Maulvi Nigar, Lynched For Blasphemy, Found Innocent; False Blasphemy Accusation Persists In Pakistan, With Clerics Sharing Equal Blame
By
New Age Islam Staff Writer
5 August
2023
The Holy
Qur'an Commands Muslims To Have A Proper Investigation, But Emotional Muslims
Often Ignore This Instruction
Main
Points
1. Blasphemy
charges in Pakistan are often falsely reported for personal gain, affecting the
emotions of ordinary people.
2. Pakistan
faces a dire situation with miscreants and fake clerics inciting hostility and
evading chaos.
3. Islamic
Shari'ah prohibits torturing or falsely accusing someone of blasphemy;
Pakistani mob disobeys rules, while clerics are also responsible for the
widespread practice.
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Maulvi
Nigar Alam
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Maulvi
Nigar Alam, who was accused of blasphemy and lynched, has recently been found
innocent. At a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) event on May 8 at Sawal Dher,
Mardan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, he spoke in favour of a local
PTI representative. The Maulvi, who was covered in a turban and had a long
beard, said a few words out of the blue that led to the accusation of blasphemy
and decided his fate. A short while afterwards, Maulvi Nigar was beaten to
death by the mob. On social media, the video of the incident went viral. This
incident was unlike past blasphemy cases because it involved a person who
appeared to be religious and who said something that the masses perceived as
blasphemous.
A Jirga in
the area decided on Wednesday, a few months after the incident, that Nigar's
lynching was unlawful and in violation of Islamic law and that his family
should be granted Diyat. Targets of 104 cases included Sawaldhir residents;
some of them were detained, while others were released on bond. The guilty
parties will pay Rs4.5 million in blood money (Diyat) to help the children of
Maulvi Nigar Alam, the Jirga decided on Wednesday. The family did keep Rs3.5
million nevertheless, and they also handed Rs1 million to the Jirga. The Jirga
members stressed that Nigar should have been turned over to the police rather
than tortured while also accepting his culpability. The victim's family
personally pardoned the accused after the conviction was unanimous. Local Qazi
Maulana Idris highlighted the need to stop engaging in disruptive provocations
going forward. Ali Gohar, the brother of the deceased, commended the Jirga
leaders for their efforts in restoring order and demonstrating Maulvi Nigar
Alam's innocence.
What a
piece of cake it is to declare Maulvi Nigar Alam, who was murdered in Mardan
for "blasphemy," innocent. The scholars of the Jirga contended that
the victim's charge of blasphemy was unfounded. JUI (F) Maulvi Irfanullah, a
political rival of the deceased who also incited violence, levelled this
charge. Maulvi Irfanullah has subsequently made amends by giving money to the
relatives of the dead, nevertheless.
Innocence Declared: Maulvi Nigar Alam’s Case Resolved in Jirga/ Photo:
Tribal News Network
-----
Most
blasphemy charges in Pakistan are falsely reported and done so for personal
gain. In these situations, the emotions of regular people are manipulated.
Given that the accusers are mostly Muslims, it is considered that the assertion
is true. They make it difficult for the accused to survive because they assume
the accuser is guilty. The Holy Qur'an makes it clear that you must properly
investigate any report that you receive, but emotional Muslims choose not to
heed these instructions.
Amjad
Abbas, a Pakistani civilian, claims that he recalls clerics frequently
referring to Asia Maryam as "cursed" during a National Unilateral
Council meeting. He questioned why she was cursed. They claimed that she had
blasphemed. He then questioned them, "Have you heard the words of
blasphemy yourself?" They rejected it. “How can you confidently say that
to her”, he said to them.
The Maulvi
whose incendiary remarks led to the murder of former governor Salman Taseer
afterwards filed an affidavit claiming to have no connection to the matter.
Currently, Maulvi Irfanullah, who incited the mob to lynch Maulvi Nagar, has
apologized to the deceased's heirs by paying lakhs of rupees. The sentimental
religious fanatics who believe the accusation to be real ought to consider
using their God-given intelligence and refusing to accept any accusation
without investigation and merely at the clerics' suggestion. They should not be
incited by the so-called Maulvis.
The
situation in Pakistan is quite bad because there are a lot of miscreants and
fake clerics who incite religious and sectarian hostility and then escape the
crowded streets when things go wrong.
The
controversial blasphemy law in Pakistan carries the death penalty for
blasphemy. Despite the fact that the majority of these claims are widely
believed to be untrue, there have nonetheless been countless cases of people
being killed by angry people as a result of these accusations. According to a
number of national and international human rights organisations, many people
use the accusation of blasphemy to settle interpersonal conflicts and
disagreements, and the country's minorities are likewise intimidated by this
law.
Islamic
Shari'ah forbids torturing someone or falsely accusing them of blasphemy.
However, the Pakistani mob has nothing to do with this restriction and disobeys
the fundamental rules of Islamic justice. Due to their failure to raise
awareness of this issue, clergy share equal blame for this widespread practise.
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