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Pakistan: Mosque named for killer of foe of blasphemy law so popular it’s enlarging

May 2, 2014 7:08 pm By Robert Spencer

Mumtaz Qadri“People love Mumtaz Qadri. More and more people want to offer their prayers in this mosque.” Mumtaz Qadri is beloved because he murdered Salman Taseer, a Pakistani politician who opposed Pakistan’s blasphemy law, which has destroyed the lives of countless numbers of innocent people, and is an ongoing outrage to human dignity and human rights. When people start talking about how Pakistan is “moderate” and a reliable ally of the United States, tell them about the Mumtaz Qadri mosque.

“Pakistan mosque built to honour politician’s killer to double in size,” by Jon Boone, The Guardian, April 30, 2014 (thanks to Ravi):

A mosque named in honour of the killer of a politician who called for the reform of Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws is proving so popular it is raising funds to double its capacity.

The modest concrete building in the scruffy suburb of the Pakistani capital is named after Mumtaz Qadri, a former police bodyguard who in 2011 murdered Salaman Taseer, the governor of Punjab province whom he was supposed to be protecting.

Taseer had incurred public wrath by voicing support for Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman who had been sentenced to death for allegedly insulting the prophet Muhammad.

Mohammad Ashfaq Sabri, the prayer leader in charge of the mosque, said yesterday he needed to expand to keep up with demand.

“People love Mumtaz Qadri,” he told the Guardian. “More and more people want to offer their prayers in this mosque.”

The £7,500 they hope to raise will create a new prayer hall on the roof so that the 500 worshippers who regularly come for Friday prayers will no longer have to spill out on to the dusty lane outside in Islamabad’s VIP Ghori Town.

Qadri is celebrated for emptying a magazine of bullets into the back of Taseer outside a coffee shop in an upmarket shopping district of the capital on a winter’s day three years ago. Taseer had enraged many by describing Pakistan’s antiquated blasphemy legislation as a “black law”.

On Wednesday morning, one man among a handful offering prayers in the carpeted prayer hall said it would be unthinkable to alter laws he said were essential for protecting Islam from abuse.

“Everyone gives Mumtaz Qadri respect,” said Ali Haider, a 27-year-old who runs a nearby mobile phone shop. “He was prepared to protect his religion and any one of us would have done the same.”

It is a view widely held in Pakistan. When Qadri appeared in court after the killing, lawyers showered him with rose petals, while the judge who sentenced him to death had to flee the country.

The plot on which the mosque was built was donated by Taji Khokhar, a wealthy developer, Sabri said. With such widespread public support for Qadri, even those who regard the incident as an especially horrifying example of Pakistan’s slide into religious intolerance have learned to keep quiet.

Today, few dare to discuss publicly the many problems of the blasphemy laws, which include the difficulty of examining evidence in court for fear of repeating a blasphemous statement, and the ease with which malicious allegations can be made.

Although the mosque was built three years ago, it attracted comment only this week from Pakistan’s tiny caste of liberals after a resident highlighted its existence on Twitter. The news of Masjid (mosque) Mumtaz Qadri comes shortly after it was discovered that another Islamabad mosque – the infamous Lal Masjid – had named a small library after Osama bin Laden. Abdul Aziz, the high-profile mullah in charge, has publicly defenced the Pakistani Taliban, with whom he shares the aim of introducing strict Sharia law.

How willfully ignorant is the Guardan? This willfully ignorant:

But whereas Aziz follows the austere Deobandi school of Islam ,which [sic] critics say fosters extremism and intolerance, the worshippers at the Qadri mosque are Barelvis, a branch of the religion heavily influenced by Sufi mysticism and generally considered a force for moderation and tolerance.

Yes, they’re clearly such a force for moderation and tolerance that they’re revering the murderer of a man who opposed the blasphemy law that has victimized countless numbers of innocent Christians and Muslims.

Some counter-extremism experts have even argued for Barelvism to be quietly supported by western powers to help it deal with the growing challenge from Deobandis and other radical sects, which are growing in popularity in Pakistan. Only a few weeks ago Sabri attended a large demonstration in Lahore against the Taliban.

That wouldn’t be any less stupid and short-sighted than anything else the Western powers are doing, so why not?

Recently debate has raged over whether the army should be sent to clear militants out of their sanctuaries on the Afghan border, with firebrand clerics on the religious right staunchly opposed.

Sabri said the operation should have happened a long time ago. Although he regards Qadri as a hero, he believes the Taliban campaign of violence against both civilians and government forces cannot be condoned.

“That way of doing things is completely wrong,” he said.

Indeed. Stealth jihad by means of intimidation of the Western powers does the trick without violence.

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Filed Under: blasphemy, Pakistan Tagged With: featured


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Comments

  1. Angemon says

    May 2, 2014 at 7:17 pm

    “A mosque named in honour of the killer of a politician who called for the reform of Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws is proving so popular it is raising funds to double its capacity.”

    Can’t wait for the attendance rate of the mosque named after the gay serial killer.

  2. Veracious_one says

    May 2, 2014 at 7:41 pm

    Pakistanis just continue to show their true colors….

    • mortimer says

      May 3, 2014 at 9:37 am

      We who read these news items are aware. Somehow, we need to get the news to those who don’t want to see.

  3. UK says

    May 2, 2014 at 8:14 pm

    Correction, islam just continues to show its true colors

  4. John Spielman says

    May 2, 2014 at 8:45 pm

    Islam sanctifies murder. More proof that Islam is a doctrine of demons

  5. jihad3tracker says

    May 2, 2014 at 9:32 pm

    Have you ever wondered about the REAL RELIGION of that guy who lives in the White House ?

