No Credit
Sunni Tehreek leader says his organization will file blasphemy cases against anyone regardless of their status.
Police on Tuesday opened a blasphemy investigation against pop star turned evangelical Muslim Junaid Jamshed after he was caught on camera making allegedly disparaging remarks about one of the wives of Islam’s Prophet.
Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in Pakistan. The law is often used to target minorities and the poor by those wishing to settle personal scores, according to rights groups. Jamshed, by contrast, is a wealthy high-profile member of the Tableeghi Jamaat—a Sunni Muslim evangelical organization known for its rigidly conservative views.
In the video featuring the former lead singer of pop band Vital Signs, he appears to make negative remarks about Ayesha, the youngest wife of Islam’s Prophet, to make a broader point about women’s alleged inherent flaw of seeking attention. The video quickly went viral over the weekend and led to the police case.
“We have filed a blasphemy case against Junaid Jamshed in Rasala police station on the orders of Justice Ahmed Saba of the district court,” said Faheem-ud-Din Sheikh, spokesman for the Sunni Tehreek religious organization. Muhammad Shafique, a police official at the Rasala police station in Karachi, confirmed the incident. Another police officer told Newsweek that Jamshed was currently out of the country on a speaking tour, but would be placed under arrest once he returns.
Jamshed, 50, had earlier released a video on Facebook in which he admitted he had erred and pleaded emotionally for forgiveness. “This is my mistake and it happened because of my ignorance and lack of knowledge and I seek forgiveness from the Muslim world,” he said. “I request my brothers to forgive me and I am thankful to them for pointing out my mistake, it happened unintentionally and I seek forgiveness from Allah.”
The case was registered on the complaint of Mohammad Mobin Qadri, a Sunni Tehreek leader. “We will register blasphemy cases against anyone found involved in blasphemy regardless of their stature,” Qadri told Newsweek. He said Jamshed’s apology was irrelevant. “How can we pardon a person who has committed blasphemy? Junaid’s apology must be examined by prominent religious scholars, who will then determine how the issue can be sorted within the parameters of Islam.”
Before joining the Tableeghi Jamaat, Jamshed was one of Pakistan’s best loved pop singers, famous for hits in the 1980s such as “Dil Dil Pakistan.” Now bearded and seen in traditional attire, he often appears on TV adverts to give products a religious endorsement, and also runs a chain of fashion boutiques. He frequently makes appearances on television, and has previously said women should not drive nor venture out of the home without a male guardian.
The number of blasphemy cases being lodged with police in Pakistan has been steadily rising in recent years and even unproven allegations often prompt mob retribution. On Nov. 4 a Christian bonded laborer and his pregnant wife were beaten by a mob of 1,500 people then thrown on top of a lit furnace in a crazed reaction to rumors they had thrown pages of the Quran into the garbage. Aasia Bibi, sentenced to death for blasphemy, has been languishing on death row for four years following a trial that activists say was deeply flawed.
View Comments (42)
Mr Junaid Jamshed: please stop this nonsense
if he can be forgiven, then why are others punished?
we must accept his apology because he made a hatred comment against the women???
please ladies.... bycott JJ outlets.
Wrong... He shud b forgiven... There should b some start of forgiveness... ALLAH forgive those who are sincere in seeking apology from HIM....Please avoid such conservative remarks
All blasphemy cases should be stopped. Pakistanis need to wise up and stop acting so ignorant. They make themselves look to be fools time and time again.
As for JJ he should apologise to all women.
What he did was not deliberate, you will have to see if majority of those accused had done it deliberately or not. we definitely need procedural amendments in Blasphemy Law.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=575084639291313
I am against the blasphemy laws. But if they exist then they should exist for everyone..a beard and religious backing should not be the reason for the protection of an accused blasphemer. if JJ can be forgiven then why not Asia Bibi! Why salmaan taseer and shahbaz Bhatti become the target of mullah mentality! Why a bearded murderer- mumtaz qadri- is safe n not hanged! How long r we going to discriminate against the non-bearded? If JJ has to be forgiven then amend the laws and include a 'forgiveness' clause as well. So that if a Christian, Qadiani, Shia commits blasphemy, they can be forgiven as well. Otherwise, go for it..JJ has to face the law..
