Ashrafi posted his picture showing himself in Hajj [pilgrimage] garb and stated, “All friends should quit this discussion; those who carried out this action are forgiven [by me].”
Source/Credit: Various
By Staff Report | September 21, 2015
LAHORE – While Pakistan Ulma Council (PUC) Chairman Mullahna Tahir Ashrafi claims to be in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, a private news channel reported that he was arrested by Islamabad Police for carrying large quantities of alcohol in his car.
According to a ‘Breaking News’ of New News, Ashrafi was taken to police station immediately after his arrest. “Police has recovered bottles of liquor from vehicle of Tahir Ashrafi,” the news channel reported.
Authorities, nevertheless, allowed the cleric to walk away uncharged upon ‘intervention by a well known media personality,’ New News further reported.
The PUC chief later took it to Twitter and asserted he was in Makkah for Hajj [pilgrimage] and the news of his arrest is completely false. “I am in Makkah and that is enough to prove these [news] as fake,” Ashrafi wrote in an attempt to rebut the ‘Breaking News’.
And, as if right on cue, a Pakistani media personality and journalist Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami, Chief Editor Daily Pakistan, quickly backed the claim that Tahir Ashrafi was in Makkah. “His arrest in Islamabad was completely out of question,” Daily Pakistan reported on its editor’s behalf.
Dunya TV News, where Shami is a news-talk program anchor, also reported on behalf of the TV personality claiming that the ‘Rumor [has been] debunked’. “Dunya News’ anchor Mujibur Rehman Shami tweeted to tell that Moulana Tahir Ashrafi was indeed in Saudi Arabia and not in some jail in Islamabad.”
Shami’s testimony favoring Ashrafi was immediately doubted in social media with many confirming that it is very easy to deceive about one’s location by using 'a Saudi mobile phone SIM card while in Pakistan.'
While some Ashrafi followers went so far as to demand Tahir Ashrafi take a legal action against the private TV channel for libel, the cleric, however, has cut short the discussion, announcing forgiveness for everyone and asked his loyalist to quit discussing this matter altogether in the social media.
Ashrafi posted his picture showing himself in Hajj garb and stated, “All friends should quit this discussion; those who carried out this action are forgiven [by me].”
Ashrafi’s issuance of forgiveness was immediately met with sarcasm and many in social media have questioned the cleric’s motives for attempting to shutdown the discussion.
Many believe Ashrafi used the 'forgiveness' strategy probably because the persistent rumors about PUC Chief’s alcohol scandals have marred his reputation for a long time and he was recently dis-invited form a clerics' conference in Kabul citing his 'weak character' on account of alcohol.
"Maulana Tahir Ashrafi Sb was in a hurry, he shaved his head 3 days before Hajj," observed one Twitterati, @SabahatMS.
Ashrafi’s organization immediately swung into action to defend the cleric against yet another alcohol scandal and started throwing random blames including, as usual. against Ahmadis, whom Ashrafi castigates constantly.
Many Ahmadi Tweeple responded to PUC blames highlighting Ahmadiyya practice of never indulging in character assassinations.
"Ahmadiyya Jamat/its leadership never involve themselves in character assassination of anyone but Jamat is a convenient target for everyone," said Imran Jattala, Cheif Editor of Ahmadiyya Times, an online newspaper not officially representing the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
Although Ashrafi claims he is engaged in Hajj in Makkah, his Twitter timeline shows he is spending more time in social media posting continuous anti-Ahmadī rhetoric and political statements than the obligatory rituals he must perform to complete his Hajj.
-- Pakistan: Tahir Ashrafi sends forgiveness from Makkah
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