Violent clashes as ‘mentally ill’ Christian man ‘burns’ Quran in Lahore

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Is there no other way to demonstrate against it, than through violence? Should people condemn those who use violence in such cases, or should those violent people be consoled?

Should people be more outraged when someone burns a copy of the Quran, then when someone murders or burns human beings on basis of someone ALLEGEDLY burning a copy of the Quran? Why not just condemn the act, and let law run its course, if you’ve got laws dealing with such issues?

What does the Pakistani society gain by these acts of violence?

Violent clashes as

Violent clashes erupted between police and a charged Muslim mob following reports that a “mentally challenged” Christian man had allegedly burnt the Holy Quran in Lahore’s Glushan Ravi area on Sunday evening.

According to initial information, Humayun Faisal, a middle aged Christian man was taken into custody on Sunday night after some locals of the area accused him of setting a copy of the Holy Quran on fire. Humayun was immediately charged under Section 295-B, which relates to Quran desecration, and was taken to the Gulshan Ravi Police Station.

Sources in the family and Humayun’s neighbourhood told Pakistan Today that Humayun was of unstable mind and his health condition was known to everyone in the locality.

As soon as news of the desecration spread in the area, a mob of about 200-300 locals gathered in the area and started protesting against the accused. Some local Christians said that the mob wanted to burn down their homes but timely intervention by the police saved them.

A large police contingent was deployed in the area after the mob resorted to violence and threw stones at the law enforcers. Two companies of Punjab Rangers were then sent to the area to restore peace. The police also resorted to baton-charge after Lahore
DIG Operations Dr Haider Ashraf suffered a head injury in the clashes.

The situation is very tense in the area following the clashes and most of the Christian residents have fled to safer places.

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Re: Violent clashes as ‘mentally ill’ Christian man ‘burns’ Quran in Lahore

Why do you need to demonstrate against it at all?

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Re: Violent clashes as ‘mentally ill’ Christian man ‘burns’ Quran in Lahore

Unless these thugs are in the majority, why don’t decent people beat such hoodlums to pulp, while calling for repeal of such ridiculous laws?

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Re: Violent clashes as ‘mentally ill’ Christian man ‘burns’ Quran in Lahore

If you ask me personally, there is not. But I know many are very sensitive wrt their religious belief, and therefore they will feel the need to protest. If they do protest, surely there must be better ways to do it than to take to the streets and start attacking people left and right.

If Pakistani people at large were willing to accept how damaging these acts of violence are to their own society, there would be far bigger outrage for murdering and burning human beings, than it would be for someone burning a copy of the Quran. The majority in Pakistan certainly needs to stand up, and say enough is enough, no more violence in the name of religion. That is far more damaging to the religion than anything else.

If you are willing to associate your religious belief with violence and hatred, people will have a hard time respecting and tolerating your religious belief, because they will always be anxious about when that hatred and violence will target them too.

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Re: Violent clashes as ‘mentally ill’ Christian man ‘burns’ Quran in Lahore

More on the issue of blasphemy in The Nation.

Basically the author is claiming that when one religion is given precedence over all other religions by law, in a nation with a diversity of religions, you are bound to run into problems.

And since people are converting and deconverting in and out of religions all the time, there will most likely never be a country with a population that conforms to only one religion. Sanctity of human life need to prevail over sanctity of ideologies and ideas in any case.

Blasphemy law boomerang

Humayun won’t be the last Pakistani non-Muslim whose life will be deemed less valuable than burnt pieces of paper, impalpable esteem of historical figures, or intangible sentiments. **And it is the Penal Code itself which reduces the worth of certain lives by elevating the stature of specific ideas and beliefs as being more valuable than a human being’s right to life.

**Even though many members of the Pakistani intelligentsia prefer to blame the ‘British’ for ‘their colonial blasphemy laws’, what they fail to acknowledge is that the ‘colonial’ clauses exist around the globe and in many countries, like Australia, haven’t been activated for nearly a century. Section 295-A itself, despite its antagonism to freedom of speech, was intended to quell communal violence among the locals. It is the Pakistan-specific Islamic clauses that have made the blasphemy law a violent altar for human sacrifice.

While the sections 295 and 295-A shielded all religions equally, and hence were rarely triggered, the Ziaul Haq sponsored sections 295-B and 295-C were Islam-specific, and incorporated capital punishment for defiling Islamic scriptures and ‘tauheen-e-risalat’.

Although none of the sections explicitly encourage anyone to take the law into their own hands, any Penal Code that blatantly discriminates between religions, and citizens on ideological basis, inevitably nurtures the ground for the radicals of the elevated religion to ensure ‘swift justice’. The only reason why non-Muslims are vulnerable to accusations of blasphemy is because the law doesn’t safeguard their status as equals and their religion as worthy of similar respect.** And hence when a religiously incited mob has to decide between the ‘sanctity of Islam’ and the lives of people sanctioned as lesser humans by law, the choice becomes a no-brainer.**

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Re: Violent clashes as ‘mentally ill’ Christian man ‘burns’ Quran in Lahore

This is why social media is important. People in general want to do the right thing.

I do wish such topics get the same attention here and elsewhere as incidents affecting ones own community.

The other day someone commented - it is lame to fight over political and religious things in social media. Topics such as these are addressed through social media to expose the ridiculousness of such laws. And are one the avenues to reach people who mostly want to do the right thing.

Applies to other religions also of course

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Re: Violent clashes as ‘mentally ill’ Christian man ‘burns’ Quran in Lahore

^Completely agree.

Btw, The author of the piece, Kunwar Khuldune Shahid, is a brave man. He has rasied pressing issues in a manner, which many Pakistanis in the west would not dare to, while sitting in Pakistan. I have the utmost respect for his courage.

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Violent clashes as ‘mentally ill’ Christian man ‘burns’ Quran in Lahore

I just wonder why every person involved in Quran burning is immediately claimed as ‘mentally ill’ by certain factions :hmmm:

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Re: Violent clashes as ‘mentally ill’ Christian man ‘burns’ Quran in Lahore

And what would be the fear in Pakistanis living in the west, talking about such issue.

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Re: Violent clashes as ‘mentally ill’ Christian man ‘burns’ Quran in Lahore

I’m going to assume they are labeled mentally ill to calm the violent mob. Obviously it doesn’t work. According to a report he did not burn the quran, he burnt a newspaper with quranic verses on it. Don’t know the veracity of that report.

But I highly doubt there is anyone from the minorities crazy enough to deliberately burn the Quran in Pakistan.

Muslims in Pakistan need to learn that nothing defames their religion more than people inciting to violence in the name of the religion, regardless of the cause. That just practically nullifies the purpose of any religion. Which is why any time a violent mob gathers in the name of religion, majority of Pakistan need to be on the streets and protest against it in large numbers.

People need to learn to contain their anger, and find other ways to protest.

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Re: Violent clashes as ‘mentally ill’ Christian man ‘burns’ Quran in Lahore

I agree with this post of yrs here :k:

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Re: Violent clashes as ‘mentally ill’ Christian man ‘burns’ Quran in Lahore

Probably stigma (and threats of violence). Not talking about this particular issue, but other issues as well.