Friday (January 23, 2015) was celebrated as “Youm-e-Azamat-e-Mustafa” throughout the world including Pakistan on the appeal of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI). The religious scholars delivered sermons on the subject of ‘Azmat-e-Mustaf (PBUH)’ in Friday congregations. Peaceful rallies were taken out in all district headquarters of the country against sacrilegious caricatures on the appeal of MQI. The people belonging to all walks of life including women, children and the elderly attended these rallies.

Minhaj-ul-Quran Ulama Council took out ‘Azmat-e-Mustafa (PBUH)’ rally in Lahore from Kot Lakhpat to Chungi Amer Sidhu against blasphemous caricatures. The rally, led by Allama Syed Farhat Hussain Shah, was attended by hundreds of people including leaders of PAT, MYL, MWL and MSM. The rally turned into a public meeting at the concluding venue. The participants of the rally were carrying placards and banners with anti-caricatures slogans written on them. They called for effective role of world bodies to put an end to such heinous practices. They also condemned the passive attitude of the rulers of the Muslim countries.

Addressing the participants of the rally, Allama Syed Farhat Hussain Shah said that the international institutions mandated to maintain world peace have failed to discharge their duty in this regard. He said that their silence on such sensitive matters says a lot about their double standards besides raising serious questions regarding their motives and the very charter they pledge to abide by. He said that the emotions of the Muslims have been hurt time and again. He regretted all so-called human rights organizations and NGOs that speak on top of their voices at even small instances are totally absent from the scene. He said that the Muslims are angry all over the world, saying that if such evil practices were not stopped, it could seriously damage world peace. He impressed upon the government of Pakistan to benefit from the letter Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri has written to world leaders and contact the world community for fashioning a shared strategy to put an end to recurrence of this horrible practice.

Allama Farhat Hussain Shah presented a five-point agenda on the occasion, which included:

1. We condemn the publication of sacrilegious caricatures in the French magazine.
2. Such incidents are a conspiracy to play followers of one community against another and a threat to sabotage the international peace.
3. We urge upon the UN and human rights organizations to undertake effective legislation without any delay to stop such incidents from being repeated.
4. Blasphemy of founders of religions should be declared as a crime at international level. The government should benefit from the letter of Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri and contact the world community in this regard.
5. We urge upon the government of France and the world community to proceed against all those involved in this act for violating UN charter, and fundamental human rights. They should be tried under terrorism charges so that no one has the courage to indulge in such activity again.