Blasphemy Laws in Pakistan Misused for Extortion

By New Age Islam Staff Writer 10 June 2024 Clerics of Pakistan Are Against Any Reforms In Existing Blasphemy Laws. 1. Main Points: 1. Last month a wealthy Christian was beaten up by angry mob allegedly for blasphemy. 2. Last September, angry mob attacked houses and churches of Christians in Jaranwala allegedly for blasphemy. 3. A religio-political organisation is involved in extortion with the help of 2. flawed blasphemy laws. ------- In Pakistan, mob violence against minorities over accusations of blasphemy is common and widespread. Statistics show that thousands of cases of blasphemy have been registered against religious minorities in the last ten years. The main reason for lynching or mob violence against minorities is the extremist interpretation of Islam which presents all non-Muslim communities as infidels and enemies of Islam. Another reason is the flawed concept of blasphemy. Third, the idea that a person who is accused of blasphemy should be summarily killed has been circulated among the Muslims not only by small time mullahs but also by renowned and popular scholars of Islam. According to them, even Muslims should be killed for blasphemy. These ulema coined and popularised the slogan, "Gustakh-E-Rasool Ki Ek Saza, Sar Tan Se Juda.” (Those insulting the prophet deserve only one punishment and that is beheading. " The slogan suggests that while dealing with cases of blasphemy, law and judiciary have no place. The people will be the judge. But only an extremist interpretation of the Quran or a flawed concept of blasphemy is not the only factor behind the recurrent violence against the minorities. A secret report of the Punjab police revealed that blasphemy laws were systematically misused for extortion from the minorities including Christians. The report revealed that a political- religious organisation of Pakistan runs an organised extortion racket using the blasphemy laws against the minorities. The religious organisation has its team of extortionists in every district of Pakistan. Their modus operandi is that they demand money from well to do members of the minority community and threaten them with slapping blasphemy charges on non - compliance. If the person refuses to pay, an allegation of burning or desecrating the Quran or insulting the prophet is made against him. Then a member of the extortion team goes to the nearby mosque and announces the 'crime' on the loudspeaker and provokes the Muslims to punish the 'enemy of Islam'. Last month, Navid Masih, a Christian of Mujahid Colony of Sargodha in Pakistan was accused of desecrating the Quran. Some pages of the Quran were found scattered in the street near Navid's house. Someone spread the rumour that Navid Masih had thrown the pages on the road though no one saw him doing so. Then someone went to the mosque and made the announcement of the desecration of the Quran on the loudspeaker. Soon an angry mob gathered outside Navid Masih's home and beat all the members of his family and set his house on fire. In one video, some rioters are seen shouting "Labbaik, Labbaik" hinting at the involvement of a religious organisation mentioned in the police report involved in extortion --- a clear hint that the allegation was made for not paying money to the organisation. It would go without saying that Tehreek-e Labbaik Pakistan is an extremist sunni organisation of Pakistan. It was also known from reports that prior to the attack, Navid Masih had an altercation with a local Muslim over some issue. The Muslim man had walked away saying that he would teach him a lesson. The next day, pages of the Quran were found scattered near his house. Navid Masih also ran a shoe factory near his house where mostly Christians worked. The mob set his factory also on fire. The incident seems to be a fall out of an altercation over extortion threat. The extortion angle in mob violence against minorities is not discussed in media in Pakistan but the Punjab police report has raised the curtains from an important aspect of the so called religious organisations of Pakistan. For them blasphemy laws in Pakistan are a tool of extortion from hapless minorities. Last September, a Muslim accused a Christian of Jaranwala of burning the Quran and instigated the Muslims to punish Christians. He also announced the false incident on the loudspeaker from the mosque. Subsequently, angry mobs attacked houses of Christians and churches in the town. Later, the allegation was proved false and the representatives of Muslims collective apologised to the Christianity for the violence. A few years ago, a Pakistan court had proposed to the Nawaz, Sharif government to include the provision of punishment to those making false allegations of blasphemy in the blasphemy law. But the Nawaz Sharif government ignored the proposal. Later, his successor Imran Khan's government also put the proposal in the back burner. The reason was that the clerics and the religious organisations, particularly the one in question, opposed the proposal. Though these clerics very well know that Islam denounces rumour mongering and making false charges against any one. It also denounces bearing of false witness against anyone. Still, they oppose reforms in blasphemy laws, one, for extortion and, two, for settling personal scores with political, financial or religious opponents. In Pakistan, blasphemy laws are also misused by Muslims against Muslims for settling personal scores. And most of the charges prove to be falae. If making false allegations of blasphemy is also made punishable, the main cause of mob violence against innocent people will be rooted out and both tje Muslims and non-Muslims will live in peace. But the clergy in Pakistan does not want reforms either in blasphemy laws or in society. Many innocent imams, professors, students, clerics have been killed or jailed for alleged blasphemy though majority of them are Muslims. Salman Taseer, the Punjab governor was killed by his own bodyguard for demanding the repeal of the blasphemy laws because the Quran does not prescribe any physical punishment to those speaking ill of the prophet, the Quran or Islam despite condemning it in the harshest words. It means, blasphemy should be condemned but should not be made a crime deserving life sentence. To conclude, the Punjab police report should be an eye opener for the clerics and government of Pakistan and compel them to bring reforms in blasphemy laws by including punishment also for those making false allegations of blasphemy and misusing it for extortion URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-society/blasphemy-laws-pakistan-extortion/d/132478 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism