The Ramazan transmission controversy where actor Faysal Quraishi turned his wrath against those committing blasphemy on the dark web was met with a divided reaction from netizens. Find out more here.
Faysal Quraishi Hosting Ramazan Transmission 2023
“The blasphemy law in Pakistan has been misused time and again to target minorities unjustly. It’s high time for the majority of Pakistanis to raise their voices and demand the removal of the blasphemy law. We, as minorities, are an integral part of this nation and deserve equal respect and protection.” Erica Robin expressed her love for Pakistan but a dire need to push forward change. “We love our country and are a vital part of it. It’s time for change.” Erica Robin, Miss Universe condemns the recent attack on a Christian man in Sargodha where his house and factory was set ablaze and he ultimately lost the fight for his life in hospital.
A prior episode, and disaster averted with ASP Sheherbano Naqvi saving a young woman who was wearing a shirt with Arabic calligraphy also sparked anger yet again pre-ramadan, to know more about blasphemy laws in Pakistan, scroll down!
Actor Faysal Quraishi has been hosting a Ramazan talk show on a local TV channel in Ramazan 2023 and holds debates on a variety of topics that might be pertinent to our society and the holy month of Ramazan. A recent programme discussed university students, a questionable essay question in an exam paper and progressed to blasphemy on the dark web. The debate was carried out along with a panel of religious experts where Faysal Quraishi and various panelists conversed about the ill effects of wrongs in our society, how the blasphemy law must be carried out and those who have committed it, meet with the harshest consequences. Parents of students were held responsible for not taking away their devices and also, poor parenting.
Dear Faysal Quraishi, Over 70 People In Pakistan Have Been Lynched By Angry Mobs Over Allegations Of Insulting Islam. They Never made It To the Courts.
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A backlash from netizens who watched the transmission resulted in a clip circulating where Faysal Quraishi is seen to be visibly upset over the activities of the alleged wrong doers.
Here is the clip from the programme on twitter
To sum up the story behind the story, the debate was carried out in anger and rage against those who could commit such heinous acts against any religion and that the wrong doers must be brought to task and be made a public example so that no one would attempt this act in future.
Now to explain further, Pakistan’s constitution has one of the strictest laws against blasphemy – punishable by death. But, although no case has yet lead to a judicial execution, over 70 people have been lynched by angry mobs in the streets because they have been accused of blasphemy.
Pakistan has the world’s second-strictest blasphemy laws after Iran. About 1,500 Pakistanis have been charged with blasphemy over the past three decades. In a case covered by the international media, Junaid Hafeez, a university lecturer, was sentenced to death on the charge of insulting the prophet on Facebook in 2019. His sentence has been under appeal.
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Although no executions have ever taken place, extrajudicial killings related to blasphemy have occurred in Pakistan. Since 1990, more than 70 people have been murdered by mobs and vigilantes over allegations of insulting Islam.
Hence, where it is imperative that our Faith must be protected from those who aim to vilify or desecrate it, we must also address the senseless and unfortunately tragic loss of lives through people taking the law into their own hands because, well, they felt they could, they felt they were handing out justice, they felt they were doing good, and they had listened to some cleric on national television who was so visibly shaken by accounts of blasphemy that his emotions overflowed onscreen to capture the hearts of all who look to them for religious guidance.
In short, if we did need to screen a program addressing blasphemy, would it not have been better to address the lives lost through misuse of the blasphemy law and educate the masses through a Ramazan transmission on how not to lynch a lone person or take a life that might, actually be innocent and that has not even received a fair judicial trial?
Blasphemy is no doubt, a very, very serious crime, but so is taking an innocent life. While our jails are full of people who have been accused of blasphemy (1500 or more), our graves are also full of untried human beings who died a pathetic death because, powerful rhetoric swayed them to take the law of the land into their own hands.
Our suggestion? The blasphemy law in Pakistan is one of the strictest in the world, hence, lets leave it to the courts to decide on an issue that has mostly if not always been decided on the streets!
Not only that, but minorities in Pakistan have it hard. Very hard.
From attempting to celebrate their festivals in an Islamic republic and being persecuted for it, to being wrongly accused of, and lynched for blasphemy.
You tell us, Mr. Faysal Quraishi, which agenda and topics of relevance need to take priority on your Ramazan transmission.
The actor has since, published a validation of his earlier programme, but we feel, he fails to see the damage he has done to the millions watching. The debate on the programme aired, pressed for capital punishment and that the courts were unable to hand out sentences to those languishing in jail, hinting at the fact that ordinary citizens are helpless when their religion is desecrated.
Blasphemy is no doubt, a very, very serious crime, but so is taking an innocent life. While our jails are full of people who have been accused of blasphemy, our graves are also full of untried human beings who died a pathetic death because, powerful rhetoric swayed them to take the law of the land into their own hands.
We rest our case when we think of the millions watching that Ramazan transmission portraying weeping clerics who were overwhelmed with emotion. Perhaps a programme on the misuse of the Blasphemy Law in Pakistan and commemorating those whose lives were taken senselessly by inviting their families or next of kin on the program might serve for some redemption.
Perhaps, we might save some lives, perhaps, we learn to give respect to the white in the flag. Perhaps, we show the world we are actively trying to change the precedence. Perhaps we ensure that no more public lynching will ever take place on our soil.
Perhaps that is the Ramazan Transmission we need to watch in 2023.
