Why is blasphemy a national preoccupation in Pakistan? Do you consider it a good thing?

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Living in Germany I know many Arabs (lot of them recent immigrants) and Turkish Muslims. And I follow news from Muslim countries like UAE, Morocco, Egypt etc.

It seems that only Pakistan seems to be a country where blasphemy is a legitimately burning issue. No one is safe from the taint of a blasphemy accusation and if God forbid, you are accused, you will likely only survive if you have state level protection like the Chinese worker recently.

These other Muslims countries have a much larger non Muslim population and a significantly larger tourist and western and non Muslim expat population.

Countries like Saudi Arabia you can perhaps understand that there is fear of an autocratic regime and no one would hence dare commit blasphemy? (Though then again, if fear was legitimate deterrent then Pakistan tops that since you’ll likely end up dead if blasphemy was proven against you.).

However countries like Morocco, Turkey, Lebanon, Malaysia, Indonesia etc have great freedom of speech values so there’s definitely no deterrent there.

However, you still NEVER hear of any incident of mob justic due to blasphemy or the whole topic being an issue worthy of national debate.

So why is this the case in Pakistan? And do you think that Pakistan making this one of the top issues in the country is a good thing?

 

[SalimBhai]

“The meltdowns over blasphemy and other perceived religious slights are a product of Pakistan being founded on a state that attempted to make religion its culture. Religion is not a substitute for culture but something that must be mediated through culture”

 

[saeedhk]

The article by Pervez Hoodbhoy that I shared titled ‘Muslims aren’t this way elsewhere’ explores why does blasphemy violence happen only in Pakistan and not in any other Muslim country. The author hits the nail on the head with the underlying causes of such cruelty and madness.

I will try to post the article here when I have access to a laptop.

 

[Champ_Pal]

Islamic virtue signaling. The vocal crowd always have the final word.

 

[NishanKonar]

A big reason is in the 80s during the Soviet vs Afghan mujahideen era - Saudi Arabia poured money and resources into PAksitan to set up madrassas across Pakistan to produce new generation of highly radicalized youth. The idea was to prevent the youth from becoming attracted to Communist ideals espoused by the USSR. Remember the Soviets invaded Afghanistan to save the Communist party of Afghanistan

FOr Zia Ul Haq this was worst nightmare - that youth of Pakistan will be attracted to Communist ideals and in future support Soviet invasion of Pakistan. THus Zia ul Haq maintained that vast hordes of radicalized religious youth is the best way to safeguard Pakistan from possible invasion by USSR. So big network of madrassas were set up with Saudi funds to teach Wahabi Islam to the youth. The idea was these brainwashed youth will not get attracted to Communism and also provide vast number of jihadi recruits to fight USSR (if they invade Pakistan ). The problem is that these madrassas radicalized the youth to extreme levels - which is big reason for high levels of religiosity in present day Pakistan. No wonder issues like blasphemy and Khatme Nabuwat gets so much traction among the youth of Pakistan

Other Muslim countries like Egypt , Morocco, Turkey never seen this level of radicalization by Saudi funded madrassas. In fact many of these countries had socialist / secular leaders like Kemal Ataturk in Turkey or Nasser in Egypt - which moderated their societies

Irony is Saudi Arabi has done a U turn and modernizing very fast. Pakistan is unable to come out of this quagmire

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Lynch mob mentality and greed, something we see is more unique in the subcontinent regardless of religion unfortunately.

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

A big reason is in the 80s during the Soviet vs Afghan mujahideen era - Saudi Arabia poured money and resources into PAksitan to set up madrassas across Pakistan to produce new generation of highly radicalized youth. The idea was to prevent the youth from becoming attracted to Communist ideals espoused by the USSR. Remember the Soviets invaded Afghanistan to save the Communist party of Afghanistan

FOr Zia Ul Haq this was worst nightmare - that youth of Pakistan will be attracted to Communist ideals and in future support Soviet invasion of Pakistan. THus Zia ul Haq maintained that vast hordes of radicalized religious youth is the best way to safeguard Pakistan from possible invasion by USSR. So big network of madrassas were set up with Saudi funds to teach Wahabi Islam to the youth. The idea was these brainwashed youth will not get attracted to Communism and also provide vast number of jihadi recruits to fight USSR (if they invade Pakistan ). The problem is that these madrassas radicalized the youth to extreme levels - which is big reason for high levels of religiosity in present day Pakistan. No wonder issues like blasphemy and Khatme Nabuwat gets so much traction among the youth of Pakistan

