JI calls for emergent Islamic summit to check blasphemy

Lahore: Ameer, Jamaat e Islami, Pakistan, Sirajul Haq, while condemning the fresh publication of the blasphemous cartoons of the Holy Prophet (SAW) has called for an emergency Islamic summit to give a clear message to the west that the recurring incidents of profanity in the name of freedom of expression were intolerable.

Addressing an emergency press conference at  Al-Markaz Peshawar, he said that if the rulers of the western countries including the Israeli premier could lead a 1.5 million march in support of the Paris weekly publishing blasphemous caricatures, the Muslims could also come out in millions to denounce blasphemy.

The JI chief stressed upon the Saudi King Abdullah, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Turkish Prime Minister and other Muslim rulers to realize their responsibilities in this regard and convey the sentiments of the Muslim Ummah to the western world, and warn them that the repetitions of such practices could  lead to the third world war.

Sirajul Haq said that he too supported freedom of expression and was also against terrorism and extremism, but he believed that the publication of blasphemous cartoons and caricatures itself was tantamount to extremism, rather it was an act of terrorism.

He said that in the Muslim countries, there was rarely any incident of attack at the non-Muslims’ places of worship. Whenever there was such an incident, the Muslim rulers, besides political and religious leaders condemned it and they also tried to educate their people that such practice was  not in line with the Islamic teachings because Islam fully guaranteed security to the minorities.

But on the other hand, he said, that certain western papers and weekly had been repeatedly publishing cartoons and caricatures of the Holy Prophet thereby hurting the sentiments of the one and half billion Muslims but the western rulers had been patronized these publishers.

The JI chief further said that the Muslims living in non Muslims countries had always respected the laws of their respective countries.

He said it was the responsibility of the western rulers and their intelligentsia to ponder over how long the Muslims sentiments would be hurt in the name of freedom of expression.

Sirajul Haq said if the west and the European Union really loved world peace, they would have to stop the publication of profane material. He noted that whosoever published blasphemous material, such as Salman Rushdi, Tasleema Nareen, had been given full protection by the west. In France, ban was imposed on Hijab and the Muslim ladies were attacked. In Germany, a Muslim lady was shot dead inside a  court room only for wearing Hijab. In Norway, a mosque was pulled down. Profane cartoons and caricature were printed in France, Denmark, and this was still continuing.