FIVE Pakistanis – four of them teenagers – are in prison this weekend following allegations by Muslim radicals that they had written the “prophet” Muhammad’s name in the bog of mosque in the Punjab.
Members of the Ahmadi sect of Islam, the five were arrested last week for allegedly “desecrating” the name of Muhammad.
If you're going to 'desecrate' Mo in a lavvie, do it properly
Given that two of the accused are Muhammads, it is difficult to see how anyone can prove that it was the name of Big Mo that was scrawled on the lavvy walls, and not the name of the boys – or for that matter, the name of around half the population of Pakistan.
That aside, the accused are not members of the Gulzare Madina mosque, and live nowhere near it. So how come they ended up in the slammer?
Because militant rug-butters threatened to riot if they weren’t banged up!
According to this report, a complaint was made to the police by a Mr Liaquat, who reported seeing the name of Muhammad on the walls of the mosque toilet in five different places. Liaquat concluded that the graffiti must have been a deed of an Ahmadi sect member A Mr Shahbaz, a government school teacher and a leader of the anti-Ahmadi sect movement, agreed that this was probably the case.
Shabaz then blamed the four students – three aged 14 and one aged 16 – claiming that the graffiti was written under the instruction of Mubashar Ahmed, 45, the adult accused. No evidence was gathered, and no investigation done before the five were arrested.
The accused were taken from their houses on the night of January 28 and placed custody. Raiding police officials told their families that they would just be detained for 24 hours to appease a number of Muslim fundamentalists, who had recently renewed the long-waged ideological assault on members of the Ahmadi, a minority sect of Islam (also known as the Qadiani). Members claim to be Muslim, but constitutionally are not recognised as pukka Muslims in Pakistan because they follow the “wrong” prophet.
Inspector Khalid Rauf, station head officer of Kot Sultan police station, Layyah district, said that police have still not initiated an investigation, and that the police do not know of any substantial evidence links the four students to the “crime”.
But after four hours in custody, charges were filed against all five under section 295-C, for desecrating the name of the “prophet”.
Family members were told that the police were under pressure from fundies to act against the five. The militants said that if the Ahmedis were not arrested, they would take matters into their own hands. They threatened to close down the whole city and attack the houses of Ahmedi sect members. Worried about civilian deaths, the police arrested and subsequently charged the five.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
February 2nd, 2009 at 12:03 am
Some people need to get over themselves. If “desecrating” a person’s name gets them that uptight they have real issues.
February 2nd, 2009 at 4:24 am
I think too it’s a sign of what truly nasty, repressed, hysterical little lives most Muslims really lead; anyone who has to persecute a small group of teenage boys because of some supposed and unproven slight can only be on the level of savages – and there’s no greater tool for keeping people savage and repressed than religion. It’s got to be the very worst idea, if you can even call it an idea, the human animal ever came up with, and yet the most effective for controlling the minds and actions of other people. truly terrible.
February 2nd, 2009 at 7:22 am
… it takes 4 teenagers, with an adult “instructing” them, to write a name on the wall of a toilet stall?
Doesn’t that sound wrong and crazy right from the start?
February 2nd, 2009 at 8:11 am
It’s wrong and crazy, but typical. This is what happens in a more ‘faith-driven’ society. Because different religious groups fight, especially when each regards the other as heretics. We often forget that Muslims are much more enthusiastic about killing each other in the name of religion than they are about killing Israelis or other Westerners. Of course, if we continue to merrily import sectarian Muslims this sort of thing will happen in the UK on a regular basis – if it isn’t happening already.
February 2nd, 2009 at 8:41 am
Ive desperately tried to come up with a reason for muslims not to kill each other but im stumped! It seems like a win, win situation to me! Perhaps this is the way forward for atheists / secularists. Start a rumour about one lot of nutters pretend its from a slightly different lot of nutters and Hey Presto! They wipe each other out!
February 2nd, 2009 at 10:04 am
Makes you wonder if this kind of thing goes on in the UK. I wonder what kind of pressure was put on by the fundies in the House Of Lords to prevent ‘Fitma’ being shown last week, for example?
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:19 pm
newspaniard. Is a ‘Fitma’ a bit like a MILF?
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Remigius: Sorry, finger trouble. I was referring to the Dutch MP Geert Wilders’ film ‘Fitna’.
Wot a MILF?
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:48 pm
newspaniard. A MILF is apparently a female person of the opposite sex who, having spawned and has raised those children, is still easy on the eye, and one who you would not necessarily object to having a shallow, but meaningful relationship with, albeit briefly.
And usually in the garden whilst hubby and the kids are away!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_I‘d_like_to_fuck_(MILF)
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:59 pm
And if Victoria’s lurking we’re gonna get another slap!