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India-Pakistan
Police rescue woman surrounded by mob in Lahore over blasphemy allegations
2024-02-27
[GEO.TV] 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....
Police rescued a woman surrounded by a charged mob in the city's Ichhra Bazaar on Sunday on suspicion of blasphemy
...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...
 after she was seen wearing a printed shirt bearing Arabic script, The News reported on Monday.

The woman was saved by the law enforcers just a few minutes after being encircled and harassed by an angry crowd that wanted to punish her for allegedly wearing a dress that they thought was blasphemous as it adorned "holy verses" as the print.

Being unaware of what was waiting for her, the woman was accompanied by her husband at the Ichhra Bazaar when some people tried to attack her, after which she sought refuge in a nearby shop.

Upon receiving information about the incident, the Punjab Police — led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi, who is the sub-divisional police officer at Gulbarg Lahore — arrived at the scene to take the woman into their custody, saving her from the charged crowd.

According to the police, the woman, who declined to be named, said she had no intention to offend anyone’s sentiments. After verifying that it was a misunderstanding and the design on the shirt did not feature holy verses, she was released, police said.

Maryam Nawaz, Pakistain Moslem League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior vice president and chief minister-in-waiting, lauded the efforts of ASP Shehrbano for saving the woman's life and ensuring her protection following the incident.

PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal also appreciated the ASP for performing her duty with responsibility.

"Well done ASP Shehrbano!" the politician said, adding that everyone must save society from religious fanaticism.

A life was saved from being lost at the hands of the mob, the politician said.

On the other hand, Chairman Pakistain Ulema Council Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Ashrafi also strongly condemned the harassment of the woman on the pretext of blasphemy.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Ashrafi wrote: On this occasion, the best efforts of the Ichhra police are commendable. But asking the woman to apologise was unjustified. The harassers should have instead apologised,"

The holy man added that those who harassed the woman in the name of blasphemy should apologise, terming the act "unacceptable".
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India-Pakistan
Commerce ministry terms rumours of Pak-Israel trade ‘sheer propaganda’
2023-04-03
*Snicker*
[Dawn] The Ministry of Commerce on Sunday termed rumours regarding trade between Pakistain and Israel as "sheer propaganda" after the "misrepresentation of a statement" issued by the American Jewish Congress (AJC), an association of the Jewish community based in the US.

"The rumours about beginning of Pakistain-Israel trade is sheer propaganda affer (sic) the blurb of AJC which was misrepresented," the ministry said in a statement. "However,
some people cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go...
 neither we have any trade relations with Israel nor we intend to develop any."

Pakistain does not have diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv,
...a stylistic faux pas — the legal capitol of Israel is Jerusalem. Tel Aviv is just where many foreign embassies are located, along with nightlife, beaches, shopping, and the arts...
and believes in a "two-state solution in accordance with the relevant United Nations
...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks...
 and OIC resolutions as well as international law, with pre-1967 borders and al-Quds al-Sharif (Jerusalem) as the capital of Paleostine".

The statement by the commerce ministry comes after Fishel Benkhald, a Jewish Pak,
...I had no idea any still remained...
tweeted on March 28 that he "exported [the] first batch of Pakistain food products to [the] Israel market.

"Congratulations to me as a Pak. I exported first batch of Pak food products to Israel market," Benkhald wrote. "Dates, dry fruits, and a single container of spice."

In his tweet, he tagged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, former prime minister Imran Khan
...aka The Great Khan, who is the lightweight's lightweight...
, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif
...served two three non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf, then by the courts...
, and other PML-N leaders including Maryam Nawaz, Ahsan Iqbal and Miftah Ismail.
“Nyah, nyah, nyah!”
Subsequently, the AJC released a statement on March 30, saying: "This week, the first shipment of Pakistain-origin food products was offloaded in Israel, in a transaction that involved Pak-Jewish businessman Fishel Benkhald, based in Pakistain’s business hub of Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
, and three Israeli businessmen from Jerusalem and Haifa.

