Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has demanded of the United Nations and international community to declare blasphemy as a globally cognisable crime. Addressing the Ishq-e-Rasool Conference here on Friday, the Prime Minister said that if denying the Holocaust was a crime, then was it not fair and legitimate for Muslims to demand that denigrating and demeaning Islam's holiest personality was no less a crime?
The government observed Yaume Ishq-e-Rasool day to condemn a sacrilegious film against Holy Prophet (PBUH). "We are demanding that the United Nations and other international organisations seek a law that bans such hate speech aimed at fomenting hatred and sowing the seeds of discord through such falsehoods," he said, adding that this act was a grave violation of all basic norms of humanity, international law, inter-faith harmony and UN conventions on religious freedom, tolerance and civilised conduct.
The Prime Minister said that the anger, anguish and hurt is even more deep after the discovery that this was a deliberate, premeditated act of mischief-mongers based on bias, hatred and prejudice. He said he would like to convey the sentiments of the people of Pakistan to the world at large that Holy Prophet (PBUH) is paramount to the principles of our great faith of peace, tolerance and harmony and central to the beliefs of Muslims.
The Prime Minister said that an attack on the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was an attack on the core belief of 1.5 billion Muslims, which was totally unacceptable to them. He said that Muslim faith remains incomplete without total devotion and reverence to Prophet (PBUH) and sentiments expressed by the people of Pakistan on the blasphemous movie was their justified right.
"Let me make it absolutely clear that this is not about freedom of expression, this is more about hatred, and it also demonstrates blatant double-standards," he said, adding that he appreciated those in the international community who joined Muslims in condemning this outrage. Raja Pervez Ashraf said that President Asif Ali Zardari would convey sentiments and views of the people of Pakistan and the entire Ummah at the UN General Assembly next week. He said that the government was co-ordinating with other Muslim countries in this regard, adding that such blasphemy was nothing short of hate speech, equal to worst kind of bigotry. The Prime Minister urged the nation to protest in a peaceful manner without causing harm or damage to life and to property.