...the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence to a deity, or sacred objects, or toward something considered sacred or inviolable. Some religions consider it to be a crime. In Pakistain you can commit blasphemy by looking cross-eyed at a Koran.... A charged mob killed the manager and then set his dead body on fire. What happened in Sialkot portrays a very grim picture of tolerance in Pakistain. Sadly, the first inquiry report has unearthed shocking realities. The inquiry report suggests that a delegation from a foreign country had to visit the factory and manager Priyantha Kumara asked to remove the stickers having religious writings. Workers were already annoyed by Mr Kumara’s principle to maintain discipline. Additionally, at the time of the gloomy incident, the arrangements of cleanliness were being made. Walls were being painted. Furthermore, Mr Kumara removed some stickers at 10:28 am that created some inconvenience between the manager and workers. The inquiry further reveals that the manager was not familiar with the workers’ language, then factory owners mediated, and the issue was resolved. The manager apologised for the misunderstanding but some workers abetted others to kill him. All the security guards and factory owners bravely ran away from the spot. Given this information, it is not difficult to deduce that Mr Kumara was possibly innocent, but extremism made him a culprit unjustly. The false use of blasphemy laws is becoming rife day by day.
If we talk through an Islamic lens, the mob has killed and burnt the whole of humanity as per Koranic teachings. Accusing someone of blasphemy, killing him unjustly and taking the law into his hands is against Islam. Those who pave the way for corruption on earth can never be true Moslems.
Many factors are responsible for extremism in Pakistain; one of the unavoidable factors is the Tehrik-e-Labaik Ya Rasool (TLP). Whether the factory workers were affiliated with TLP or not, psychologically, they were TLP’s supporters. The government’s inefficiency and incompetency gave breathing space to TLP. Salman Taseer’s killing and the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri gave impetus to the rise of TLP as a movement. Then, Faizabad’s sit-in paved the way for its entry into the political arena. TLP has tempted people to take the law in their own hands and has never condemned the misuse of blasphemy laws. Bowing down to TLP pressure again and again, the government has made TLP more powerful. A news report shows that from November 2017 to October 2021, seven protests have been staged by the TLP, and seven agreements have been signed. Using TLP for political gains to destabilise the PLM-N government proved disastrous for the future of the country. TLP is expanding gradually and it can be a serious threat to our national security. In 2018, TLP bagged 2.2 million votes and emerged as the fifth largest party of Pakistain and third largest in Punjab.
Giving more room to a radical version of Islam will pose a threat to peace to society. No one is against capital punishment to those who disrespect the last Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). But it is a matter of the judiciary, not an individual to do this. If an individual kills someone using blasphemy allegations, he will be a a murderer. The process of prosecution and inquiry of blasphemy cases must be meticulous. If the evidence does not prove someone guilty of blasphemy, then the accuser must be punished severely.
There are some important suggestions to cope with the current situation of extremism. First of all, the writ of the state needs to be established. The majority of the issues are emanating from the poor rule of law and a weak writ of the state. Using these religious snuffies for political gains is no more affordable. Secondly, the government must conduct an all-Mashaikh conference in which almost all distinguished custodians of shrines should take part. All Mashahiq should strictly direct their followers not to take part in any vigilantism. Similarly, an all-Ulema conference should be conducted to send a clear message to followers—that no one will take the law in their own hands. In case if any follower goes against this, the Learned Elders of Islam will not try to save him from the law. There should be a consensus among the Learned Elders of Islam and Mashahiq that taking law in one’s own hands is not acceptable and no one can kill anyone using blasphemy allegations. It is a matter of the judiciary, not the individuals. Thirdly, extremism is increasing in universities also. We need to develop centres for Islamic research in universities. Violent groups of students like the Jamaat Talaba-I-Islam should be discouraged in universities like the Punjab
1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard
2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers
3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots....
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