News Desk
May 30, 2024
ISLAMABAD: The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) condemned the culture of mob vigilantism in Pakistan and reiterated its call for the establishment of special courts to handle such cases.
In a meeting chaired by Dr. Muhammad Raghib Hussain Naimi, the CII’s new head, there was a consensus that desecration of the Holy Quran did occur in Sargodha on May 25. The council condemned both the sacrilege and the subsequent violence.
On Saturday, an angry mob rampaged through Sargodha’s Mujahid Colony after rumors circulated about shredded pages of the Holy Quran being found outside the residence of Christian shoe factory owner Nazir Masih.
The CII’s statement also condemned the desecration and the attacks on Christian families and their homes, calling for severe punishment for both sides involved.
Moreover, council reiterated its recommendation for the establishment of special courts to try such crimes, emphasizing the urgent need for public awareness that mob justice is contrary to the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah, as well as the Constitution. Dr. Naimi stressed that the state should take immediate action when individuals take the law into their own hands.
The CII previously suggested the establishment of special courts in September following similar incidents, such as the mob violence in Jaranwala, Faisalabad on August 16 of last year, and the lynching of Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara Diyawadanaa in Sialkot in December 2021. The council highlighted that Islam and all other religions stress human dignity and advise against mob justice without trials.