The News - ISLAMABAD/ISTANBUL/WASHINGTON: Following the ban on Facebook over a competition of blasphemous caricatures the government on Thursday blocked many websites including the popular video-sharing YouTube in Pakistan in a bid to stop the flow of blasphemous material amid countrywide protests.
Thousands of protesters belonging to all walks of life took to the roads and main avenues in different cities throughout the country to protest the competition of blasphemous caricatures of the holy Prophet (SAW) on the Facebook on Thursday.
A Turkish computer hacker, meanwhile, destroyed scores of websites having links to blasphemous caricatures. The hacker named himself cyber warrior and described himself as a citizen of Turkey. Many the protest and have warned the facebook administration of severe consequences.
An American cartoonist whose work inspired the controversial “blasphemous contest” on Facebook has condemned the effort and issued an apology to Muslims. Molly Norris, of Seattle, drew a cartoon in April to protest the decision by the US TV channel Comedy Central to cancel an episode of the popular show “South Park” over blasphemy. Norris, writing on her website at mollynorris.com, said she had nothing to do with the “blasphemous contest”.
“I never started a Facebook page; I never set up any place for people to send drawings and I never received any drawings,” she said. After blocking the Facebook, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) also blocked the popular video sharing website Youtube.
The PTA directed Internet service providers to stop access to Facebook because of an online competition to draw the blasphemous caricatures of the holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Hundreds of people from different walks of life staged demonstrations in every nook and corner of the country to protest the move.
In Islamabad, religiousleaders issued a decree calling for the killing of the blasphemous cartoonist. In Rawalpindi, hundreds of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Women Wing activists staged a protest demonstration. They demanded of the government to end economic and diplomatic relations with all those countries who were involved in the heinous crime.
The protest was led by JI Nazima Rawalpindi Iffat Sajjad as the rally was held outside Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club (RIPC). The protest demonstration was participated by JI Naib Nazima Punjab Kausar Perven, member Markaz-e-Shoora Rukhsana Ghaznafar, Nazima Rawal Town Gull Jan Haroon and hundreds of other women including children.
The protesters were holding placards, banners inscribed with slogans, “We will accept death in slavery of Prophet (SAW), the competitors are the real terrorists”, “and we love our Prophet (SAW) more than our forefathers”. “We regret the competition of blasphemous caricatures”, “We will sacrifice our lives for the honour of Prophet (SAW)”.
Later, the participants dispersed peacefully. Students, religious and political parties, traders and people from various schools of thought continued protest against the contest of blasphemous caricatures on Facebook website in Punjab capital Lahore.
Islami Jamiat Tulaba (IJT) following the call by its Nazim-e-Aala, staged protest rallies at the Punjab University, Islamia College and Science College Wahdat Road. The students of King Edward Medical University staged a demonstration against the website which was attended by a large number of the students.
Meanwhile, Jamiat Ulema Pakistan, Tahffuz Namoos-e-Risalat Mahaz, Anti Facebook Movement, Muhammadia Students Movement, International Tanzim-e-Ahle Sunnat and Muttahida Tehrik-e-Khatum-e Nubuwat Committee staged protest demos in front of the Lahore Press Club and Punjab Assembly.
The traders of the Mall also organized a protest demo at the Regal Chowk against the Facebook. The protesters condemned the website for conducting the contest of drawing blasphemous caricatures.
They were chanting slogans against the blasphemous caricatures and the countries involved in promoting this shameful act on the “Facebook”.
Hassan Bin Salman Butt IJT PU Nazim, Adnan Ahmed IJT New Campus Nazim and others while addressing the participants urged the students and the whole nation to forge unity and express solidarity in condemning the shameful and derogatory act of the managers of website.
The lawyers community also observed strike on the Punjab Bar Council’s call against blasphemous caricature on website “Facebook”.The lawyers completely boycotted the court proceedings in civil and session courts whereas lawyers did not attend the court proceedings in the Lahore High Court after 10.30 am.
Secretary Lahore High Court Bar association Babar Murtaza Khan in a statement appreciated LHC’s decision to ban Facebook in Pakistan and appealed to the government to implement the decision in letter and spirit.
Earlier, the social, religious, NGOs and CSOs of Sialkot have announced to observe the Friday as a protest day as a protest against the website facebook for publishing the blasphemous caricatures against the Holy Prophet (SAW). The Ulema will condemn this nasty practice in Jumma sermons, besides, passing several condemnation resolutions.
Earlier, the blasphemous caricatures on `facebook website sparked protests in Multan and other parts of Southern Punjab.A large number of women and children organised a rally to vent their anger over the blasphemy. Students of BZU University and women of NGOs and religious parties, students, traders, labour organisations staged protest demonstrations demanding a permanent ban on facebook.
They burnt the flags of USA and Sweden and staged sit-in. The students sat on the road in scorching heat to block traffic and chanted slogans against the website operator and demanded of the young generation to boycott the said website.
Female students of different institutions took out a rally in this regard from their college and went up to Abdali road. Students were carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the website operators and demanded the government to ban the said website.
In Quetta, thousands of activists of Islami Jamiat-e-Tulba Balochistan chapter took out a rally against the planned contest of blasphemous caricatures on faceBook, demanding the UN and the OIC to take immediate notice of this heinous act.
The rally taken out from Jinnah road after marching main passages of the city culminated outside the press club where it turned into the big procession.Thousands of protestors, led by IJTP leaders, Noorudin, Amir Hussain and Asif Mengal were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the planned competition.
Addressing the rally, speakers termed the contest an open “cyber terrorism” and warned that no single Muslim would tolerate the competition at any cost.The speakers urged the Muslim that it is high time to be united against the oppressors.
Paying glaring regard to the Lahore High Court Judges, they said that it was historic measure that they did not compromise on this regard.Protest rallies were also held in the Peshawar and other major cities of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. The protestors also staged rallies and sit-ins in Karachi and other major cities of Sindh. The demonstrations were also held across Azad Kashmir.
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