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JUNAID JAMSHED HAS ‘NO IMMEDIATE PLANS TO RETURN’
52 COMMENTS DEC 05 2014 BY BENAZIR SHAH
A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE TABLEEGHI JAMAAT HAS CLAIMED THE POP STAR ACCUSED OF BLASPHEMY PLANS TO STAY IN LONDON FOR NOW.
Junaid Jamshed, the pop star-turned-televangelist accused of blasphemy by the sectarian Sunni Tehreek, is in hiding in London and has no immediate plans to return to Pakistan, according to a member of the Tableeghi Jamaat.
Police in Karachi opened an investigation into Jamshed’s allegedly blasphemy after a viral video showed the 50-year-old evangelist citing the youngest wife of Islam’s Prophet to make a broader point about women’s alleged inherent flaw of seeking attention.
A visibly distraught Jamshed apologized for his actions in a video posted to his Facebook page. “This is my mistake and it happened because of my ignorance and lack of knowledge and I seek forgiveness from the Muslim world,” he said. “I request my brothers to forgive me and I am thankful to them for pointing out my mistake, it happened unintentionally and I seek forgiveness from Allah.”
However, Mohammad Mobin Qadri, a Sunni Tehreek leader who accused Jamshed of blasphemy, told Newsweek this was “irrelevant,” and demanded the former pop star answer for his alleged crimes. The organization has also organized rallies across Pakistan, demanding Jamshed be arrested.
The number of blasphemy cases being lodged with police in Pakistan has been steadily rising in recent years and even unproven allegations often prompt mob retribution. A lawyer defending a blasphemy accused professor in Multan was shot dead earlier this year, while his replacement has been threatened to stop his defense or risk retaliation.
The blasphemy allegations have already hurt Jamshed’s standing as an Islamic scholar, with the non-profit Muslim Charity organization cancelling a scheduled appearance in Edinburgh to avoid controversy. The Tableeghi Jamaat, a conservative Sunni evangelical group often associated with Jamshed’s born-again Muslim status, has also taken steps to distance itself from the former singer. In a video posted online, Jamaat leader Maulana Tariq Jameel upbraided Jamshed for his controversial remarks.
Jameel told Newsweek Jamshed telephoned him in tears after the video was posted and assured him that he had never meant to insult anyone. “Everyone can commit such a mistake,” says Jameel. “These people [Sunni Tehreek] have given it a sectarian color, made it into an issue of Muslim vs. non-Muslim, which it is not.” He said that he supported Jamshed and had accepted his apology. “Issues like these will lead to my country’s ruin,” he added.
Jamshed, who rose to prominence as the frontman of the pop band Vital Signs, quit music in 2004 and joined the Tableeghi Jamaat. He also runs a chain of clothing stores and hosts a televised show on Islam. This is not the first time his words have caused controversy. In his role as televangelist, he has urged Muslim women not to leave their houses without a male guardian and also discouraged them from driving cars.
The former singer maintains his innocence, but appears to have become dejected by the blasphemy allegations. In a recent tweet, he said: “I never thought I would ever receive so much pain from the people of my country.”
1. Pakistan needs to end this ridiculous "blasphemy" law, or change it.
Until recently I never knew it included companions of the holy prophet (solAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam) and only thought it meant "attacks" (and even that is a very loose term in this so-called "blasphemy" law) on the holy prophet (solAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam).
By change I mean things like not making death the penalty but imprisonment or something else.
2. In the article above I read in the comments section that apparently people such as Junaid Jamshed and Tariq Jameel had said there could not even be forgiveness for one who commits blasphemy.
Ironically the blasphemy charge has now fallen on one of them.
3. There is also politics going on here.
Junaid Jamshed is a Deobandi/Tableeghi, who are hated by Barelvis (another Sunni group).
So the Barelvis have targeted him over this issue but completely ignoring the thousands of Shia speakers in Pakistan who insult Ayesha (rad'Allahu anha) far worse than Junaid Jamshed's slip of the tongue.
A Barelvi a few years ago actually killed the then governor of Punjab, not even for committing "blasphemy" but helping a Christian woman facing a blasphemy charge for allegedly saying this (after being insulted by Pakistani "Muslims"):
1. The governor of Punjab did not even carry out the "blasphemy".
2. He was merely trying to provide help to a woman he felt was being targeted unfairly.
The fact is even according to the controversial and problematic traditional Muslim texts such as sirah and hadeeth we read of the holy prophet (solAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam) forgiving people who insulted him or physically abused him.
A Jewish woman who it is said used to live next to him use to put filth outside of the path he had to walk on when he left his house. He never got angry with her, and in fact when she was sick, he went to visit her.
So how is it he (the holy prophet solAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam) forgive this woman whilst people claiming to follow him in Pakistan want to kill people for the slightest comment here or there?
