EDITORIAL: In a predominantly Muslim country like Pakistan, no one can even think of showing disrespect to the last Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the Holy Quran, yet the blasphemy laws instituted by the Ziaul Haq regime are repeatedly misused to kill Muslims and members of the minority communities either to settle a personal score or make a property grab.
Mere allegation can lead to horrific consequences, as seen the other day in Nankana Sahib where a mob, egged on by a religious group, snatched a blasphemy suspect from police custody, lynched him and later tried to set his body on fire.
Sadly, this has been happening again and again. Last year, a mentally unsound man in Khanewal was lynched and his body hanged on a tree. In December 2021, a frenzied mob lynched Sri Lankan manager of a Sialkot factory while an outnumbered police looked on.
In 2017, a university student in Mardan, Mashal Khan, was brutally murdered on a false blasphemy accusation and his body dragged all over the place. Before that instigated by a disgruntled employee, workers of a factory in Shahdara murdered its owner.
And in 2014, a Christian couple working at a brick kiln was killed allegedly for desecrating the Holy Quran and their bodies thrown in the kiln furnace. Earlier in 2009, in Gojra, a Christian neighbourhood was attacked and several houses burned, resulting in the death of eight persons, including a small child.
Each such shocking incident is denounced by the governments of the day and others, but followed by no preventive measures. In the present instance as well, the Prime Minister has strongly condemned the incident, censured the police and ordered a probe into the incident. Soon it will be business as usual.
Many have suggested that to stop its misuse the law should be amended, in conformity with the Hudood laws — framed in the light of Islamic injunctions — that carry the same punishment for anyone making a false accusation as for the offender. But due to worldly considerations religious parties and groups have been threatening a severe backlash to any such change to this man-made law.
As a matter of fact, in a recent development, the National Assembly approved an amendment to the blasphemy laws, further extending their application to anyone uttering derogatory remarks about the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) family, his wives, companions and the four caliphs.
Introduced by a Jamaat-e-Islami legislator, the amendment makes such remarks punishable with three to 10-year imprisonment, and a non-bailable offence.
This is a recipe for trouble as it would further deepen sectarian divisions caused by violent sectarian outfits at the behest of certain foreign powers.
Realising its implications, Human Rights Minister Riaz Hussain Pirzada has written a letter to the Prime Minister saying the amendment was brought in to “please a specific group”, and that it was done without fulfilling the norms of parliamentary proceedings — only 15 lawmakers were present in the House when the amendment was passed.
Nonetheless, even if the session were in quorum, the result might not have been any different. It may be recalled that not long ago the Punjab Assembly had endorsed a similar move. No one had raised any objection to it because in the prevailing environment of fear, expressing an opinion different than that of the religious establishment risks inviting dangerous consequences.
Seeing what its impact could be on society, though, the then ruling party let it sit unsigned in the governor’s office and become infructuous.
Now the Human Rights Minister has asked the PM to undo the amendment as the State has a duty to protect religious minorities as per an Islamic injunctions as well as a constitutional obligation.
It will not be enough to reverse this amendment or to criminalise false blasphemy accusations. All responsible for using religion for power games must stop patronising extremist groups, like the one in Nankana Sahib which worked up the crowd and led the attack on the police station to do the inhuman deed.
Needless to say, Islam lays a lot of emphasis on kindness and mercy. In fact, the two attributes of Allah that Muslims iterate at the beginning of anything new, are His benevolence and compassion. No one should be allowed to spread mischief in this land in the name of a religion of peace.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023