Central Chief of Jamaat Ahle-Sunnat Pakistan Allama Mazhar Saeed Kazmi has announced to hold demonstrations across the country on Friday to protest against a Florida church's pastor's plan to burn the copies of Holy Quran on September 11, the day New York's World Trade Centre was attacked nine years ago. He said, "We would organise peaceful demonstrations across the country after Friday prayers to register our protest at global level against this mischievous act."
Leaders of the Tehrik-i-Hurmat-i-Rasool (THR) alleged that the US was backing the pastor, and in case the unholy plan was not dropped nobody would be able to guarantee peace in the world. The announcement regarding Friday's protests was made jointly by the THR leaders including Maulana Amir Hamza, Hafiz Akif Saeed, Allama Ahmed Ali Kasuri, Allama Zubair Ahmed Zaheer, Dr Farid Paracha, Maulana Muhammad Shafi Josh, Hafiz Abdul Ghafffar Ropri, Maulana Amjad Khan, Syed Nau Behar Shah, Allama Ghazanfar Ali Kararvi, Qari Muhammad Yaqub, Maulana Saifuddin Saif, Maulana Muhammad Yousaf Ahrar, Hafiz Khalid Waleed and Maulana Muhammad Asim Makhdoom.
The THR leaders urged the Islamic countries to close down the embassies of the states whose nationals had published cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). All expediencies should be set aside for the sake of the honour of the last Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), they said.
They said every Muslim would work to preserve the honour of the Prophet (PBUH) and become Ghazi Ilmdin Shaheed, a Muslim who killed a Hindu for using derogatory language for the Prophet (PBUH). Multan Bishop, Dr Andrew Franscis said while talking to newsmen here on Thursday the pastor was a fanatic, already disowned by the entire Christian community. He condemned his plan and said the Muslims should not think that the Christians backed his plan.