Muslim Countries Should Repeal Black Anti-Blasphemy Laws: Exaggeration In Exalting The Status Of Prophet Mohammad Leads To Extremist Beliefs And Violence

By New Age Islam Staff Writer 4 July 2022 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It's time Pakistan and other countries that have anti-blasphemy laws, rethink and repeal such black laws. Quran tells us in a number of verses how the Prophet was insulted, humiliated and persecuted almost every day for years in Makkah after he announced that God had appointed him a messenger and his job was to bring God's messages to humanity. But nowhere are we told that either the Prophet or his companions reacted violently or we Muslims should punish those who insult his memory now. Some seemingly concocted ahadith (alleged sayings of the Prophet or his companions) do talk about blasphemy and its punishment. But it is for God to punish blasphemers on the Day of Judgement. Muslims have nowhere in Quran been assigned the task of giving punishment in this world on account of blasphemy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blasphemy is one of the issues on which the opinion of Muslims is divided. One section of the Muslims, largely the liberal Muslims who are educated in modern schools and colleges have a moderate approach to blasphemy. They, like the film actor Naseeruddin Shah, criticise and condemn blasphemy against the prophet but seek legal recourse to it. They do not go to the extent of seeking the head of the accused. Even some Islamic scholars and exegetes do not support death sentence for the blasphemer. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Can Islamism Be Regarded as The Root Cause of Extremism? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- But on the other hand, a section of the Islamic scholars, mostly in Muslim majority countries believe that a blasphemer does not deserve to live because an insult to the prophet is unpardonable. Therefore, if the court of the country acquits the accused, any Muslim can execute his death sentence to compensate the non-commitment of the judges to the Shariah. This is what happens mainly in Pakistan where blasphemy accused are extrajudicially executed after they are acquitted by the Shariah court. The Christian lady of Pakistan, Asia Bibi was compelled to leave her homeland Pakistan to settle in Canada after the courts acquitted her of the blasphemy charges. There are others who were not so lucky and were either shot dead or lynched. Recently, a Sri Lankan man was lynched and then set on fire by some Muslims in Pakistan. The Sri Lankan was a manager in a factory in Pakistan. He had objected to the stickers and posters containing Quranic verses and hadiths and Islamic slogans put up on the walls of the factory. His position was that religious stickers should not be pasted on the walls of the factory. Therefore, one day he tore off the stickers and posters from the walls. His motive was not to insult the prophet or the Quran. He simply expressed his annoyance and disapproval. He did not know that his act was an act of blasphemy in Pakistan. The angry workers lynched him and then set his dead body on fire. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Why Muslim Ulema's Condemnation Of Udaipur Killing Is Hypocritical: The Real Culprit Is The Post-Quranic Theology Which Sanctions Beheading For Blasphemy --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- But the death punishment for blasphemy does not apply only to non-Muslims. Even Muslims are declared blasphemer in Pakistan. In Pakistan, definition of blasphemy includes Muslims who purportedly show insult to the prophet of Islam. Any unintentional statement or word or act by a Muslim that can be interpreted as blasphemy can lead one to jail or to death by an unruly mob. A few months ago a mentally deranged Muslim man was killed by a mob of Muslims in Pakistan. An interesting incident of the issue of blasphemy being turned into a joke happened in a Pakistani police station. A Muslim man went to a police station regarding some complaint. The SHO misbehaved with him and abused him. The man lodged a complaint against the SHO alleging that he committed blasphemy against the prophet because his name was MUSTAFA, which is one of the names the Prophet is known by. Another incident of blasphemy involves an Ismaili Shia doctor and a Sunni Muslim medical representative. The MR visited the Doctor's clinic and wanted to talk to him. The doctor made him wait for long. Irritated, the MR entered the doctor's chamber and put his visiting card on his table saying that he could not wait any longer and so the doctor could call him whenever he got free. Annoyed at the behaviour of the MR, the doctor threw his visiting card on the floor. The MR picked up his visiting card and lodged a complaint with the police under the blasphemy law. The reason was that his name on the visiting card had the prefix Mohammad. Last year, the Punjab government in Pakistan passed a law that makes it mandatory to say Khatamun Nabiyeen (the seal of prophets or the last prophet) before pronouncing the name of the prophet in writing or in speech. So anyone can lodge a case of blasphemy against anyone who forgets to add the prefix. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: The Brutal Killing Of A Hindu In The Name Of Blasphemy In Udaipur Rajasthan Is Extremely Shameful, Reprehensible And Anti-Islamic: Muslim Organizations, Ulama And Personalities --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In another incident, workers of an Islamic organisation pasted a poster of a religious programme Meelad-un-Nabi, (celebrated to commemorate the Prophet's life) on the walls of the house of an Aalim (religious scholar) of the other sect (Maslak). The Aalim tore off the poster because he took it as a mischief by the other sect. The Islamic organisation filed a case against him under the blasphemy laws of Pakistan. The Aalim and his son were sent to jail. Similar bizarre incidents of the misapplication of blasphemy laws are galore in Pakistan. Renowned Islamic scholar of Pakistan Mufti Tarique Masood says that a large number of muftis and Aalim are languishing in jails because of the exaggerated emotionalism in the name of Tahaffuz-e-Namoos-e-Rasool (Protection of the honour of the prophet). Those Aalim who spent their life following the path of the prophet pbuh were declared Gustakh-E-Rasool (blasphemer of the Prophet). A slip of tongue can lead to an insult and one may be bombed or lynched. He says that this emotionalism should be discouraged. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: The Brutal Killing Of A Hindu In The Name Of Blasphemy In Udaipur Rajasthan Is Extremely Shameful, Reprehensible And Anti-Islamic: Muslim Organizations, Ulama And Personalities --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A new trend of slitting the throat of the blasphemer has been started and this tradition owes its origin to the method of execution adopted by the ISIS. During the Syrian civil war, the ISIS slit the throat of its victims with cleavers, machetes and knives. A slogan, 'Gustakh-e-Rasool ki ek hi saza, Sar tan se juda, sar tan se juda'(There is only one punishment for the blasphemer of the Prophet, and that is his head should be severed from his body') has become very popular in Pakistan. (This slogan is being popularised in India as well.) Recently, a lady teacher's neck was brutally slit with a knife by two lady teachers of the same madrasa in Pakistan. The victim and the killers all were Muslims but the victim only had different or liberal views on some religious issues. She was considered a 'Gustakh' and was killed in cold blood. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Indian Ulema Need To Junk The Islamist Theology Behind Beheading For Blasphemy And Proclaim It Loudly And Repeatedly From All Mosques: Mere Condemnation Of Udaipur Killing Is Not Enough --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It's time Pakistan and other countries that have anti-blasphemy laws, rethink and repeal such black laws. Quran tells us in a number of verses how the Prophet was insulted, humiliated and persecuted almost every day for years in Makkah after he announced that God had appointed him a messenger and his job was to bring God's messages to humanity. But nowhere are we told that either the Prophet or his companions reacted violently or we Muslims should punish those who insult his memory now. Some seemingly concocted Ahadith (alleged sayings of the Prophet or his companions) do talk about blasphemy and its punishment. But it is for God to punish blasphemers on the Day of Judgement. Muslims have nowhere in Quran been assigned the task of giving punishment in this world on account of blasphemy. 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