Pakistan Under 'News Fire'

Islam - is Pakistan's Identity
At least, according to.. Pakistan's Secretary General, Hafiz Sajid

Lahore, captiol of Pakistan, January 8, 2011 -- According to Secretary General Hafiz Sajid, Pakistan's sole identity is based on Islam, and there's no room for secularism there.

Over 60 years ago in 1947, when the British gave back to the people of India their county and the chance to practice whatever religion they might choose, India was divided up into three major pieces; West Pakistan (now simply called Pakistan), East pakistan (now Bangeladish) with modern India in the middle.

This divison made it necessary for Muslims living in the India portion to either move to East or West Pakistan and for the Hindus who may have lived in these parts to be relocated in the middle portion (now called India).

The plight of these people and their suffering during this relocation is well-known and even has a movie about it.

General Secretary Anwar, addressing a gathering at Masjid Mansura, told the congregation, "Muslims cannot tolerate 'slandering of our prophet' (some reports used the word 'blasphemy' - but that would be incorrect, as the word for this is 'shirk' and it means the act of associating partners with Almighty God - i.e., breaking the First Commandment given to Moses)."

Other non-Muslims sources translated or re-interpreted his remarks and then reported, as though he said, "a Muslim could not tolerate blasphemy (?) against the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him".

Some other reporters made the claim that Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik had told media people, 'If someone committed blasphemy (did they mean 'slander' of the prophet or 'pagan worship of idols'?) in my presence', he would shoot him to death.

Anwar exhorted the rulers to learn a lesson from Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer's assassination, as none of the official Khatibs and Imams was ready to lead his funeral prayer.

On Tuesday, Taseer was assassinated by Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, one of his own elite security force protectors, who opened fire on him because of the governor's support for the release of Pakistani-Christian woman Asia Bibi, who has been sentenced to death on charges of promoting 'shirk' (taking some children out of Islam into false or idol worship).

There was consensus of the Ummah that slander against the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was punishable by death, said Anwar, adding that Taseer publicly sympathised with the woman who had promoted slandering of the prophet, expressed full support to her and promised her clemency, and all this was unbecoming of his high office.

He said that Asia Bibi had been convicted by a law court and not by any mufti or cleric, and that Taseer had been issuing statements in violation of the country's constitution, the Quran and the Sunnah, which gave the impression of his anti-Islamic views and finally led to his assassination.

He also demanded the immediate release of the relatives of Mumtaz Qadri, the bodyguard who shot Taseer at least 17 times before surrendering.

Addressing another congregation at Syed Maudoodi Institute mosque, JI leader Hafiz Muhammad Idrees said that Taseer's murder should be an eye opener for the other rulers who were clamouring against the Blasphemy Law.

Referring to Malik's statement that he would shoot down a blasphemer, Idrees asked what crime Mumtaz Qadri had committed.

He advised the anti-Islam elements in the country to stop attacks on the religion, and study it thoroughly. The western powers could cow down to the Muslim rulers but not the Muslim masses, he added.

---- A bit more about Pakistan's recent history ---

The political history of the nation began with the birth of the All India Muslim League in 1906 to protect Muslim interests, amid fears of neglect and under-representation of Muslims, in case the British Raj decided to grant local self-rule. On the 29 December 1930, Muhammad Iqbal called for an autonomous state in "northwestern India for Indian Muslims".[6] The Muslim League rose to popularity in the late 1930s. Muhammad Ali Jinnah espoused the Two Nation Theory and led the Muslim League to adopt the Lahore Resolution[7] of 1940, demanding the formation of independent states for Muslims in the East and the West of British India. Eventually, a united Pakistan with two wings - West Pakistan and East Pakistan - gained independence from the British, on 14 August 1947. Modern-day Pakistan came in existence in 1971, after a civil war in the distant East Pakistan and emergence of an independent Bangladesh.

Clearly there are differences of opinion on what is going on in Pakistan, India and Bangeladish. Now it is time for you to respond. Tell us your opinion and what you might know about Pakistan's real story - the world is waiting to hear - (no posts will be published containing foul language, inappropriate or uncalled for hate statements)..

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