"We welcome this small step that can have wider implications for Israeli and Pak economies and for the region on the lam," the statement said.

The same day, Voice of America ran a story headlined "Rare Trade Occurs Between Pakistain, Israel".

Members of the opposition PTI seized on the development, with Farrukh Habib demanding answers from the Foreign Office, commenting if it was part of the "London Plan" — a phrase coined by party chief Imran Khan.

"Under which deal is this trade being done after the regime change? Why is the Pakistain Democratic Movement (PDM) government silent on this," Habib asked on April 1.

That same day, Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Interfaith Harmony and the Middle East Tahir Ashrafi — who was also a part of the Imran Khan government — told state media that Benkhald was permitted to go to Israel by the PTI government.

Talking to APP, he said the Pak-Jewish businessman exported some goods including dates, dry fruit, and spices to an Arab friendly country and later on, managed to dispatch them to Israel.

Dispelling the impression that trade ties were being established between Pakistain and Israel, he was quoted as saying: "As per reports, neither the Ministry of Commerce, nor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs furnished Fishel any no-objection certificate (NOC)."

Separately, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah told Independent Urdu that the incumbent government did not permit anyone to engage in any trade activities with Israel.

"We will conduct an investigation into this," he said. "Now we are receiving information that in the previous regime, Imran Khan had given similar permission to someone but nothing of this sort has come up to our notice, information, or inquiry right now."

Today’s the Ministry of Commerce’s clarification said: "Even in their blurb (AJC) nowhere mentioned about official trade between Pak-Israel."

It added: "A Jewish Pak Fishel Benkhald has sent food samples to three businessmen in Jerusalem and Haifa through UAE in personal capacity who he met in foreign countries during food exhibitions.

"Nevertheless, it was not supported by the Pakistain government and no banking or official channel was involved either."

It said that in its talks with the UAE, the "issue of origin will be strictly implemented". "UAE has curtailed tariffs on 96 per cent goods traded with Israel which has benefited traders from UAE to Israel," it added.
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India-Pakistan
Body of Sri Lankan killed by Pakistan mob over alleged blasphemy flown home
2021-12-07
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Pakistain on Monday repatriated the remains of a Sri Lankan factory manager who was beaten to death and set ablaze by a mob after they accused him of blasphemy
...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...
.The vigilante attack has sparked outrage, with Prime Minister Imran Khan
...aka The Great Khan, who ain't the sharpest bulb on the national tree...
 calling it a "day of shame for Pakistain."

Few issues are as galvanizing in the country as blasphemy, and even the slightest suggestion of an insult to Islam can supercharge protests and incite lynching.

Priyantha Diyawadana was killed on Friday in the central district of Sialkot, in 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....
province, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) southeast of the capital Islamabad.

"The dead body of the Sri Lankan manager has been airlifted and sent to Colombo," Tahir Ashrafi, a religious scholar and special representative of the prime minister on religious harmony, told AFP.

Police have so far arrested 131 people including 26 prime suspects who have been remanded in jug, Sialkot police front man Khurram Shehzad told AFP.

Several gruesome video clips shared on social media showed a mob beating the prone victim while chanting slogans against blasphemy.

Many in the crowd made no attempt to hide their identity and some took selfies in front of the burning corpse.

However prime minister Khan announced a bravery medal would be awarded to a man who had attempted to save Diyawadana, endangering his own life.

It will be the first time that a person has received the award in a case linked to blasphemy.

Local police officials told AFP that rumors spread that Diyawadana had "torn down a religious poster and thrown it in the dustbin"

Ashrafi told AFP that workers had also complained of the manager being "very strict."

"Police experts are investigating this case from various angles, including that some factory workers played a religious card to take Dire Revenge on the manager," he said at the weekend.

Rights groups say accusations of blasphemy can often be wielded to settle personal vendettas, with minorities largely the target.



