Islamabad - Peaceful Rally to Condemn Communal Riots in Gujra

Islamabad: July 07, 2009, (PCTV reporter: Basharat Masih)

Christian and Muslim religious leaders jointly organized a peaceful rally with Jamat-e-Islami against the brutal incident of Gujra, on 7th July 2009 from China Choke to GEO Office to show their solidarity and condemn these atrocities in which Eight Christians lost their lives, more than 100 houses were blazed, damaged and robbed.  Prominent people from all walks of life participated in the rally. Those organizations who strongly protested included:

• Jammat-e-Islamie
• Christian Study Center -Rawalpindi
• Women Action-Rawalpindi-Islamabad
• Church Mission Society-Islamabad
• Christian youth leaders -Islamabad
• PUNK- Islamabad
• PATAN Organization -Islamabad
• DOER Trust -Islamabad
• Caritas -Rawalpindi
• QADAM-Islamabad
• National Commission for Justice and Peace-Rawalpindi

Father Rahmat, Mullana Anayat Shakar, Rev. Nadeem, Mian Aslam, and Mehboob Sada led the rally. Participants were chanting slogan demanding for justice and demanding the arrest of culprits and bring them to the justice. Rev. Nadeem said the prayer for the peace in the country and for the families of deceased in the incident.

Addressing the rally Mian Aslam condemned this heinous incident in which 8 people lost their lives and community had suffered a lot in these atrocities. He said that administration is responsible for these incidents. He demanded to arrest the culprits and bring them to justice and administration should be asked for this negligence.

Sarwar Bari from PATAN organization addressing the rally said we as Pakistani need to consider all those factors which are promoting intolerance in the society and religious extremism is one of these. Religious extremists are more organized and more powerful and have shocked the mind of our society. Killing in the name of religion is common and growing. He said discriminatory laws introduced during Zia’s regime are frequently been used to take personal grudges. Civil society should raise the voice for the repeal of all these discriminatory laws.

He condemned the incident of Gujra and said that we are sad and stand side by side with our brother and sister in this sad moment. He demanded the immediate repeal of these black laws.

Zarina Salamat from women action Rawalpindi -Islamabad also addressed the rally and said that women and children were tortured and it is sham for the all that a small group religious extremism have strong clutches over the society. We should stand against them to root out religious extremisms from the society. She condemned incident and demanded to arrest all those who making announcement from the mosque and hatred speech. Constitution of Pakistan ensures their rights and administration should ensure to protect the rights of religious minorities in Pakistan. However, one of the activists of Jamait-e-Islami got emotional and made speech to defend discriminatory laws.

Mullana Anayat Shakar condemned the atrocities carried out on Christians of Gujra and said that Muslim Community is deeply sad and shocked over this brutal incident and said condolences for the those families of those deceased in the incident . He said that administration is responsible for this demand the arrest and punish culprits and support and government should provide full support for the rehabilitation of this community.

Incident of Gujra has shocked all of us and we urged our government to repeal the discriminatory laws and ensure the rights of all the citizens of Pakistan, said Fr. Rahmat Hakam while addressing the rally. We are united and have the mutual respected for all the religions and have faith to serve our country.