PESHAWAR/NOWSHERA: People belonging to different walks of life on Monday held rallies to condemn French government’s support to provocation against Islam and urged all Muslims to boycott French goods and show their love with Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

In Peshawar, the traders set on fire French flag and chanted slogans against the French government and said that provocative activities and hate speeches against Islam were not freedom of expression.

“Promoting hate against any religion or community isn’t freedom of speech,” said the protesters. They asked government to sever diplomatic ties with France.

Traders Alliance Peshawar president Mujeebur Rehman said that publishing blasphemous caricatures in France caused serious unrest among the Muslims. Such hatch activities were meant to create hatred on basis of religion, he added.

Rallies condemn blasphemous cartoons

“We have announced complete boycott of the French products and people are ready to offer all kinds of sacrifices for the honour of our Prophet Muhammad,” said Mr Rehman. He urged government to cut diplomatic relations with France.

Some other traders including Shaukatullah Hamdard, Mohammad Shaukat, Zafar Hameed Minhas and Mian Mohammad Akhtar also spoke on the occasion.

Another procession was taken out at Kohati Gate under the aegis of Anjuman-i-Tableegh Quran wa Sunnat.

Maulana Zegham Habib, Maulana Khawar Sufyan, Maulana Hussian Ahmad Madni and Maulana Shah Mohammad addressed the rally.

They said that blasphemous cartoons caused serious unrest among the Muslims. They asked the French government to seek apology for hurting the sentiments of Muslims across the world.

Meanwhile, Jamaat-i-Islami women wing central general secretary Durdana Siddiqui, provincial chief Inayat Amin, Peshawar district chief Yasmeen Bano in a joint statement also condemned French government for supporting campaign against Islam.

The JI women leaders said that publishing blasphemous cartoons under government support unveiled the ugly face of French leadership. They urged Muslim Ummah to forge unity and take unified stand against the Zionist forces for hurting sentiments of Muslims.

Tehreek-i-Labaik Pakistan provincial chief Dr Mohammad Shafiq Amini also condemned the French government. In a statement, he urged United Nations to intervene and stop such tactics.

In Nowshera, Jamaat-i-Islami organised a protest rally against the publication of blasphemous cartoons in France and demanded of the government to take solid action in this regard. The rally was led by Maulana Hidayatullah, Rifatullah, Dr Attaullah Awan and Iftikhar Khan.

The rally started from the JI office and after passing through different roads reached Kutchehri Chowk. The participants of the rally said that French president encouraged the ugly act under pretext of freedom of expression.

They chanted slogans against the French government. They demanded of the government to close French embassy in Islamabad and end trade and diplomatic relations with France.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2020