    Watch this, and then pass the hotlink on to EVERYONE important in your life, and to all elected representatives ( OF BOTH PARTIES ) that you possibly can contact….

  6. Gargoyles says

    May 3, 2014 at 3:19 am

    Blasphemy, the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for a religious deity or the irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things, or toward something considered sacred or inviolable.

    The Pakistani Muslim guy in the picture above is proud to have killed the blasphemer of Islam, and his countrymen have honored him by naming a mosque after him and now want to further expand it!

    Now no Pakistani Muslim will dare to criticize or blaspheme Islam or Mohammed. Okay then, good luck reforming Islam in Pakistan, folks. Then again, they might actually learn to enjoy the sight of blood and the smells of death as they re-created 7th century Arabia and apply the laws of sharia.

    • mortimer says

      May 3, 2014 at 9:38 am

      Sharia law allows ANYONE to murder a blasphemer without any punishment.

  7. duh_swami says

    May 3, 2014 at 7:38 am

    Pakistan mosque built to honour politician’s killer

    Oh no…Turning a mosque into a shrine honoring someone other than Allah is haram isn’t it? Who are you supposed to worship and pray to Allah or the human the shrine exalts? The Saudi’s bulldozed ancient building in Mecca because they didn’t want them turning into shrines.
    I don’t think Allah is going to like this when he finds out.

    • john spielman says

      May 3, 2014 at 8:49 am

      yes, I agree especially when you see Mumtaz’s smug self righteous pose after killing an innocent man.
      The only thing that reassures me is that Allah is NOT GOD but Satan and when Mumtaz dies and stands before the one true GOD on the Day of Judgment, he will face the full wrath of God.

  8. mortimer says

    May 3, 2014 at 9:40 am

    Saddam Hussein only used Christian bodyguards. He never trusted Muslims to protect his life.

  9. David says

    May 3, 2014 at 11:25 am

    This will be Britain in 10 years , they already have blasphemy laws there.

    • fiwi says

      May 3, 2014 at 1:19 pm

      Britain does NOT have blasphemy laws. I don’t know where you got that nonsense from

      • Salah says

        May 3, 2014 at 1:37 pm

        http://www.jihadwatch.org/2014/05/sharia-uk-two-women-in-court-for-tearing-up-quran-at-soccer-match

      • Mirren10 says

        May 3, 2014 at 3:51 pm

        A rose by any other name …

        The hate speech laws function exactly the same as blasphemy laws, and are used in the same way.

        Paul Weston, leader of Liberty GB, has been arrested for quoting Winston Churchill’s comments on islam.

        Wake up mate.

  10. holybacon says

    May 3, 2014 at 12:01 pm

    And we worry about Iran – Pakistan has nuclear weapons. They are the most dangerous country to world peace.

  11. Westward Ho says

    May 3, 2014 at 3:39 pm

    i tried to post the best piece i ever read on the reason why there are no moderate muslims speaking about the atrocities carried out in the name of their faith. I tried once and will give it a last shot.

    http://islamsfatalflaw.blogspot.in/

  12. jewdog says

    May 3, 2014 at 3:55 pm

    Moderation and extremism are relative terms, subject to cultural norms. In Pakistan, a moderate is someone who wants to kill blasphemers and an extremist is someone who tolerates blasphemers. In Britain, a moderate is someone who refuses to blaspheme against Islam, and an extremist is someone who blasphemes Islam. If you think about it, Britain is becoming moderate like Pakistan.

  13. Guest says

    May 3, 2014 at 6:39 pm

    I’m going to mention something that might seem superficial, but I’ve been noticing it for years: many pictures of these aggressive muslim men with their scraggly beards, grumpy and frightening expressions, weight issues (often) and messy outfits are just plain HIDEOUS. Is that why they essentially need to force women into relationships via arranged marriage or even ‘right hand’ posession?

    To any muslims reading this: why do you let your religion make you so unattractive? Reconsider the belief that any attractiveness in women and men is somehow a sin. Instead, looking tidy, healthy and well-groomed are a pleasant contribution to a civilised society and shouldn’t set women, or men, up for sexual harassment.

    • jihad3tracker says

      May 4, 2014 at 9:54 am

      Hello Guest —

      Thanks for your comment here, and I agree that appearance is not unrelated to personal conduct.

      But if you have not already done this, read deeply into Mr. Spencer’s website here to learn what Islam’s view is of women.

      You will find that they are essentially seen as inferior to men, and with Qur’anic justification to be used however men want to exploit them.

      This came from a 7th Century warrior — Muhammed himself — in the severe conditions of a desert.

      Females, even pre-adolescent like his wife 9- year- old Aisha, were the source of new life which could then become fighters as well; women were also a source of sexual release for men, by rape.

      And Muhammed — by his brilliant design of Islam’s structure — ensured that this “belief system” would never evolve into modernity.

  14. gravenimage says

    May 4, 2014 at 11:21 pm

    Pakistan: Mosque named for killer of foe of blasphemy law so popular it’s enlarging
    ……………………………..

    This tells you a *great deal* about Islam—pious Muslims consider an assassin holy for murdering a peaceful man who dared to just suggest that Pakistan’s blasphemy law *should be reviewed*.

    In Islam, no one may question Islamic savagery—and those who violently enforce such Shari’ah strictures are respected and virtually worshipped. *Ugh*.

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