Link


India-Pakistan
Second prime suspect in Sialkot lynching incident arrested
2021-12-05
[NATION.PK] The security personnel on Saturday have arrested second prime suspect who incited the mob to torture Sri Lankan manager Priyantha Kumara to death in Sialkot over alleged blasphemy
...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...
According to details, suspect Talha has been shifted to some unknown place for interrogation. So far, coppers have arrested over 100 people with the help of CCTV for killing the manager.

Earlier, addressing a presser flanked by Special Representative of the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony Maulana Tahir Ashrafi and IG Punjab, Special Assistant to Chief Minister (SACM) on Information Hasaan Khawar expressed regret over the killing of Sri Lankan citizen.

Hesaid that Prime Minister Imran Khan
...aka The Great Khan, who is the lightweight's lightweight...
 and 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....
Chief Minister Sardar Usman Bazdar ordered an investigation into the incident, adding that action will be taken against those involved in the incident.

Offering his condolences to the victim’s family, Ashrafi said that the country’s religious scholars would soon hold a joint presser to condemn the issue. "We will also go to the Sri Lankan embassy for condolences," he added.
Related:
Maulana Tahir Ashrafi: 2016-04-01 Can religious clerics drive action on climate change in Pakistan?
Maulana Tahir Ashrafi: 2015-12-30 Scuffle breaks out between Maulana Sherani, Ashrafi during CII meeting
Maulana Tahir Ashrafi: 2015-09-03 Afghan Ulemas oppose with the invitation of Pakistani Ulema chief to Kabul
Related:
Sialkot: 2020-10-13 Prime suspect Motorway rape case Abid Malhi arrested from Faisalabad
Sialkot: 2020-09-12 Motorway Rape case: Two arrested using victim's ATM card
Sialkot: 2020-09-11 12 suspects arrested for allegedly raping woman on Lahore motorway
Link


Olde Tyme Religion
No concept of forced conversion in Islam: PM’s aide
2021-02-20
[Dawn] Special representative of the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony and Middle East Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi has said that there is no concept of forced marriage and forced conversion in Islam, and it is the responsibility of the state to protect the rights of religious minorities.

He was speaking at Inter-Faith Conference for Young Women organised by the Inter-Faith Harmony Council and Diocese of Beautiful Downtown Peshawar
...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistain's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire...
, Church of Pakistain, here on Thursday.
Link


India-Pakistan
PUC announces campaign against sectarianism, terrorism
2017-07-02
[DAWN] After observing ’Pakistain Stability Day’ on Friday, the Pakistain Ulema Council (PUC) announced a national campaign against sectarianism and terrorism in the counry.

Denouncing terror attacks in Quetta, Parachinar and Masjid-e-Nabvi, leaders of various religious sects, imams, scholars and mashaykh also said the religious leadership of Pakistain was united and committed to the stability of Pakistain and unity of the Moslem ummah.

"The decision to observe Pakistain Stability Day was made in an earlier meeting with the leadership of different religious sects and religious organizations," PUC Chairman Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi, told the media.

He said that, while addressing Friday congregations in various cities, prayer leaders from mainstream sects, including Shia, Deobandi, Barelvi and Ahle Hadis, vowed to carry out a nationwide campaign to annihilate terrorism, extremism and sectarian violence from Pakistain.

"We all understand that any conspiracy to create divisions in Pakistain on account of sectarian differences will be foiled with unity and religious harmony," he said.

Link


India-Pakistan
Terror outfits not linked to Islam, says Ashrafi
2016-07-26
[DAWN] LAHORE: Extremist organizations like Lion of Islam Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
 group (ISIS) and Hizbullah
...Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as The Resistance and purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory...
 have no linkages and association with Islam.

Pakistain Ulema Council chairman Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi said this while talking to media persons at Allama Iqbal International Airport before his departure to Dubai here on Sunday.

Extremist and terrorist organizations are indiscriminately killing innocent people in Syria and Iraq without any distinction of religion and sect, he told a questioner.

