A prominent Islamic scholar has launched a blistering attack on Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, warning that failure to repeal them will only strengthen religious extremists and their violent followers.
“The blasphemy laws have no justification in Islam. These ulema [council of clerics] are just telling lies to the people,” said Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, a reformist scholar and popular television preacher.
“But they have become stronger, because they have street power behind them, and the liberal forces are weak and divided. If it continues like this it could result in the destruction of Pakistan.”
Ghamidi, 59, is the only religious scholar to publicly oppose the blasphemy laws since the assassination of the Punjab governor, Salmaan Taseer, on 4 January. He speaks out at considerable personal risk.
Ghamidi spoke to the Guardian from Malaysia, where he fled with his wife and daughters last year after police foiled a plot to bomb their Lahore home. “It became impossible to live there,” he said.
Their fears were well founded: within months Taliban gunmen assassinated Dr Farooq Khan, a Ghamidi ally also famous for speaking out, at his clinic in the north-western city of Mardan.
The scholar’s troubles highlight the shrinking space for debate in Pakistan, where Taseer’s death has emboldened the religious right, prompting mass street rallies in favour of his killer, Mumtaz Qadri.
Liberal voices have been marginalised; many fear to speak out. Mainstream political parties have crumbled, led by the ruling Pakistan People’s party, which declared it will never amend the blasphemy law.
Sherry Rehman, a PPP parliamentarian who proposed changes to the legislation, was herself charged with blasphemy this week. Since Taseer’s death she has been confined to her Karachi home after numerous death threats, some issued publicly by clerics.
Although other Islamic scholars share Ghamidi’s views on blasphemy, none dared air them so forcefully. “Ghamidi is a voice of reason in a babble of noises seemingly dedicated to irrationality,” said Ayaz Amir, an opposition politician and opinion columnist.
Ghamidi’s voice stands out because he attacks the blasphemy law on religious grounds. While secular critics say it is abused to persecute minorities and settle scores, Ghamidi says it has no foundation in either the Qur’an or the Hadith – the sayings of the prophet Muhammad. “Nothing in Islam supports this law,” he said.
Ghamidi deserted the country’s largest political party, Jamaat-e-Islami, to set up his own school of religious teaching. He came to public attention through a series of television shows on major channels. They were cancelled due to opposition from the mullahs, he said. “They told the channels there would be demonstrations if I wasn’t taken off air.”
Three years ago gunmen fired a pistol into the mouth of the editor of Ghamidi’s magazine; last year the police foiled a plot to bomb his home and school. Now the school is closed.
The core problem, Ghamidi said, was the alliance between Pakistan’s “establishment” – code for the military – and Islamist extremists it uses to fight in Kashmir and Afghanistan. “They are closely allied,” he said.
The blasphemy debate has exposed painful rifts in Pakistani society. One Ghamidi follower said his father, a British-educated engineer, called him an infidel for attacking the controversial law. “Our society is tearing itself apart,” he said.
Tariq Dhamial, a lawyer representing Mumtaz Qadri, said more than 800 lawyers had offered to represent the self-confessed killer. “Everyone is behind Qadri. Doctors, teachers, labourers, even police – they believe he did the right thing,” Dhamial said.Dhamial said the police intended to hold Qadri’s trial in jail but the lawyers wanted it heard in open court. The latest hearing is due next Tuesday.
Even when out of Pakistan, Ghamidi features on television shows by phone, often outwitting extremist clerics with his deep knowledge of the Qur’an. But he eschews terms such as “liberal”.
“I am neither Islamist nor secular. I am a Muslim and a democrat,” he said. But even allies question whether religious argument alone can win the sulphurous blasphemy debate.
“When you talk about religion, you only provoke the forces of reaction who become more intolerant. Then governments become frightened and retreat,”
said Amir. “Ghamidi’s is a voice for the converted. But that won’t solve our problem.”
Re: Islamic scholar attacks Pakistan's blasphemy laws- A Voice of Reason
need many more of him.
Re: Islamic scholar attacks Pakistan's blasphemy laws- A Voice of Reason
how much was he paid to become mouth piece of so called "raushan Khayaal" ppl?
Re: Islamic scholar attacks Pakistan's blasphemy laws- A Voice of Reason
^ Not everyone's for sale you know. Without people like him, I don't have any hopes for this country.
Re: Islamic scholar attacks Pakistan's blasphemy laws- A Voice of Reason
how much was he paid to become mouth piece of so called "raushan Khayaal" ppl?
Just b/c ignorant mullahs are paid & own by foreign force to destroy Pakistan doesn't mean everyone else is too.
Re: Islamic scholar attacks Pakistan's blasphemy laws- A Voice of Reason
how much was he paid to become mouth piece of so called "raushan Khayaal" ppl?
Yeh anyone goes against popular stand is paid and agent of West. What's your next move, fatwa to chop his head off?
Re: Islamic scholar attacks Pakistan’s blasphemy laws- A Voice of Reason
Javed Ghamidi has truly said that these devil incarnates calling themselves Ulema are liars when they say that Blasphemy law is according to Quran and Sunnah of Prophet (SAW), as in reality Blasphemy law negates both Quran and Sunnah. This law is conspiracy against Islam and name of prophet (SAW), as due to this law, name of Islam and name of Prophet (SAW) that is loved by all (Muslims and non-Muslims alike), is turning into a name to fear. If this law stays than in future, the ‘dahshat’ of even mentioning name of Prophet (SAW) would be such that people would go silent with horror when they would hear his (SAW) name, fearing persecution or murder.
These devil worshipers could not provide any thing to support blasphemy law but their only tool is their willingness to create fitna and killing if they are not heard. These people are not even Muslim as they deny even clear rulings of Quran.
Just imagine that incident of biggest blasphemy against Prophet (SAW) ever happened, happened in the life of Prophet (SAW) that gave immense hurt to Prophet (SAW). Anyone can get shattered if his wife is slandered and thus incident of slandering Aisha (RA) shattered Prophet (SAW) for weeks. When ayah cleared Aisha (RA), even though Allah reprimanded accusers, no one was punished for such grave blasphemy.
One person who was actively involved in spreading rumour (and thus guilty of blasphemy) was Mistah bin Uthatha who was closely related to Abu Bakr (RA) whom Abu Bakr (RA) used to help with money regularly. When ayah revealed clearing Aisha (RA), Ayah 24:11-20, Abu Bakr (RA) decided to stop all financial help to Mistah, but Allah in Quran revealed another Ayah 24:22 that stopped Abu Bakr (RA) from doing that, thus Abu Bakr (RA) kept helping Mistah.
YUSUFALI (24:22): Let not those among you who are endued with grace and amplitude of means resolve by oath against helping their kinsmen, those in want, and those who have left their homes in Allah’s cause: let them forgive and overlook, do you not wish that Allah should forgive you? For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
If punishment for blasphemy in this world was in Quran or Sunnah, all who were involved in slandering Aisha (RA) and hurting Prophet (SAW) due to that slandering would have got punished, but here, leave punishment, we see that Allah even stopped Abu Bakr (RA) from withholding financial assistance to one of blasphemer.
[Reason is simple, that is, blasphemy (against signs of Allah) is sin and only Allah can give punishment for such sin. Allah can punish a person in this world or after death, in his own ways. No human has any right to punish anyone for sin].