Two wrongs don't make a right. Non Muslims cannot be accused of blasphemy. They should all be released.
What the hell? 90 percent of Pakistani Muslims do not even know what they read in namaz. They do not even know what it means what they read in namaz. They do not even practice basics of religion. Yet they are so pumped up to destroy and abolish anything that goes slightly goes against prophet or his companions. If Allah can forgive who the hell are they to give fatwa.
I know it and a number of people know it, if you don't know it don't type in the %ages here. Jamal shah g u i am having doubt on your emaan as like you putting statements if Alllah can forgive then murder should not have any punishment and this thing is way higher than our life. Either you are jahil moron or other sact may be qadiyani.
Check your words next time ok.
Aamir Shahzad, you show yourself to be the Jahil Moron here like the 99% of others screaming for the blood of anyone who "blasphemes". Jamal Shah is right. Pakistan is a sick country with a sick society that gets worked up over trivial issues. And no this is not "higher than life itself".
Dear Website Management.
Alhamdulillah aap muslman hain. Yaar aap loog copy paste karnay say pehlay contents ko thora sa daikh lia karian k yeh Islam ya musalmanoon k khalaf tu nahin.
You have copied this contents from UK newspaper website and pasted without any editing. You MUST you PBUH with the name of our beloved Prophet (PBUH).
Other thing, they have criticised Islamic Law in there own way. Please try not to copy and past such posts.
yes.
My goodness, everybody is ready to teach islam to others and issue fatwas. May be this news site is blasphemous too. Should be killed just like minorities in our sweet country.
No punishment for him . why ???
only he can be forgiven but what about asia bibi & the couple who were burnt without an investigation
Not Justice
yes
Goodness lies in kindness, compassion and in helping others; not in anger, hatred and cruelty. This man is a misogynist who made the error of extending his contempt for women show towards a revered female religious figure. Those who err should be given an opportunity to repent and reform, whether they be mullah, secular, Muslim, Hindu or Christian. All the prophets in Islam preached this, the Last Prophet (s.a.w.) is described a blessing to the universe, Allah is Merciful and Compassionate.
The only people deserving of censure and punishment are those that incite anger, hate or violence contrary to the spirit of Islam and contrary to Pakistan's laws.
Such wise words but sadly lost on the ignorance of Pakistanis.
Its not about issuing a fatwa - its about selective application of WHO to forgive in a blasphemy law. If JJ can be forgiven on issuing a tear stricken apology, why not the other minorities, and why not the countless "so called blasphemists" who have already been killed by mobs?
lets see how they treat his case - let me put it this way. If it was a poor Christian guy, or lets say a rural laborer from Toba Tek Singh who had done the same - addressed a group of community people, passing the exact same remarks on Hazrat Aisha, and in the same manner WORD for WORD, I for one have NO doubt that he would be now been killed alive by the mobs. Seriously. So, yes, why selective application - the problem is two fold:
1) What gives JJ the right to be such a blatant misogynist? This is not the first time he's passing such inane remarks - earlier he said women shouldn't be allowed to drive alone. God knows what world he's living in, where he's forcing women to be 100% dependent. Has he forgotten Hazrat Khadija was a prospering business woman? The same goes with people like Alim Online...with his "Kaisa Diya" remarks. Sick. Completely sick, how they view women as sex symbols and nothing else.
and:
2) The biggest problem is with Pakistan's blasphemy law - how it continues to be used and misued at whim, to settle disputes, to get even with enemies and to cast reputations aside. This is no easy issue - heck the issues are just worsening day by day.
Junaid Jamshed must be punished as per law.
As a rule I don't agree with the blasphemy law of this country which I feel is against the basic tenet of Islam, however I feel the judgment serves him right for being a self proclaimed religious " guru " and his verbal diarrhea
When semi literate and half educated public assume the role of gods on earth, such things are bound to happen. Blasphemy laws need to be abolished or modified. They are doing more damage than any good. Its extremely strange that we damn care to the teachings of the holy prophet Muhammad (pbuh) but we start killing people on the least doubt or allegation of blasphemy. We are such hypocrites.. Blasphemy should be clearly defined. No muslim can even dream of uttering bad of the holy prophet. Even a non muslim won't but its sheer madness to start punishing or killing people on doubt. We have infact fallen habitual of killing people on any pretext..