He also categorically said that until and unless burning issues of Paleostine, Kashmire, Syria and Iraq are not resolved, peace could not be restored in the world.

Condemning the recent killings in La Belle France and Germany as sheer barbarism, he said terrorism and extremism should not be associated to any particular religion and piece of land as it had emerged as a global issue.

"No one becomes representative of any particular religion by employing name-code of that religion."

He argued that those who attempted to attack Masjid-e-Nabvi could not be considered as faithfuls. "Terrorists are simply enemies of peace and mankind and peaceful forces of the world should get united against them," he added.

Link


India-Pakistan
PUC clerics to address rights of women
2016-05-19
[DAWN] ISLAMABAD: The Pakistain Ulema Council (PUC) has decided that holy mans affiliated with it will dedicate their sermons at Ramazan mosque gatherings to "changing the mindset".

The decision was finalised by the council’s central leadership on Tuesday. On the first Friday of Ramazan, holy mans at over 2,000 mosques affiliated with PUC will give sermons on the rights of women.

"This is one of the most serious issues ‐ we Learned Elders of Islam have opposed the objectionable women protection law, passed by 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....
Assembly, but we do not spare time imparting knowledge about the rights of women in Islam," PUC chairman Hafiz Mohammad Tahir Ashrafi said after the meeting.

He said people listen to sermons during Ramazan, but most of these speeches are monotonous.

"There is a need to change the mindset of the public and that does not specify in reference to ISIS or TTP only but this also includes social behaviour as well," Mr Ashrafi said. "We want to spread the idea that all the mosques should focus on changing the mindset of citizens against social ills, and this should be part of lectures and discussions, especially among participants of Aiteqaf."
Link


India-Pakistan
Can religious clerics drive action on climate change in Pakistan?
2016-04-01
[DAWN] Prayer leaders and other religious holy mans are an under-used means of pushing action to combat climate change, experts and religious scholars said at a multi-faith meeting on Thursday.
Depends on how much money's in it...
Religious leaders have the moral standing to call on people and businesses to consider the environmental impact of their activities and take a bigger role in reducing their own carbon footprints and finding ways to cope with the growing impacts of climate change, experts said at a multi-faith meeting in Islamabad.

Pakistain Ulema Council's Maulana Tahir Ashrafi said imams [prayer leaders] could have "unprecedented influence" in bringing action on climate change.

But first, he said, "they need training to both understand and communicate the issues accurately in a country hard-hit by climate-related drought, flooding, crop losses and other problems."

"We religious leaders in Pakistain can talk about climate change with people as long as we become knowledgeable about climate change and its other facets," he maintained.
Link


India-Pakistan
Cleric comes out in support of women’s protection bill
2016-03-09
[DAWN] As critics from religious groups and parties make headlines with their opposition to 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....
Protection of Women against Violence Act 2016, one holy man has come forward to support the law instead.

Pakistain Ulema Council (PUC) chairperson Hafiz Mohammad Tahir Ashrafi on Monday said those elements that used to call for banning girls’ education had no connection to Islam.

"These people are speaking in ignorance, but the women protection bill will assist in ending violence against women," Mr Ashrafi said. "There is no point in the criticism by some scholars that this bill will distort the family system of the country".

While speaking to a delegate of the PUC Women’s Wing and women seminary students on Monday, the liberal holy man said that instead of criticising almost all the reformist laws, Learned Elders of Islam and the country’s religious leadership should come forward with progressive suggestions.

"I would call upon the clergy to play a responsible role for girls’ education, to help eradicate other social ills like dowry and so on from the country," he said.

Mr Ashrafi said that since it was established, PUC has been making endeavours and raising its voice for women’s rights.

PUC is also one of the few religious councils that did not protest the execution of Mumtaz Qadri.

On the day of the execution, Mr Ashrafi said the "execution of Mumtaz Qadri [was the] implementation on laws of the state", and it was the government’s responsibility to ensure the protection of its citizens and make sure the laws of the state are implemented.

