The blasphemous film released by an American filmmaker has evoked widespread condemnations from ulemas, religious organizations and Hurriyat (G) chief, who have said that it has hurt the sentiments of Muslims and urged people to stage peaceful protests on Friday while Grand
Mufti asked American citizens in Kashmir to leave the region.
“From the Norwegian newspaper ‘Jyllands Posten’ to the latest defamatory attack by Bacile’s film on YouTube, Muslims sensibilities are being hurt across the world. Muslim sentiments were being hurt under a well planned conspiracy. We will take every religious group in Kashmir into confidence before chalking out a strategy as how to protest such derogatory acts against Prophet Muhammad (SAW),” Jamaat-e-Ahle Hadith (JaH) president Ghulam Rasool Malik told reporters here.
He said people in Kashmir believe in Islamic values, which suggest that only the guilty should be punished and not the ones who are not involved.
Malik said the need of the hour is to handle such issues in an organized manner. “Islam decrees punishment for the sinner. Since, he is far away from us, we pray that he faces Allah’s wrath. We appeal all the Muslims to show calmness and stage peaceful protests”.
“Muslims can bear anything but not anything derogatory against the dear Prophet Muhammad (SAW). If Americans can find out Osama why not this man who has set the whole Muslim world on fire? But the fact is Americans patronize such elements. We advocate punishment to Bacile as per Islamic laws,” he said.
JaH president appealed the Muslim countries to act befittingly against the anti-Islam film. “The 57 Muslim countries should handle the situation befittingly this time.”
Speaking on the occasion, JaH general secretary Abdul Rehman said Muslims in Kashmir were yet to come out of the attempt to spark sectarian divide in Valley. “The fresh attack on the chastity of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has made the matters worse for us”.
While strongly condemning the blasphemous video, Grand Mufti of Kashmir Mufti Bashir ud Din said that these activities of the vested interests cannot harm faith of the Muslims. “Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was sent for the whole world as a mercy from the Almighty. Such blasphemous videos will not affect the Prophet’s (SAW) noble personality” he said.
Stating that the blasphemous content is highly condemnable, he said, “Everyone accepts the greatness of the Prophet and any attempt to malign his image will not be tolerated”.
He asked all the US citizens in Kashmir to leave immediately as the sentiments of the Muslims have been badly hurt.
“I appeal to people to protest in a peaceful manner,” Grand Mufti said.
Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani has also taken note of the anti-Islamic film.
He called on people to stage peaceful protests after Friday prayers.
Meanwhile, ruling National Conference also strongly condemned the anti-Islam film.
“With deep unhappiness, we found out that a producer made a film in the US which insults the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) while Terry Jones, an American pastor released a video clip promoting the offensive film on the Youtube” said NC Spokesman Tanvir Sadiq .
He said they strongly believe such people along with the pastor and his supporters represent a radical mindset, who are hell bent to vitiate peaceful atmosphere across the world.
“We strongly and resolutely denounce this desecrating act. This offensive act has added fuel to inter-faith enmity and conflict and badly impacted the peaceful coexistence between human beings," he said.
He said such offensive actions, provoke hatred, discord within societies and between peoples of various faiths.
“Our party believes that all manifestations of extremist tendencies must be opposed,” the NC spokesman said adding posting of video clips in Arabic and English on the YouTube website is unacceptable and such people who do this are enemies of peace and humanity.
“We condemn the repeated insults to the noble Prophet (SAW) and are outraged at the making of this video” said Tanvir.
He appreciated the immediate steps taken by the Omar Abdullah led government to prevent the release and access of this insulting film and its video-clip on the Youtube, and demanded that such videos should be totally banned in the state.
He appealed for calm and asked the people not to heed to any rumors.
Jamiat ul Mujahideen has called the film a handiwork of Zionists aimed at hurting sentiments of Muslims.
A Jamiat spokesman urged Ulemas and Mubaligs to raise the issue during Friday congregation prayers. “It should be condemned by one and all”.
While ridiculing the film maker, he termed the act akin to spitting on the sky. “People should express their resentment and displeasure openly”.
It is pertinent to mention here that as the clip of the film “Clips of the Innocence of Muslims”, began to do rounds on Youtube, Muslim anger spilled onto roads particularly in Egypt and Libya. The US Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens along with three other American diplomats were killed in an attack on US consulate in Benghazi on Wednesday. Even today the Muslim protestors stormed the US embassy in Yemen and a protestor was killed in police firing.
