Ten thousand Islamic radicals have rallied in Pakistan against a ‘Draw Mohammed’ contest being hosted in the Netherlands by Geert Wilders, as the South Asian country’s politicians demand global blasphemy laws.
Islamists defied the authorities to march on the Pakistani capital of Islamabad from the city of Lahore chanting “we will die to protect the honour of the prophet” to protest Wilders’ contest, according to The Washington Post.
The march was organised by Islamist groups including Tehreek-i-Labaik group, which supported the election bid of new prime minister Imran Khan — who is famous in Britain as a cricket star and celebrity playboy, but now courts so-called “traditionalists” and the military establishment as a politician.
Party for Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders has organised the event to assert the Western tradition of freedom of expression, following the murder of Charlie Hebdo staffers in France by radical Islamic terrorists in 2015 and violent, worldwide protests against a Danish newspaper which published images of the Arab prophet in 2005.
Pakistan’s political leaders appear to be doing little to calm the situation or demonstrate a willingness to tolerate criticism of their faith, with a resolution of the Pakistani senate declaring that, “Since under the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973, Islam is the state religion and it is the responsibility of the State to preserve, protect and promote Islam, therefore, it must stand up and articulate the general will of the Muslims of Pakistan against the proposed competition.”
The resolution demands Imran Khan “agitate this issue at the UN General Assembly for developing global consensus against such blasphemous initiatives”, and Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has already confronted his opposite number in the Netherlands over the “abominable and sacrilegious competition” and asserted that “such acts must be prevented, as they spread hate and intolerance in societies”.
Khalid Latif, another famous ex-cricketer, has even gone so far as to offer a $28,000 reward to “kill the Dutchmen” behind the contest, according to WaPo — and the Dutch Police have already arrested one 26-year-old man reported to be a Pakistani national, claiming he threatened Geert Wilders and the Dutch parliament.
As a known critic of Islam, Wilders has lived under heavy security for many years — with other Dutch critics of the Middle Eastern religion such as filmmaker Theo van Gogh and politician Pim Fortuyn having been killed on the street by Muslim assassins.
Nevertheless, the controversial Tommy Robinson supporter has managed to lead the PVV to become the second-largest party in Dutch politics and believes he will be able to take pole position in the next national election.
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