Daily Times

The recorded history of man is testament to the fact that every civilization had a certain ideology, philosophy or a cause to which it adhered. Different religions came and later on went into oblivion. Those who do not follow a specific religion have a defined set of codes according to which they spend their lives.

All the above teachings are not taken as a mere set of instructions because history is replete with events in which people killed and were ready to be killed if their cherished beliefs were under threat. The word ‘blasphemy’ that we hear from time to time can be defined as an act which targets someone’s beliefs and resultantly offends a community which holds these beliefs in high esteem.

We as Muslims have an uncompromising belief that Islam is the last set of instructions sent on earth by the Almighty through our beloved Prophet(SAW), who not only conveyed the message of Allah but also assisted mankind in understanding this message unequivocally. Hence every Muslim can fulfill the dream of spending his life according to the injunctions of Islam and as per the ‘Sunnah’ of the Prophet (SAW).

As Islam teaches us to show reverence to the Prophets who came before our Prophet (S.A.W), Muslims are not involved in such profane attacks on other religions and expect the same treatment for their religion Islam.

Previously, Charlie Hebdo a French weekly magazine was involved in publishing sacrilegious content, which offended Muslims around the globe. Subsequently the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo was attacked by two brothers from the Al-Qaeda who killed 12 people there.

If we actually wanted to stop others from disrespecting our beliefs, then we need to consider the fact that we have to be economically strong and have control over trade, we have to be politically strong to influence other countries and organisations, we need to advance technologically so that nations rely on our products and expertise. Burning down our own house out of exasperation is not an option anymore

Now the role to denigrate Islam has been assumed by a Dutch politician named Greet Wilders who has earned notoriety because of his anti-Islamic views, he was declared persona non grataby the UK government in 2009 owing to his undesirable behavior. Similarly, he was denied a visa by Australian authorities as he wanted to deliver anti-Islam speeches there in 2012. Wilders’ recent stunt was arranging a competition to draw caricatures of our Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), which has fanned the flames of hate once again due to which the resentment among Muslims currently high.

Although, heinous actions as such are condemned everywhere by neutral quarters but the way this issue is dealt in Pakistan is a bit contrary to logic and convention. We have seen how baton wielding students from seminaries assemble after the Friday prayers, taking to the streets to vent out their frustration at the expense of the life and property of their fellow citizens. These protestors do not spare anything they get their hold on, whether it is a motorbike or a car, whether it is a shop or a traffic signal. They make sure that either it is turned into ashes or destroyed beyond repair.

This time a gauntlet has been picked up by Tehrik e Labaik Pakistan(TLP) who have specialized in blocking roads, causing discomfort to the people and using obscene language which is contrary to the teachings of our Holy Prophet (S.A.W). Their demands include severing diplomatic ties with Netherlands if strict action is not taken against the culprits, until then a protest will be staged. It is noteworthy that Foreign Office of Pakistan has already conveyed its reservations and in response the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has distanced his government from the caricature contest.

The problem is that before embarking on a spree of destruction we forget that Islam literally means peace and the life spent by our Prophet(S.A.W) is the perfect embodiment of that, we should take a leaf out of our Prophet’s book as that will be useful for us in this ephemeral world and in the perpetual life hereafter.

However, the international community also needs to realize that the right to swing one’s arm ends where other man’s nose begins. There have been instances where laws have been implemented for sensitive issues like the Holocaust, it states that anyone who denies the genocide by Nazi regime or uses Nazi symbols or is associated with such elements can be tried in 16 European countries and Israel.

The query arises that why such a law is not being introduced for trouble mongers who are playing with fire and antagonizing the followers of other religions. The answer is simple, the Muslim countries do not have the collective clout which is required to get the things done on their terms in the international arena and other nations are under no obligation to entertain such demands by an organization like the Organization of Islamic Cooperation(OIC).

If we actually wanted to stop other from disrespecting our beliefs then we need to consider the fact that we have to be economically strong and have control over trade, we have to be politically strong to influence other countries and organizations, we need to advance technologically so that nations rely on our products and expertise. Burning down our own house out of exasperation is not an option anymore. I hope and pray that saner minds would come forward this time and steer the nation out of this quagmire.

The writer is freelance columnist

Published in Daily Times, August 30^th 2018.