Youm-e-Ishq-e-Rasool (pbuh) [love of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) Day] is being observed throughout Pakistan today (Friday) on the orders of the Government of Pakistan, condemning the anti-Islam film, Express News reported.
Protest rallies are being organised, while business activities remain shut.
6:53pm
Cell phone services have been suspended again in Karachi.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf have expressed grief over the death of ARY TV worker Muhammad Amir in Peshawar.
In separate messages, they urged the nation to remain peaceful during the protests.
The president and the prime minister said that a peaceful protest was the appropriate way of expressing sentiments.
6:47pm
Death toll in Karachi riots reach 14, reports Express News. More than 80 people are reported to be injured in the city.
Innalillahe innaelaihe rajeoon, my heart bleeds for my country & its people!! They were not like that when I was growing up in Karachi, this situation did not happen overnight, everyone has to accept the blame: the govt., the law enforcement agencies, the journalists, the NGOs, the elite, the student leaders, the politicians, the intelligentia!!
Wake up people before it is too late!
What I can’t understand is why do Muslims go on a rampage whenever somebody out there in this wide world writes, films, draws something offensive against the Holy Prophet (pbuh) or the Holy Qur’an?
Of course, these kinds of actions really hurt us, but, does it mean that we have to go and start destroying lives and property and that too, of people who have no connection whatsoever with the offence?
Just over a month ago, in my country and home town, a Muslic cleric was killed. What do the Muslims of the town and indeed the whole country start doing? They start riots and destroy property by throwing stones and in general cause chaos! Why? For days people could not go about their normal daily activities because of this. They even blocked some roads by placing huge stones across them and burning tyres, etc. Why?
Did the average citizen and resident here kill that cleric? Nobody knows….. even till now! The police are still investigating.
By behaving in this uncivilized and uncouth manner, Islam has got a very bad name world-wide. Our enemies keep giving such incidents as examples of ‘proof’, unfortunately.
It is high time we used our brains rather than our brawn.