Other Muslim countries like Egypt , Morocco, Turkey never seen this level of radicalization by Saudi funded madrassas. In fact many of these countries had socialist / secular leaders like Kemal Ataturk in Turkey or Nasser in Egypt - which moderated their societies

Irony is Saudi Arabi has done a U turn and modernizing very fast. Pakistan is unable to come out of this quagmire

Hmm Saudis have funded a lot of extremism but mob justic and extrajudicial murders on rumors of blasphemy were happing in what is Pakistan even during the British raj. So don’t think this one can be put on Saudis

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

A big reason is in the 80s during the Soviet vs Afghan mujahideen era - Saudi Arabia poured money and resources into PAksitan to set up madrassas across Pakistan to produce new generation of highly radicalized youth. The idea was to prevent the youth from becoming attracted to Communist ideals espoused by the USSR. Remember the Soviets invaded Afghanistan to save the Communist party of Afghanistan

FOr Zia Ul Haq this was worst nightmare - that youth of Pakistan will be attracted to Communist ideals and in future support Soviet invasion of Pakistan. THus Zia ul Haq maintained that vast hordes of radicalized religious youth is the best way to safeguard Pakistan from possible invasion by USSR. So big network of madrassas were set up with Saudi funds to teach Wahabi Islam to the youth. The idea was these brainwashed youth will not get attracted to Communism and also provide vast number of jihadi recruits to fight USSR (if they invade Pakistan ). The problem is that these madrassas radicalized the youth to extreme levels - which is big reason for high levels of religiosity in present day Pakistan. No wonder issues like blasphemy and Khatme Nabuwat gets so much traction among the youth of Pakistan

Other Muslim countries like Egypt , Morocco, Turkey never seen this level of radicalization by Saudi funded madrassas. In fact many of these countries had socialist / secular leaders like Kemal Ataturk in Turkey or Nasser in Egypt - which moderated their societies

Irony is Saudi Arabi has done a U turn and modernizing very fast. Pakistan is unable to come out of this quagmire

Yes Khatam-e-nabuwwat as well.

There’s conferences held on this. Like what’s there to discuss lol?

 

[NishanKonar]

Hmm Saudis have funded a lot of extremism but mob justic and extrajudicial murders on rumors of blasphemy were happing in what is Pakistan even during the British raj. So don’t think this one can be put on Saudis

Yes in the 1930s and 1940s - when Hindu & Muslim groups were fighting each other , blasphemy & sacrilege was common tactic used to inflame the masses. So Muslim groups would slaughter cows and throw carcasses into temples while Hindu groups wud throw pork or alcohol at mosques. So vigilante groups who took revenge for blasphemy / sacrilege were hailed as hero. This is how blasphmeny & cow slaughter became sensitive issues in the subcontinet and both India & Pakistan enacted tough laws after 1947

So there was history of mob justice & vigilantism in the subcontinent. But the current madness in Pakistan is largely bcoz of the impact of Saudi funded madrassas set up in the 1980s. It basically created a generation that became highly radicalized and started taking blasphemy , khatme naabuwat very seriously. Forget blasphemy- in Pakistan even population control is seen as un-Islamic and bcoz that Pakistan's population is expanding at an alarming rate without corresponding growth in economic capacity. Which is why you can see food shortages, malnutrition, illiteracy increasing in recent years. While Bangladesh, Iran, Malaysia , Indonesia have successfully reduced population growth

ps : Same phenomenon is happening in India since 2014 - albeit at a reduced pace. Cow vigilantes getting patronized and lynching people for eating beef in North India

 

[NishanKonar]

Hmm Saudis have funded a lot of extremism but mob justic and extrajudicial murders on rumors of blasphemy were happing in what is Pakistan even during the British raj. So don’t think this one can be put on Saudis

Yes in the 1930s and 1940s - when Hindu & Muslim groups were fighting each other , blasphemy & sacrilege was common tactic used to inflame the masses. So Muslim groups would slaughter cows and throw carcasses into temples while Hindu groups wud throw pork or alcohol at mosques. So vigilante groups who took revenge for blasphemy / sacrilege were hailed as hero. This is how blasphmeny & cow slaughter became sensitive issues in the subcontinet and both India & Pakistan enacted tough laws after 1947