[MENTION=2329]Karachi[/MENTION] [MENTION=1068]gadoonwal[/MENTION] [MENTION=1201]Toramana[/MENTION]
52 COMMENTS DEC 05 2014 BY BENAZIR SHAH
A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE TABLEEGHI JAMAAT HAS CLAIMED THE POP STAR ACCUSED OF BLASPHEMY PLANS TO STAY IN LONDON FOR NOW.
Junaid Jamshed, the pop star-turned-televangelist accused of blasphemy by the sectarian Sunni Tehreek, is in hiding in London and has no immediate plans to return to Pakistan, according to a member of the Tableeghi Jamaat.
Police in Karachi opened an investigation into Jamshed’s allegedly blasphemy after a viral video showed the 50-year-old evangelist citing the youngest wife of Islam’s Prophet to make a broader point about women’s alleged inherent flaw of seeking attention.
A visibly distraught Jamshed apologized for his actions in a video posted to his Facebook page. “This is my mistake and it happened because of my ignorance and lack of knowledge and I seek forgiveness from the Muslim world,” he said. “I request my brothers to forgive me and I am thankful to them for pointing out my mistake, it happened unintentionally and I seek forgiveness from Allah.”
However, Mohammad Mobin Qadri, a Sunni Tehreek leader who accused Jamshed of blasphemy, told Newsweek this was “irrelevant,” and demanded the former pop star answer for his alleged crimes. The organization has also organized rallies across Pakistan, demanding Jamshed be arrested.
The number of blasphemy cases being lodged with police in Pakistan has been steadily rising in recent years and even unproven allegations often prompt mob retribution. A lawyer defending a blasphemy accused professor in Multan was shot dead earlier this year, while his replacement has been threatened to stop his defense or risk retaliation.
The blasphemy allegations have already hurt Jamshed’s standing as an Islamic scholar, with the non-profit Muslim Charity organization cancelling a scheduled appearance in Edinburgh to avoid controversy. The Tableeghi Jamaat, a conservative Sunni evangelical group often associated with Jamshed’s born-again Muslim status, has also taken steps to distance itself from the former singer. In a video posted online, Jamaat leader Maulana Tariq Jameel upbraided Jamshed for his controversial remarks.
Jameel told Newsweek Jamshed telephoned him in tears after the video was posted and assured him that he had never meant to insult anyone. “Everyone can commit such a mistake,” says Jameel. “These people [Sunni Tehreek] have given it a sectarian color, made it into an issue of Muslim vs. non-Muslim, which it is not.” He said that he supported Jamshed and had accepted his apology. “Issues like these will lead to my country’s ruin,” he added.
Jamshed, who rose to prominence as the frontman of the pop band Vital Signs, quit music in 2004 and joined the Tableeghi Jamaat. He also runs a chain of clothing stores and hosts a televised show on Islam. This is not the first time his words have caused controversy. In his role as televangelist, he has urged Muslim women not to leave their houses without a male guardian and also discouraged them from driving cars.
The former singer maintains his innocence, but appears to have become dejected by the blasphemy allegations. In a recent tweet, he said: “I never thought I would ever receive so much pain from the people of my country.”
1. Pakistan needs to end this ridiculous "blasphemy" law, or change it.
Until recently I never knew it included companions of the holy prophet (solAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam) and only thought it meant "attacks" (and even that is a very loose term in this so-called "blasphemy" law) on the holy prophet (solAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam).
By change I mean things like not making death the penalty but imprisonment or something else.
2. In the article above I read in the comments section that apparently people such as Junaid Jamshed and Tariq Jameel had said there could not even be forgiveness for one who commits blasphemy.
Ironically the blasphemy charge has now fallen on one of them.
3. There is also politics going on here.
Junaid Jamshed is a Deobandi/Tableeghi, who are hated by Barelvis (another Sunni group).
So the Barelvis have targeted him over this issue but completely ignoring the thousands of Shia speakers in Pakistan who insult Ayesha (rad'Allahu anha) far worse than Junaid Jamshed's slip of the tongue.
A Barelvi a few years ago actually killed the then governor of Punjab, not even for committing "blasphemy" but helping a Christian woman facing a blasphemy charge for allegedly saying this (after being insulted by Pakistani "Muslims"):
"I believe in my religion and in Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for the sins of mankind. What did your Prophet Mohammed ever do to save mankind?""
1. The governor of Punjab did not even carry out the "blasphemy".
2. He was merely trying to provide help to a woman he felt was being targeted unfairly.
The fact is even according to the controversial and problematic traditional Muslim texts such as sirah and hadeeth we read of the holy prophet (solAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam) forgiving people who insulted him or physically abused him.
A Jewish woman who it is said used to live next to him use to put filth outside of the path he had to walk on when he left his house. He never got angry with her, and in fact when she was sick, he went to visit her.
So how is it he (the holy prophet solAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam) forgive this woman whilst people claiming to follow him in Pakistan want to kill people for the slightest comment here or there?
[MENTION=2329]Karachi[/MENTION] [MENTION=1068]gadoonwal[/MENTION] [MENTION=1201]Toramana[/MENTION]
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