Source: ET
Now, in the aftermath, 30 Christian families are on the run.
Sana, 23, and Chand Masih, 25, eloped from their houses in Gadowal village on September 21, and went to an undisclosed location. The girl’s family searched for her for two days before a local cleric decided to intervene, and turn the heat on the entire Christian community.
Local clerics, under the leadership of Maulana Amjad Farooqi, reached the girl’s residence and convinced her father to take a firm stand against the Christians who, Farooqi claimed, had “pre-planned” the event.
Following that, a large number of people gathered in the village, called out the Christians of the locality, and warned them to bring back the eloped couple or else their houses would be burnt down.
Christians flee
The Christians fled the village and the locals locked their houses behind them. The area’s Muslim population also took the cattle of the family of Chand Masih into their custody.
After two days, they traced a few members of the fleeing Christian community and asked them to bring back the eloped couple. When the families expressed their inability to trace the couple due to lack of finances, the Muslims sold a cow of the accused boy’s family for Rs30,000, and gave the family Rs10,000 to trace the couple.
Teaching them a lesson
Maulana Farooqi confirmed that a cow had been sold to trace the couple, while speaking to The Express Tribune.
He said he openly warned the Christians that they have already “hurt their [Muslims’] sentiments by releasing the blasphemous movie [The Innocence of Muslims] and now with this step, they have added fuel to the fire.”
Farooqi said in case they do not bring back the girl, “it would take 10 minutes to teach a lesson to the Christians” of the locality.
He said they had arrested one man, who was purportedly in contact with the accused, but the police released him. He added that the girl’s father is bound not to take any step without the clerics’ consent.
Report of newspaper contains, “Maulana Farooqi confirmed that a cow had been sold to trace the couple, while speaking to The Express Tribune.He said he openly warned the Christians that they have already “hurt their [Muslims’] sentiments by releasing the blasphemous movie [The Innocence of Muslims] and now with this step, they have added fuel to the fire.”Farooqi said in case they do not bring back the girl, “it would take 10 minutes to teach a lesson to the Christians” of the locality.He said they had arrested one man, who was purportedly in contact with the accused, but the police released him. He added that the girl’s father is bound not to take any step without the clerics’ consent”.
Few questions to so called Maulana Farooqi.
1. How sale of cow will help to trace the couple?
2. What connections innocence of Muslims has with this marriage?
3. What lessons you have up in arms to teach to Christians in 10 minutes?
4. Which law or Shria has empowered you to over rule the rights of girls father?
It looks the cleric is the mighty ruler in this incident. No writ of government, court or of any other law enforcing agency. Even boy converted to Islam the cleric will not accept as he can say he did it to avoid punishment. Person like me can only comment “What a country! Pakistan Zndabad.”
Ridiculous attention to this case. This is not Islam- to react like this! There is no force in Islam. Civilized & tolerant behaviour is the order of the day.
Islam is about tolerance. Islam is about protecting the rights of minorities. not attacking them and putting the blame of everything left ríght and centre on them and persecuting them. As for the girl and boy. What is the christian community’s fault in this for God’s sake. The girl and boy are answerable to God, not to the muslim or christian community. This is pathetic! taking hold of their assets, and manipulating them to get the boy and girl back. Good they ran away from jerks like that cleric and his chums!!