So there was history of mob justice & vigilantism in the subcontinent. But the current madness in Pakistan is largely bcoz of the impact of Saudi funded madrassas set up in the 1980s. It basically created a generation that became highly radicalized and started taking blasphemy , khatme naabuwat very seriously. Forget blasphemy- in Pakistan even population control is seen as un-Islamic and bcoz that Pakistan's population is expanding at an alarming rate without corresponding growth in economic capacity. Which is why you can see food shortages, malnutrition, illiteracy increasing in recent years. While Bangladesh, Iran, Malaysia , Indonesia have successfully reduced population growth

ps : Same phenomenon is happening in India since 2014 - albeit at a reduced pace. Cow vigilantes getting patronized and lynching people for eating beef in North India

 

[NishanKonar]

Yes Khatam-e-nabuwwat as well.

There’s conferences held on this. Like what’s there to discuss lol?

Probably exploring newer methods to make life even more worse for Ahmediyya community

Extremism is a rabbit hole. More you go into it,, more you descend into abyss

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Another case today

https://twitter.com/journalistzia/status/1654886547676618752?s=46&t=9aHrfvk_kAwYp_4GXcBLgQ

 

[Hitman]

Another case today

https://twitter.com/journalistzia/status/1654886547676618752?s=46&t=9aHrfvk_kAwYp_4GXcBLgQ

This is horrendous. Makes me sick.

 

[SalimBhai]

This is horrendous. Makes me sick.

These are symptoms of a society that is sick and rotten to its bones. Terrible stuff

 

[saeedhk]

Just another day in Pakistan!

Mob lynches PTI leader to death over blasphemy

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Just another day in Pakistan!

Mob lynches PTI leader to death over blasphemy

Apparently it was PDM supporting cleric who made the accusation. This is political murder and the accuser knew fully well what he’s doing

 

[saeedhk]

Apparently it was PDM supporting cleric who made the accusation. This is political murder and the accuser knew fully well what he’s doing

I have been hearing about this as well but it happened during PTI jalsa.

 

[MenInG]

A day after a man was lynched at a political rally in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mardan by a crazed mob over blasphemy accusations, police officials said the situation in the city was “under control” and authorities had begun investigations.

Mardan Senior Superintendent for Operations Rokhanzeb Khan told Dawn.com that the incident took place during a PTI rally on Saturday night in the Sawal Dher area.

He said Nigar Alam — a local cleric — was attacked by hundreds of people attending the rally after he allegedly “passed blasphemous remarks” as the gathering was about to conclude.

“When we saw that the people [in the area] had gotten riled up and were planning to attack Nigar, we escorted him to a shop in the market [where the rally was being held]. But people broke into the shop and started attacking him with punches, kicks, and clubs,” Khan said.

He added that Alam died during the mob attack.

Separately, District Police Office (DPO) Najeebur Rehman told Dawn.com that the police later dispersed the crowd and recovered the body.

The police have begun collecting evidence from the site and investigations are underway, he said.

However, a first information report (FIR) of the incident has not been registered yet, and no arrests been made so far, Rehman added.

This is not the first time a man has been lynched over blasphemy accusations in Mardan. Five years ago in Mardan, 23-year-old Mashal Khan — a Mass Communication student at the Abdul Wali Khan University — was also lynched by a mob and shot at over allegations of blasphemy on April 23, 2017.

Mashal Khan’s lynching took place within the premises of his university and was caught on video which was later circulated on social media. The horrific incident shocked the nation and sparked a debate on the misuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan.

DAWN

 

[KB]

It is a good question and I don’t have a definitive answer, but as always, I think some historical context is important to at least start with.

Adeel Hussain in his recent book (Revenge, Politics and Blasphemy in Pakistan), noted that:

“In the first stage, Indian Muslims viewed insults against the Prophet as a sin that Allah would punish in the hereafter. In the second stage, roughly from the 1880s onwards, they regarded it as a sin that Allah would penalise in this world, and not just in the hereafter. In the third stage, beginning in the early twentieth century, South Asian Muslims started to view the avenging of insults against the Prophet, especially when these insults came from non-Muslims, as an individual ethical duty and a barometer of their faith.”

