Stop Blaspheming Hazrat Ali (as)

The darkness of the event of 3rd November 2007 was exceeded on its anniversary by an insistent blasphemous utterance of the person speaking on behalf of Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

In the backdrop of attempts over the past year by Zakir Naik at making a hero out of the despot Yazid on 'Peace' TV channel and by Israr Ahmed's blasphemy against Hazrat Ali (as) on ARY's QtV, came the insistent and persistent outburst of Ather Minallah on Express News TV channel's programme 'Kal Tak' on 3rd November 2008, when he repeatedly and forcefully insisted on calling Hazrat Ali (as) an infidel (kaafir) prior to his "acceptance of Islam". The attempt of another participant in the programme, MNA Haider Abbas Rizvi, to submit the factually correct position was rendered futile when Mr. Minallah shouted him down and repeated his heinous act of calling Hazrat Ali (as) an infidel. The moderator Javed Chaudry sat through the utterance of blasphemy as a silent spectator. Only at the end of the programme he made a feeble attempt to seek a retraction of Mr. Minallah's blasphemous outburst from him. He didn't get one. No apology for responsibility of airing the blasphemy has been made by Mr. Javed Chaudry or by Express News. The programme was repeated in toto - including the blasphemous portion - the next day.

For the knowledge of those "intellectuals" who insist on apostatizing Hazrat Ali (as) and some of whom claim to be crusaders for the cause of justice, we suggest the following readings:

1)Text of a speech by the late Maulana Kausar Niazi on the self-explanatory topic: "Ali (as) pehlay musalmaan naheen, pehlay hi sey musalmaan thay" (Ali [as] was not the first Muslim, but was Muslim forever). It puts paid to what Mr. Minallah repeatedly insisted in his outburst.
2)'The Voice of Human Justice', a book on Hazrat Ali (as) by a Christian named George Jordache, who seemingly has more respect for and better grasp of Hazrat Ali's stature vis-a-vis Islam and humanity than do some liberal Muslims.
3)Hazrat Ali's letter of instructions to his disciple Malik al-Ashter (ra) when appointing him Governor of Egypt. This letter is a treatise on good governance and was made part of syllabus of Pakistan's Civil Service Academy by no less a person than our Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

These readings would make one aware that Hazrat Ali (as) - whom many Muslims see as their Divinely appointed Imam - was not only never an infidel as Mr. Minallah insistently shouted - but is the greatest ever scholar, governor and soldier after the Holy Prophet of Islam (upon whom be peace), besides, of course, being 'The Voice of Human Justice' a cause Mr. Minallah claims to be championing on behalf of Justice Chaudhry.

In the sad prevailing situation explained above, we the undersigned demand that:

1)Mr. Ather Minallah should immediately retract his blasphemous accusation of infidelity against Hazrat Ali (as).
2)Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry should distance himself from the utterance made on his behalf by his spokesman.
3)Mr. Javed Chaudry and Express News Channel should clearly distance themselves for Mr. Minallah's outburst for carrying and repeating which they are responsible.

We expect to see immediate meaningful action in this direction, failing which we shall have reasonable ground to assume that all the above-named share responsibility for this heinous act, and we shall be forced to:

1)demand that persons responsible for such blasphemous statements should not be allowed to remain part of the country's judicial profession - on either side of the bar.
2)recommend to those who respect and love Hazrat Ali (as) to boycott the entities of Lakson group, owners of Express News TV Channel, including:

*McDonald's Pakistan
*Colgate-Palmolive Pakistan
*Cyber Net
*Lakson Tobacco
*Daily 'Express' newspaper
*Express News TV Channel
*Century Paper & Board Mills
*Century Insurance

This is, of course, besides remedy available through Pakistan Penal Code sections pertaining to blasphemy.