Muslims, extremists and others, oppose death penalty for “hero” Mumtaz Qadri
by Jibran Khan
Street demonstrations and burning tyres mark the sentence against Salman Taseer’s murderer. Muslim leaders celebrate Qadri, “full of Noor” (heavenly light). Rawalpindi mufti justifies the murder and pledges the same for the “Christian blasphemer”, Asia Bibi. Minorities welcome the verdict, even though they stress the sacredness of life.
Islamabad (AsiaNews) – “Release Mumtaz Qadri the Islamic hero”, “a true worrier of Islam”, “By punishing one Mumtaz Qadri, you will produce a thousand Mumtaz Qadris!" are some of the slogans uttered by Pakistani (and non-Pakistani) Muslim extremists as they protested against the sentence inflicted upon Salman Taseer’s killer.On Saturday, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) handed down the death sentence to Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, the self-confessed murderer of the governor of Punjab Salman Taseer, who was killed by his bodyguard on 4 January for defending Asia Bibi against charges based on Pakistan’s blasphemy legislation. Taseer had described the latter as a ‘black law’.
At the end of the proceedings, judge Syed Pervez Ali Shah was escorted out of the Adyala Jail, where the trial was held, through a side gate to avoid Qadri’s supporters who had gathered outside the facility (see Jibran Khan, “Pakistan: death sentence for Salman Taseer’s assassin Mumtaz Qadri,” in AsiaNews 01 October 2011). Read the rest on:
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