A handful of clerics belonging to various religious parties on Friday gathered at the Data Darbar under the banner of Almi Tanzeeme Ahle Sunnah and termed the Queen Elizabeth a ‘blasphemer’ for the conferral of “knighthood” to the blasphemous writer Salman Rushdie.The clerics, while protesting outside the Data Darbar, demanded the government to call Pakistani diplomats back from the UK. They said the government should cut off the diplomatic and trade ties with the UK. The clerics also endorsed the floor statements of Federal Religious minister Ejazul Haq and Punjab Assembly speaker Chaudhry Afzal Sahi terming to kill a blasphemer justified even in a suicidal attack. The PA speaker while speaking on the floor on Thursday said that he would kill a blasphemer if he/she comes in front of him. The clerics aimed to follow the words of the PA speaker.
They were shouting anti-America, anti-UK and anti-Musharraf slogans. The speaking aimed to continue their protest till the death of Rushdie. The emotionally charged participants said it was a war between Islam and the infidels. They also shouted anti-Christianity slogans.
They burnt effigy of the Queen Elizabeth. They termed this burning a symbolic killing of the Queen. The clerics were escorted by heavy contingents of police. The clerics tried to gather the attention of the Data Darbar visitors over the issue. However, it seemed that a less number of people were aware of the issue. Some passers-by were found asking, “Why are they protesting? Who is Rushdie?” “ What do these clerics want?”
Daily Times learnt from various people the clerics in their Friday sermons denounced the British government for the conferral of the “Knighthood” to Rushdie. In the Punjab University’s main mosque, teachers made a hue and cry over the issue. They also demanded Muslims for boycotting the UK products.
MMA observes anti-Rushdie protest day: On the call of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal a protest day was observed across the country to denounce the British government for awarding the title of ‘Sir’ to blasphemer Salman Rushdie. The protestors demanded the British government should immediately withdraw this title. They said Muslims should raise this issue on the platform of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. They said, “We want to make it clear to the British government that this step has hurt the feelings of Muslims.”