Offensive Cartoons Contest: Protestors demand ban on Facebook

Karachi: Angry protestors holding a demonstration in front of Karachi Press Club Tuesday demanded the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the official regulator, to slap a ban on the biggest social networking website of the world, Facebook, and other such sites for orchestrating international competition of drawing of offensive cartoons on May 20. Protestors recorded their anger and hurt at the event titled “Everybody draw Muhammad Day” organized by Facebook and to be held on May 20 in which over 12,000 ‘artists’ have registered to take part.

Speaking at the protest rally organized by Nizam-e-Mustafa Party Haji Muhammad Rafi said that the religious sentiments and feelings of the Muslims are being hurt with total impunity in the name of freedom of expression. He asked the secular elements, particularly the Western media that does not tolerate the least disrespect to Jews no matter how justified, lecturing the Muslims about the virtues of moderation, enlightenment and patience to raise their voice against the “emotional and sentimental terrorism” of Muslims.

Maulana Abrar Ahmed Rehmani said that for the last fourteen hundred years the Muslims have been given their lives to protect the honor and the sanctity of the last prophet of Allah, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and they would doing the same till the doomsday. “If the anti-Islam forces and elements think they would be able to create division within Islam and Muslims by such tactics they are sadly mistaken”.

Addressing the protestors Ghulam Hussain Pirzada demanded the PTA to ban obscene as well as sites that are offensive to the sensitivities of Muslims. He also asked the government to ban all newspapers, magazines and publications that have such offensive material and substance.

Another speaker Sufi Muhammad Hussain Lakhani warned the European rulers that if they are really sincere about religious harmony, as they claim, they should help make an international law that makes insulting prophets of all religions a crime and to ensure that those convicted of such an offense should be punished to the full extent of the law.

The protestors chanted slogans and displayed placards.