphemy-laws  Saturday, October 15, 2011, Ziqad 16, 1432 A.H. http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/oct2011-daily/15-10-2011/u84895.htm  30 September 2011 PAKISTAN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service 29 September 2011 http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/coi/pakistan/report-0911.pdf?view=Binary  PAKISTAN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service 17 January 2011 http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/coi/pakistan/report-0111.pdf?view=Binary  http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/coi/pakistan/
Court summons SHO for refusing to book Mirza By Ishaq Tanoli | From the Newspaper http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/16/court-summons-sho-for-refusing-to-book-mirza.html  Mr Hussain urged the Supreme Court and religious scholars to take notice of alleged blasphemous remarks of a former Sindh minister who had also said that Mohajirs were hungry and destitute when they migrated from India to Pakistan.MQM to field candidates across country By Our Staff Reporter | From the Newspaper (9 hours ago) Today http://www.dawn.com/2011/10/17/mqm-to-field-candidates-across-country.html 

The barbaric murder of Jagdeesh Kumar, accused of blasphemy by some of his workmates at a garment factory in Karachi, brings out in sharp focus once again the exposed and vulnerable situation of non-Muslims in a Pakistan still wedded to the legacy of General Zia-ul-Haq. When the police finally intervened, the body of the 22-year-old victim had been mutilated and disfigured beyond recognition: among other things the eyes had been gouged out. The reports published indicate that he was a quiet man, from a poverty-stricken Hindu family belonging to some obscure village in the Sindh desert. People with such a depressed and vulnerable background come to factories to eek out a miserable living, not to engage in religious controversies. In the days and weeks ahead, we will learn that some petty personal quarrel or irrational hatred of a Hindu was the real reason for his murder. What happened in Karachi was reminiscent of the lynching of African-Americans by white racists in the southern states of the US as late as the early 20th century. Until those laws were changed, black men and women were killed for the flimsiest of reasons. I remember one story when a white shopkeeper took out his gun and shot dead an old black man, who for years had been delivering merchandise to him, when an altercation took place between that man and a white man who had come to the shop for the first time. The white shopkeeper sided with a complete stranger, because the race laws had conditioned him to react in that way. Email: isasia@nus.edu.sg REFERENCE: Blasphemy and persecution by Ishtiaq Ahmed Daily Jang Saturday, April 26, 2008 http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=108906  Monday, October 17, 2011, Ziqad 18, 1432 A.H. http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/oct2011-daily/17-10-2011/main.htm 

Debate on Blasphemy Law - 13 (Policy Matters 22-1-2011)

URL: http://youtu.be/8Vq-nqSxFzY

Anyone who follows the news from Pakistan and reads the reports published regularly by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan would find that violence and brutality against non-Muslims increased exponentially after the blasphemy law was imposed in 1982 and reformulated in 1986. The connection between law and social behaviour is a well-established fact and, quite simply, bad, intolerant and violence-inducing laws produce malevolent behaviour among members of society. Let me quote both the relevant texts on blasphemy in Pakistan: In 1982, Section 295-B was inserted in the Pakistan Penal Code. It reads: "Defiling, etc., of The Holy Quran: Whoever wilfully defiles, damages or desecrates a copy of the Holy Quran or of an extract therefrom, or uses it in any derogatory manner or for any unlawful purpose, shall be punishable with imprisonment for life." In 1986, Section 295-C was added. It stated: "Use of derogatory remarks, etc., in respect of the Holy Prophet: Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation, or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine." Email: isasia@nus.edu.sg REFERENCE: Blasphemy and persecution by Ishtiaq Ahmed Saturday, April 26, 2008 http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=108906 Daily Jang Saturday, April 26, 2008 http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=108906 Monday, October 17, 2011, Ziqad 18, 1432 A.H. http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/oct2011-daily/17-10-2011/main.htm

Debate on Blasphemy Law - 14 (Policy Matters 22-1-2011)

URL: http://youtu.be/vGbYgJSXWKw

Those who are familiar with legal expressions and jargon will have no difficulty in understanding that the wordings of the two laws furnish an easy excuse for accusing a person of blasphemy. What can be a matter of at most a spirited discussion on religion and religious icons among educated people can easily be interpreted by illiterates as blasphemy if they discuss religion. More important, perhaps, is to figure out what purpose these laws are supposed to help realise. If the purpose is to make people, presumably non-Muslims, respect Islam and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), then such an intention is premised on a singularly flawed psychological theory and approach. Fear induces submission and despondency, not respect. In situations when fear and threats surround the lives of people, they resort to dissimulation and become hypocrites: thinking and believing one thing but saying and doing something else. On the other hand, respect and admiration for someone or some belief is gained voluntarily. It has to come from the heart and cannot be extracted under duress. There are many non-Muslims who have written laudatory texts on Islam and the life of the Holy Prophet. Recently Karen Armstrong has written his biography which is highly sympathetic. She must have done this by studying his life and finding him praiseworthy. Fear would never have induced such writing. Email: isasia@nus.edu.sg REFERENCE: Blasphemy and persecution by Ishtiaq Ahmed Saturday, April 26, 2008 http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=108906

Debate on Blasphemy Law - 15 (Policy Matters 22-1-2011)

URL: http://youtu.be/Vx9bNtPAvFg

On the other hand, if the purpose of the blasphemy laws is to terrorise non-Muslims to either convert to Islam or force them out of the country, then the question is: is such an objective compatible with the Constitution of Pakistan which guarantees that minorities shall live in peace and security in Pakistan? One can argue that even if the intention of adopting the blasphemy laws was to establish respect for Islam and the Prophet and not to terrorise non-Muslims, the overwhelming and incontrovertible evidence abundantly shows that the unintended consequences of the law have been just the opposite. Time and again some Christian or Hindu accused of blasphemy has either been mercilessly killed by a fanatic or a bunch of such people – without ever being punished for breaking the law and committing murder – or subjected to a draconian legal process in which the lower courts almost invariably found him guilty; but the higher courts either acquitted him or commuted his punishment to a lighter sentence. Email: isasia@nus.edu.sg REFERENCE: Blasphemy and persecution by Ishtiaq Ahmed Saturday, April 26, 2008 http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=108906

Debate on Blasphemy Law - 16 (Policy Matters 22-1-2011)

URL: http://youtu.be/c03whsfbUJg

Now, when a civilian, democratic government is in power, it is time to begin a discussion on the Hudood and blasphemy laws. We must realise that as long as people have different religions and beliefs they are bound to discuss and debate them. In such circumstances the role of the government should be to provide people with a sound education so that they can develop the sensibilities to respect each others' identity and convictions while engaging in debate and controversy. It was very encouraging to read columns in the Pakistani English-language press against this latest manifestation of mob frenzy. It is important that our colleagues in the Urdu media also come out strongly against such brazen acts of inhumanity. Some petitions condemning Jagdeesh Kumar's murder have also been put up on the Internet for signatures. All this is indicative of another type of Pakistan.The writer is a professor of political science and a visiting senior research fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore. Email: isasia@nus.edu.sg REFERENCE: Blasphemy and persecution by Ishtiaq Ahmed Saturday, April 26, 2008 http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=108906

http://www.emanekhalis.com/emanqist1/emangist.htm
REFERENCE: Ex Captain. Dr Masood Uddin Usmani’s book, Eman e Khalis.