Anwesha Dash, Pune
The clerics along with 12 others underwent investigations as they reportedly used mosque loudspeakers to call for protests and incite violence over the desecration of the Quran leading to riots in Jaranwala, Pakistan.
As per police reports, on 17th August 2023, mosques’ loudspeakers announced that a Quran had been desecrated by Christians and it was their duty to protest against it. “Better to die, if you don’t care about Islam”, echoed through a neighborhood in Pakistan as the cleric said these words to incite his followers.
Such declarations turned out to be fuel to the fire in a nation where blasphemy is a sensitive subject and a felony subject to the death sentence. The loudspeakers called-for demonstrations and descended into mob violence. As a result, rioters enraged by the cleric’s statements destroyed 19 churches, tore apart Bibles and ransacked Christian houses. Nearly 5000 individuals, many of whom came from several regions, penetrated the Jaranwala neighborhood and caused havoc in the local Christian communities.
Out of that huge chunk of people, 125 have been arrested, while the cleric and other 12 suspects are being investigated for provoking people into violence. Usman Anwar, Police Chief of Punjab, stated in an interview, “He’s not saying that go and burn their houses. But when the mob gathers, it’s really impossible to control that.” Mr. Anwar further adds that the cleric should have understood that gathering people in such a tense environment, is like adding fuel to the fire, where people are already very charged up about blasphemy.
As per Anwar, the roles of clerics and government are to ensure that harmony is maintained in society and religion isn’t misused. “The most important thing is that we, the Muslims, in this country, are going to become more tolerant. Once we are given the true message of Islam,” he stated in the interview.
Allegedly, negotiations and discussions between religious leaders led to a certain amount of tranquility in the fuel-filled situation.