In his work, Hussain goes on to argue that it was Mirza Ghulam Ahmad who helped to “popularise today’s pervasive emotional response towards blasphemy.”

Leaving the specifics of his argument to one side, what the above points to is first the need to understand the general context in colonial India.

The deepening of colonial rule and the emergence of a public sphere, of print and of mass mobilisation all led to a changing nature of religious authority in the modern era. One implication was an increasing reliance on emotion. Rather than seeking patronage of an elite, as they might have once done, many seeking a claim to religious leadership now looked to rally public opinion. Authority could be derived from public backing. Communication in vernacular languages and an emphasis on oratory, on stirring emotion, on demonstrating a devotion and commitment to Islam, was increasingly prevalent. Symbols that were associated with being Muslim became emotionally charged. In the process, a greater emphasis was placed on the actions and the personal responsibility of the individual believer.

Another implication, was the emergence of religious ‘brands’ and a existence of an increasingly crowded religious marketplace. There was and is much competition amongst religious groups to attract individuals to their own ‘brands’ and in certain instances this has pushed the pendulum towards intolerance, as it creates an incentive for more marginal ‘Islamist’ groups to either mobilise street power or weaponise laws - like blasphemy ones - in order to garner influence.

If that is a general context, there is of course a more specific Pakistani context. The Pakistan movement was led by a modernist elite that became the governing elite after Pakistan’s founding. They perceived the ulama as hidebound, whose overly formalistic outlook had stifled the spirit of Islam. Rather than a set of rigid laws as interpreted by the ulama, they saw in Islam a set of general principles and a moral spirit, capable of being adapted to the modern world. The modernists also stressed Islam as a focus for unity. This unity was stressed against both theological distinctions amongst Muslims and non-religious differences - such as ties of kinship - that also divided Muslims. It was a unity not grounded in a particular way of behaving (which in contrast was central for the ulama) but rather from the individual awareness of belonging to a charismatic community.

As Muhammad Qasim Zaman has shown (Islam in Pakistan) the modernists stumbled and for many reasons Islamic modernism as an intellectual force declined. It was already in deep trouble by the end of Ayub Khan’s regime. Even before Zia took over, Bhutto had ceded much ground to the religious establishment. As historian, Barbara Metcalf perceptively noted, writing in 1982, there was a shift in the state’s association with Islam:

“There has not been a ‘rebirth’ of Islam in Pakistan. A passionate attachment to a Muslim identity has been a constant in Pakistan’s self-image and in the rhetoric of the politicians. The content given that identity has shifted…the interpretation of Islam fostered by the state changed from one that sought to be ‘rational and scientific’ to one that stressed adherence to…the cosmetic and highly visible symbols of Islam - for example, certain public punishments and the prohibition of alcohol.”

Indeed cases of blasphemy have increased particularly in the last forty or so years.

Modernists, beleaguered though they might have become, did not stop making their case. For instance, in 1991, Benazir Bhutto said in the National Assembly, “My being Muslim is not contingent upon man’s law. My being a Muslim is contingent upon God’s law… It would be best if the State did not try to impose laws and take over prerogatives which do not belong to men, but belong to God alone.” She went on to argue that the ulama’s reading of Islam had reduced it to one, “which discriminates against women, which discriminates against minorities and that I believe, Sir, is a great disservice to the great religion which came to liberate mankind.”

However years of poor governance has dented the authority of the modernist, governing elite. Whilst the modernists use Islamic rhetoric, they have often struggle to speak with an aura of authenticity due to their lack of engagement and grounding with the Islamic tradition.

In relation to the blasphemy laws, there have been at least four attempts to reform or repeal them - in 1995, 2006, 2011 and 2015 - but opposition from religious groups and their potential power to generate public disorder combined with modernists' own weakness, have ultimately rendered such efforts as futile.

 

[sweep_shot]

Blasphemy law on its own is not the issue. Issue is the misuse of it.

Anyone who misuses blasphemy law should be penalized severely.

 

[Hitman]

Blasphemy law on its own is not the issue. Issue is the misuse of it.

Anyone who misuses blasphemy law should be penalized severely.

So it's okay to put a person in Pakistan to death just because that person questions Islam or it's prophet?

 

[SM1989]

Repealing blasphemy laws will not end the mob lynchings. I don’t understand why the discussion becomes about the law when these incidents happen rather than dealing with the root causes of why mobs form and lynch people.

