Mufti Taqi Usmani deplores Jaranwala violence.
Mufti Taqi Usmani, the country’s foremost Islamic scholar, and cleric, described the violent attacks on Christians in Faisalabad’s Jaranwala tehsil as “shameful for the whole nation” after they were allegedly committed in retaliation for blasphemy accusations.
Denouncing the vandalism on his official X, formerly Twitter, account, the religious scholar maintained following legal recourse in case of an insulting action by someone.
“The incident of Jaranwala is shameful for the whole nation. If someone has done something insulting, there is a legal recourse,” he posted on X.
Mufti Taqi Usmani deplores Jaranwala violence, check the Tweet:
جڑانوالہ کا واقعہ پوری قوم کے لئے شرمناک ہے اگر کسی نے کوئی گستاخی کی ہے تواسکاقانونی راستہ موجود ہے اسکے ردعملُ میں گرجاوں کو جلانے یا پرامن عیسائی شہریوں کو کسی بھی قسم کا نقصان پہنچانا انتہائی قابل مذمت ہے اسلام میں ایسی حرکتوں کی کوئی گنجائش نہیں ہے
— Muhammad Taqi Usmani (Official) (@muftitaqiusmani) August 17, 2023
Mufti Taqi censured burning a place of worship and harming a peaceful religious minority as a response.
“Burning churches or causing any harm to peaceful Christian citizens in response is highly condemnable. There is no room for such actions in Islam,” the senior cleric added.
Earlier, hundreds of men attacked a predominantly Christian neighborhood on the outskirts of the industrial city following reports that the Holy Quran had been desecrated.
According to Akmal Bhatti, a Christian leader, the crowd torched at least five churches and looted valuables from abandoned houses after clerics made inciting announcements in mosques.
Several social media posts showed churches, as well as houses and belongings, on fire.
Meanwhile, in Jaranwala, two cases were filed against arsonists, with 37 suspects named and over 600 unknown people included in the investigation.
The police claim that the mob vandalized and set fire to the houses and churches. They also stated that cases have been filed under the charges of terrorism and blasphemy, as well as 13 other provisions.
On Thursday, police said they arrested two men for inciting violence. The development came after the Punjab interim government called for a high-level investigation into the violent incident.
The two main suspects are in the custody of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), according to Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
