LAHORE: Various religious and political parties observed Thursday as protest day against Facebook while traders, lawyers, students and people from other walks of life also held demonstrations against the website for holding blasphemous contest.
A rally was held by Jamaatud Dawa. Its participants marched from Charing Cross on The Mall up to the local press club. They raised slogans against the US, Denmark and Norway and also burnt flags of these countries.
Various speakers urged the people to make preparations for ‘physical jihad’ as resolutions and rallies would not stop the West from committing blasphemous acts.
They urged rulers of other Muslim countries to completely ban the website like Pakistan and sever diplomatic ties with the states found involved in helping and protecting the blasphemers. They also called for a complete boycott of the products of these countries.
They also appealed to the people to observe Friday (today) as protest day.
The Sunni Tehrik held a demonstration outside the press club and announced that it would hold a country-wide protest on May 23 against profane cartoons.
Meanwhile, an informal meeting of the opposition in Punjab Assembly here on Thursday condemned blasphemous caricatures and also submitted a resolution with the assembly secretariat to formally raise the issue on the floor of the house.
LHCBA: A general house meeting of the Lahore High Court Bar Association passed a resolution on Thursday demanding the government to move International Court of Justice (ICJ) against blasphemous cartoons.
The legal fraternity also observed a strike to protest a competition of blasphemous caricatures hosted by Facebook, a social networking website, which had been blocked in the country on the LHC orders.
The lawyers boycotted the courts after 10am and did not attend court proceedings.
LHCBA Secretary Babar Murtaza Khan said the lawyers welcomed the LHC decision of blocking the website. He said every Muslim could go to any extent for the respect of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him).
He demanded the government should ensure implementation of the court decision of blocking the website in letter and spirit.
The Lahore Bar Association also held its general house session and appreciated LHC decision of banning the Facebook.
LBA President Sajid Bashir, addressing the lawyers, said anti-Muslim elements were trying to prove the Muslims as extremists by instigating them by repeatedly raising the caricatures issue. By banning the website Pakistan gave them a strong message, he added.
He urged the international media to take up the issue and try to convince the West to avoid playing with religious sentiments of the Muslims.
Source: Dawn
Date:5/21/2010