 

[SalimBhai]

Repealing blasphemy laws will not end the mob lynchings. I don’t understand why the discussion becomes about the law when these incidents happen rather than dealing with the root causes of why mobs form and lynch people.

What are the root causes?

 

[Champ_Pal]

Religion should never turn into mass hysteria. Faith should be personal and should never be allowed in public. Once it enters public spaces, it will lead to disastrous results.
The west realized it a century ago. Asia and Africa are still living in dark ages.

 

[Champ_Pal]

Blasphemy law on its own is not the issue. Issue is the misuse of it.

Anyone who misuses blasphemy law should be penalized severely.

Would you want it in Canada?

 

[SalimBhai]

Religion should never turn into mass hysteria. Faith should be personal and should never be allowed in public. Once it enters public spaces, it will lead to disastrous results.
The west realized it a century ago. Asia and Africa are still living in dark ages.

Agreed 100 percent

 

[Theanonymousone]

Blasphemy law on its own is not the issue. Issue is the misuse of it.

Anyone who misuses blasphemy law should be penalized severely.

Blasphemy laws by itself are potent enough to marginalize minorities.
I am thankful that India doesn't have blasphemy laws. These will make the mob lynching more mainstream and justifiable among public.

There is a dialogue in PK “Hamko, hamara bhagwan ka raksha karna aatha hai…..and the answer is on the lines of whether god needs our protection”. And this makes more sense in regards to blasphemy laws.

My intent is not to hurt anyone but IMO, the existence of blasphemy laws itself shows the religious intolerance of people. And also among those who support it.

While Pakistan has long suffered from this, I am afraid India may suffer in future for religion becoming a mainstream weapon to instigate public.

 

[NishanKonar]

Blasphemy laws by itself are potent enough to marginalize minorities.
I am thankful that India doesn't have blasphemy laws. These will make the mob lynching more mainstream and justifiable among public.

There is a dialogue in PK “Hamko, hamara bhagwan ka raksha karna aatha hai…..and the answer is on the lines of whether god needs our protection”. And this makes more sense in regards to blasphemy laws.

My intent is not to hurt anyone but IMO, the existence of blasphemy laws itself shows the religious intolerance of people. And also among those who support it.

While Pakistan has long suffered from this, I am afraid India may suffer in future for religion becoming a mainstream weapon to instigate public.

Actually India has de facto blasphemy laws but by and large it not enforced strictly. One famous instance was Salman Rushdie book getting banned. But those are mostly restricted to banning books / movies

Just like UK has blasphemy has blasphemy laws but they don't enforce any more

 

[RexRex]

Actually India has de facto blasphemy laws but by and large it not enforced strictly.

Judges in India have started enforcing these dormant blasphemy laws in this Modi era. It used to be restricted to the lower courts but now the SC judges are complicit as well.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Blasphemy issues can be used as a way to mobilize and rally public sentiment. Politicians, religious leaders, and other influential figures might leverage these issues to gain support or promote their agendas.

 

[Justcrazy]

I think the main reason is that till Pakistan is blamed this way , people can get asylum in other countries. I am not saying nothing is true , but there is lot of instigation as well. We cannot overlook that.

 

[Justcrazy]

Actually India has de facto blasphemy laws but by and large it not enforced strictly. One famous instance was Salman Rushdie book getting banned. But those are mostly restricted to banning books / movies

Just like UK has blasphemy has blasphemy laws but they don't enforce any more

So they still have those laws ?

 

[KB]

Just to add some footnotes to my post (#19) above.

Whilst blasphemy related events has a long history in South Asia, pre-dating Pakistan’s independence, there was a significant increase in cases from 1987. This is made clear in the report from the Center for Research and Security Studies: https://crss.pk/blasphemy-cases-in-pakistan-1947-2021/. From the report:

“Alarming is the increasing trend of both cases, the accused, and extra-judicial killings, particularly in the last few years. From 1948 to 1978, only 11 cases of blasphemy were recorded, of them three were extra-judicially killed. From 1987 to 2021, these cases went up by about 1,300%.”

