Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq has said that the path of extremism chosen by the western world regarding the blasphemy of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) is pushing the world into chaos, anarchy and a possible third World War, and the UN must frame an international law prohibiting the blasphemy of prophets to preserve world peace.
Addressing a mammoth Shan-e-Risalat rally organised by the JI here on Friday, Sirajul Haq said that the US and its allies had indulged in extremism and warned that JI “will chase anyone who commits any act of blasphemy”. He alleged that the US had a hand behind every terrorist activity in the Muslim states. He demanded that France tender an unconditional apology over the blasphemy that took place.
He said, “We feel that the responsibility of the war would lie on the extremist lobby in the west that is indulging in the blasphemy of the Holy Prophet and making a mockery of Islam.”
A large number of Christians joined the rally with crosses in their hands. They also set the French flag on fire at the rally to condemn the blasphemous act.
Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique, speaking on the occasion, said that such blasphemy was akin to journalistic terrorism and was simply intolerable. He said that through a conspiracy the Muslim world was being instigated to resort to violence. He said the government would soon bring forth a draft bill to prevent blasphemy of this kind for at the global level.
Thousands of people joined the rally that started from the Faizabad flyover and concluded at the Blue area in Islamabad.
Sirajul Haq said that a Muslim could never be an extremist because extremism, violence, hatred and biases were alien to the teachings of Islam.
On the other hand, he said that it was the west that had challenged the Muslim world by printing the verses of the Holy Quran on the backs of nude women. Europe was giving protection to Salman Rushdie and Tasleem Nasreen who had indulged in blasphemy.
The JI chief said that the heads of forty states had gathered in France over the murder of seventeen people. “But why did their conscience not come into play when Muslims were massacred in Palestine,” he asked. He said that “millions of Muslims have been killed in the war imposed by the US on Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and other Muslim countries, but the world’s conscience did come into play.”
Sirajul Haq further said that history bears witness that it had been the west, the US, and its allies, that have indulged in extremism. “What sort of secularism it is that permits the killing of an Egyptian woman inside a court room only because she was wearing a Hijab; and the court did not take notice of the murder?” he asked.
“I am giving a message to US President Obama that you have thrown a challenge to Islam and your intelligentsia is saying that this is the beginning of the crusades. If so, you must also remember Salahudin Ayubi,” he said.
He said that France would have to tender an apology to the Muslim world. He also impressed upon the government to represent the nation on the issue.
