Source/Credit: Pak Tribune | PNS
By Tribune | November 25, 2010
Helping Christian Asia Bibi is a dangerous undertaking
LAHORE: Religious parties’ agitation against government’s efforts to release blasphemy convict Asia Masih to send her to the US and to amend blasphemy law gained momentum on Wednesday, while a party also issued an apostasy decree against Governor Salman Taseer.
More demonstrations were held in many cities of the Punjab which demanded dismissalof Punjab Governor Salman Taseer who had initiated secret efforts to extradite the culprit. Tahaffuz Namoos-e-Risalat Mahaz (TNRM), a conglomerate of two dozen religious parties from Barelvi school of thought, staged a peaceful protest outside the Governor’s House on Wednesday and warned of a fierce anti-government movement if Asia was sent abroad or attempts to change blasphemy law continued under this garb.
Tehrik-e-Hurmat-e-Rasool (THR), another alliance of over a dozen religious parties, staged demonstrations in many cities and towns of the Punjab condemning what they called a West-sponsored movement against blasphemy laws through western funded NGOs and secular lobbies in Pakistan. They demanded immediate dismissal of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and putting an end to the international conspiracy against Islam.
The THR also called a grand meeting of various religious parties in Lahore on Thursday (Today) to chalk out a future line of action. Addressing the protest demonstration outside the Governor’s House, TNRM leaders Alalam Razul Mustafa Naqshbandi, Ziaul Haq Naqshbandi, Raghib Hussian Naeemi, Pir Athar Qadri, Naeem Javed Noori, Mujahid Abdul Rasool, Mufti Masoodur Rehman and others announced observing Friday (tomorrow) as a countrywide protest day against the PPP government’s attempts to implement the western conspiracy against Islam.
They also announced convening a religious assembly of the top Islamic scholars to issue a religious edict (Fatwa) against Salman Taseer and those elements in the country who were bent upon changing blasphemy laws and were not sparing any moment to condemn it.
They also warned that all conspiracies against Islam would be foiled with a complete unity and determination. They later dispersed peacefully. THR leaders Maulana Ameer Hamza, Qari Yaqoob Sheikh and others asked why Pope Benedict did not raise his voice against the unjust conviction of Dr Aafia Siddiqi and the misuse of US laws to kill millions of Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq but was concerned over the legal punishment to a single Christian woman convicted of blasphemy by a court.
Majlis-e-Ahrar Pakistan leader Syed Ataul Muhemin Bukhari and other leaders also warned of a launching a movement against the PPP government and Punjab Governor Salman Taseer if they continued implementing western conspiracy against Islam in the country by extraditing Asia Masih and trying to change the blasphemy laws. Jamaat-e-Islami Punjab Ameer Dr Waseem Akhtar, while addressing a meeting, demanded that presidential powers to pardon blasphemy convicts must be withdrawn and if blasphemy laws were to be amended then they should be done through parliament in consultations with the religious scholars.
Meanwhile, Almi Jamaat Ahle Sunnat in an emergency meeting has issued a fatwa (Edict), declaring Governor Punjab Salmaan Taseer as ‘apostate’ for raising his voice to free blasphemy convict Asia and implementing the western conspiracy against the blasphemy laws in the country. According to a press release, Salman Taseer will remain apostate till the time he seeks forgiveness for this great sin and shows repentance. The fatwa came in a meeting of the religious scholars at the office of Allmi Jamaat Ahle Sunnat with Sahibzada Allama Pir Syed Mustafa Asharf Rizvi in the chair.
Read original post here: Apostasy decree issued against Taseer
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