The increase in cases points to the impact of cumulative radicalisation of discourse. But the immediate context of the increasing numbers of cases has been ascribed to legislative changes. On 9 July 1986, the National Assembly of Pakistan passed the Criminal Law Amendment Bill (295-C) which now made it possible for blasphemy to be punishable by death. The legislation seems to have been rushed through. Muhammad Hamza - member of the Muslim League (N) representing a part of the district in Toba Tek Singh, Punjab - was the only National Assembly member to oppose. Hamza’s concerns have been shown to be prescient, including his suggestion that the law could be exploited to settle personal vendettas. The National Assembly debates can be read here: https://na.gov.pk/uploads/documents/1455604277_115.pdf (relevant section is from page 3209 onwards).

As Muhammad Qasim Zaman has shown (Islam in Pakistan) the modernists stumbled and for many reasons Islamic modernism as an intellectual force declined. It was already in deep trouble by the end of Ayub Khan’s regime. Even before Zia took over, Bhutto had ceded much ground to the religious establishment. As historian, Barbara Metcalf perceptively noted, writing in 1982, there was a shift in the state’s association with Islam:

“There has not been a ‘rebirth’ of Islam in Pakistan. A passionate attachment to a Muslim identity has been a constant in Pakistan’s self-image and in the rhetoric of the politicians. The content given that identity has shifted…the interpretation of Islam fostered by the state changed from one that sought to be ‘rational and scientific’ to one that stressed adherence to…the cosmetic and highly visible symbols of Islam - for example, certain public punishments and the prohibition of alcohol.”

One example to support the above. A few months ago I was reading about Alvin Robert Cornelius (1903-1991). He was a remarkable figure. He did much to shape Pakistan cricket in its early years as the key administrator. He was on the Supreme Court from 1951 to 1968 and served as Chief Justice of Pakistan from 1960 to 1968. He supported ‘Islamisation' but from an Islamic modernist perspective. This despite the fact that he was a Roman Catholic. He was one of two Indian Christians, in the Indian Civil Service, who opted for service in Pakistan after partition.

“It is remarkable,” wrote the political scientist, Ralph Braibanti, “that in a country as self-consciously Muslim as Pakistan, the question of his religion was muted if not ignored. Except for one brief incident in 1970, it was never a serious political issue.”

That one incident in 1970 occurred when Yahya Khan had asked Cornelius to be involved in the drafting of a new constitution. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, is said to have commented: “He is a Dhimmi. How can he make a constitution for a Muslim state?”

This is of course not to argue that before c.1970 it was all sweetness and light. Only that there was a change in the state’s association with Islam and a narrowing of space for Islamic modernism.

 

[Justcrazy]

So it's okay to put a person in Pakistan to death just because that person questions Islam or it's prophet?

Asking questions and insulting are two different things. If I go in India and start abusing Hindu Gods , I am sure I would not be alive.

 

[Hitman]

Asking questions and insulting are two different things. If I go in India and start abusing Hindu Gods , I am sure I would not be alive.

Legally, you'll have to serve jail time. There have been plenty of instances where Hindu Gods and Godesses were moked and insulted. Not once did Hindus create havoc because of that. A movie like PK was loved and enjoyed by Hindus, a movie that completely mocked Hinduism. So was the case with the movie OMG. Both of them were blockbuster success.

 

[Justcrazy]

Legally, you'll have to serve jail time. There have been plenty of instances where Hindu Gods and Godesses were moked and insulted. Not once did Hindus create havoc because of that. A movie like PK was loved and enjoyed by Hindus, a movie that completely mocked Hinduism. So was the case with the movie OMG. Both of them were blockbuster success.

Where you have to serve jail ?

Hindus do not respond because they do not believe much in religion in spiritual sense , they only believe in religion when they see a Muslim or Christian. Throughout history Masjids in India gave azaan , they never had any issue , now they want to stop that or start reciting hanuman chalisia.

Hanuman Chalisiya existed way longer ! It has not been discovered in the last 5 years.

Secondly I have not seen OMG first . So I cannot comment. OMG 2 I have seen , I do not get what was offensive there?

Yes I have seen PK. What did you find offensive there , can be specific , then only I can answer.

 

[Hitman]

Where you have to serve jail ?

Hindus do not respond because they do not believe much in religion in spiritual sense , they only believe in religion when they see a Muslim or Christian. Throughout history Masjids in India gave azaan , they never had any issue , now they want to stop that or start reciting hanuman chalisia.

Hanuman Chalisiya existed way longer ! It has not been discovered in the last 5 years.

