 LAHORE: A protest day was observed on the call of religious organisations on Friday to express anger against the alleged anti-Islamic remarks the Pope made at a speech in Germany a couple of weeks ago.
| “The protestors demanded the Pope’s removal from office for 'fanning hostilities between faiths'...” |
The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, (MMA), Tehrik-e-Namoos-e-Resalat Mahaz (TNRM), Tehrik-e-Hurmaat-e-Rasool, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) and other organisations protested outside mosques after Friday prayers to condemn the remarks and what they called the West’s propaganda against Islam and Muslims. The protestors demanded the Pope’s removal from office for “fanning hostilities between faiths”. They also said protests would continue till the Pope did not apologise to the Muslim community over “his derogatory remarks against Islam and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)”. They demanded Muslim nations should sever diplomatic relations with the Vatican till the Pope’s removal.
| “They accepted the Pope’s idea of an inter-faith dialogue, but said that if the Pope failed to prove the truth of his faith he should accept Islam as that was the only faith that led to peace and salvation...” |
Jamaatud Dawa central leaders Maulana Ameer Hamza, Hafiz Abdur Rehman Madni and Hafiz Abdul Ghaffar and other clerics said the “Pope’s insulting words towards the Prophet (PBUH) and Islam are not a mere coincidence or a slip of tongue, but rather a continuation of the West’s war against Islam. Muslims can tolerate anything, but insults directed towards the Prophet (PBUH)”.
They also accepted the PopeÂ’s idea of an inter-faith dialogue, but said that if the Pope failed to prove the truth of his faith he should accept Islam as that was the only faith that led to peace and salvation. Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Syed Munawwar Hasan told the Friday sermon at a mosque at Mansoora that FridayÂ’s protests to condemn the PopeÂ’s remarks had proved that the Muslim community was ready to sacrifice their lives to protect the ProphetÂ’s (PBUH) honour. The JI leader also demanded Muslims rulers including Islamabad expel the PopeÂ’s diplomatic mission from their respective countries. |