Home Media Reports 2010 Marchers vow to defend blasphemy law

Saturday, December 25, 2010

LAHORE/RAWALPINDI - On the call of Tehrik Namoos-e-Risalat, tens of thousands of activists of various religious parties on Friday organised countrywide protest demonstrations against government’s bid to amend the controversial Blasphemy Law.

The organisations expressed their unanimous support for the law, as they observed Tahafuz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat Day across the country. They threatened to hold more countrywide protests and surround the parliament house if the government went ahead with changes to the controversial law. Mammoth rallies were organised in several cities, including Islamabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Quetta and Karachi by the religious groups.

In Lahore, a protest rally, led by clerics from various religious organisations, was taken out from Masjid-e-Shuhada. Activists of Jama’at-e-Islami, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan and other religious parties turned up in large numbers to lodge their protest against government’s attempts to amend the Law.

Qari Zawar Bahadur, Maulana Amjad Khan, Dr Waseem Akhtar, Ameer-ul-Azeem, Abd-ur-Raof Farooqi, Maulana Aziz-ur-Rahman and others addressed on the occasion. The protesters called for jihad and vowed to make sacrifices to protect the honour of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). They chanted slogans against government and demanded dismissal of Punjab Governor Salmaam Taseer. They said they would not tolerate any to change the law.” They threatened to launch a national movement.

In Rawalpindi, a rally was taken out from Darul Aloom Taleem-ul-Quran to Fawara Chowk, Raja Bazaar.

Led by Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jama’at (ASWJ) Pakistan head Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludyanwi, other participants of the rally were JUI-F Secretary-General Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri, Wifaq-ul-Mudaris Nazim Maulana Qazi Abdul Rasheed and JI Markazi Naib Ameer Dr Muhammad Kamal.

While addressing the participants, the speakers said all the ulema and the nation were united and would also render sacrifices to guard the dignity of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

They urged the UN to formulate a law to protect the dignity of all the prophets and award death sentences to those who harmed their nobility.

“PPP-led government should shelve the idea of amending the law as the masses will never allow it to do so in a country which came into being in the name of Islam,” they added.

They demanded of the government to dismiss Governor Punjab Salmaan Taseer from his office immediately.

Source: www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/ Politics/25-Dec-2010/Marchers-vow-to-defend-blasphemy-law