Secondly I have not seen OMG first . So I cannot comment. OMG 2 I have seen , I do not get what was offensive there?

Yes I have seen PK. What did you find offensive there , can be specific , then only I can answer.

You will have to serve jail time in India if you abuse any religion or religious figures. Who said azaan is banned in India? The only thing people want is not to disturb non Muslims by playing azaan on loudspeakers early in the morning. And that's not just for Islam, but for any other religion. The point is not to use loudspeakers early in the morning.

Well, watch OMG. If such a movies were made mocking Islam, half of India would have been burnt to ashes. As for PK, are you acting naive? You watched the movie and still don't get it how it insulted Hinduism?

 

[Justcrazy]

I did not say Azan was banned in India , I said nowadays this matter has been in limelight , the azan was there even before Indian independence and has continued throughout. No one raised any questions . This has become a matter when Modi has become PM. Use of loudspeakers and crackers are used in India even in Pujas . Even in political rallies it is done.

First of all let me tell you some facts about PK

The Writer , director , producer , executive producer , Cinematographer , Music director , Editor , art director , costume designer , make up etc were all done by hindus.

Now coming to the scene of shiva in the washroom. The person was not portayed as Shiva , he was an actor even in the movie , he was performing on stage.

If this is insult according to you , then I would request you to read shiv puran and see how shiva is shown there. I do not want to mention those things here , it will not look good.

I am personally against all those whether Muslims , hindus , christians etc who disrespect other Gods or respected personalities.

@Hitman

 

[Cricket Warrior]

we all must give a value respect for religious beliefs and figures, regardless of the specific faith. That can bring the harmony.

 

[Hitman]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1693963257407562214

 

[Cricket Warrior]

i

https://twitter.com/x/status/1693963257407562214

ts really Unfortunate.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

179 people behind bars across Pakistan on blasphemy charges, Senate body told

The Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights was informed on Friday that 179 people were under detention and facing trials across the country on charges of blasphemy, while 17 had been sentenced.

Last month, Senator Walid Iqbal, chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights, had sought details of blasphemy cases from the NCHR during a meeting that was called days after the Jaranwala incident, when a violent mob destroyed dozens of houses and churches over allegations of blasphemy.

“If the law was used against Muslims, then details on this should also be provided,” he had told Dawn.

The committee had also adopted a recommendation to constitute a national coordination committee within the Ministry of Human Rights to draft standard operating procedures for “effective control on issues that cause suffering to minorities”.

In a report submitted to the committee today, a copy of which has been seen by Dawn.com, the NHRC said a total of 179 people in the country were under arrest on blasphemy charges.

Breaking down the figures by provinces, the report indicated that 17 people were detained in Islamabad, 18 in Punjab, 78 in Sindh, 55 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one in Balochistan.

The report also mentioned that 17 persons had been convicted so far of which 11 were from Islamabad, four from Sindh and 2 from Balochistan. No conviction was made from Punjab and KP, according to the report.

179 people behind bars across Pakistan on blasphemy charges, Senate body told

NCHR report says 17 convicted on similar charges; Senate committee head seeks extensive details from human rights commission.

www.dawn.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

Blasphemy accused shot dead in Khanewal

TOBA TEK SINGH: A youth allegedly involved in a blasphemy case was shot dead on Thursday in Makdoompur Pahuran town in Khanewal district.

Police said Umair Ali was arrested after he uttered some offensive words and showed disrespect to certain religious figures. When he was released on bail, he left the town.

Ali returned home a couple of days ago and was sitting outside his house in Makdoompur Pahuran when local tailor Muhammad Tahir shot him dead.

A press release issued by Khanewal district police spokesperson said the accused had been taken into custody.

DAWN​

 

[BouncerGuy]

Suspect held over blasphemy allegation in Taxila

TAXILA: A man was taken into custody on Sunday for trying to commit blasphemy and some copies of the Holy Quran were recovered from his possession, police said.

Investigators said the suspect had been allegedly desecrating copies of the Holy Quran near a worship place for the last three days.

On Friday, police had registered a case of desecration against unidentified persons.

When the suspect came again at the worship place in the Mohra Shah Wali Shah locality on Sunday morning and tried to desecrate a copy of the Holy Quran, the area people captured him and handed over him to the police, who have started an investigation.

DAWN