He said that civilised society would be turned into ashes if killing and warfare was allowed on the grounds of emotion and affiliations.
Link


India-Pakistan
CII brawl
2016-01-01
[DAWN] WHILE Learned Elders of Islam are supposed to lead by example, what transpired at the Council of Islamic Ideology's 201st meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday can only be described as disgraceful. Two of the CII's members -- its chairman Maulana Sherani and Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi -- had a physical altercation after disagreement over agenda items. As reported, while the meeting was in progress Tahir Ashrafi entered and, according to one eyewitness, started making a fuss. While it is difficult to conclude who cast the first stone, what ensued was an ugly exchange of street language, expletives and, eventually, physical violence. This sort of distasteful behaviour is thoroughly unacceptable from 'men of learning', especially those serving an officially sanctioned body. Instead of discussing matters in a cool and collected manner, the individuals involved have put on display antics that have no place in a civilised society.

However,
alcohol has never solved anybody's problems. But then, neither has milk...
 if it were only this single incident involving the CII, perhaps it could be overlooked. Unfortunately, many of the issues the body has chosen to put on its agenda over the past few years are deeply troubling. Apparently, one of the factors behind the brawl was the presence on the agenda of the issue of the status of Ahmadis in relation to Islam, and whether the current members of the community are to be termed murtad (apostates) or not. As it is, Ahmadis in Pakistain live in an atmosphere of fear and intimidation and for the CII to even discuss this is akin to playing with fire. Also on the recent meeting's agenda were items related to defining which sects fall within the ambit of Islam, as well as the imposition of jizya (poll tax). In the past, the council has taken a stance endorsing child marriage. Clearly, the CII has a penchant for indulging in explosive debate rather than giving progressive solutions to the country's many faith-related problems. These examples of retrogressive thinking justify calls for its disbandment. There is much the council can discuss, including burning issues such as sectarianism, terrorism and rising extremism -- problems that have torn the country apart, yet that have not been discussed in a critical and constructive manner by the clergy. The CII has chosen to raise divisive
...politicians call things divisive when when the other side sez something they don't like. Their own statements are never divisive, they're principled...
 issues and weigh in with regressive views at a time when moderation and a pluralistic ethos are required in society. Moreover, if its members cannot behave in a civilised manner, it is all the more reason to wrap up the CII.
Link


India-Pakistan
Scuffle breaks out between Maulana Sherani, Ashrafi during CII meeting
2015-12-30
[DAWN] A meeting of the Council for Islamic Ideology (CII) turned violent when a scuffle broke out between member Maulana Tahir Ashrafi and chairman Maulana Mohammad Khan Sherani, DawnNews reported on Tuesday.

Sources at the meeting said participants were discussing the status of Ahmadis under the Constitution when Ashrafi, who is also chairman of the Pakistain Ulema Council, and Sherani entered into an argument that later turned personal.

In a presser later, Ashrafi said Sherani grabbed him by the collar and tore it. "He tore my collar with his own hands, " said Ashrafi. But according to an eye witness, Ashrafi had first lunged at Sherani to grab his collar.

According to Ashrafi, council members -- including himself -- were opposed to the idea of debating the status of Ahmadis because there already existed a consensus on the issue.

"He [Maulana Sherani] wants to make the law on Ahmadis controversial, and push the country towards violence."

Participants in the meeting intervened to defuse the situation and broke up the physical altercation.

However,
it was a brave man who first ate an oyster...
 Maulana Sherani, talking to news hounds said, "Ahmadis are non-Muslims under the Constitution and there is a unanimous fatwa on that." He said the council had no intention of declaring Ahmadis Muslim.

Sherani said the matter was taken up by the council because the Ahmadi issue has been a bone of contention in society, with new fatwas on the matter appearing every other day.

The CII is a constitutional body that advises the legislature whether or not a certain law is repugnant to Islam, in particular to the Koran and Sunna.
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