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Pakistani Wearing Dress With Arabic Print Almost Lynched To Death For Blasphemy - Foreign Affairs - Nairaland 6i704

Pakistani Wearing Dress With Arabic Print Almost Lynched To Death For Blasphemy (30508 Views)

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OLAADEGBU(m): 9:08am On Feb 26, 2024
Pakistan Woman Wearing Dress With Arabic Print Almost Lynched By Mob Claiming Blasphemy


February 26, 2024

An angry mob in Pakistan accused a woman who wore a dress adorned with Arabic calligraphy of blasphemy, after mistaking them for Quran verses.

According to BBC, she was saved by police who escorted her to safety after hundreds gathered. She later gave a public apology.

The dress has the word "Halwa" printed in Arabic letters on it, meaning sweet in Arabic.

Blasphemy is punishable by death in Pakistan. Some people have been lynched even before their cases go on trial.

Police told the BBC they first received a call at around 13:10 local (08:10 GMT) on Sunday that a crowd had gathered around a woman at a restaurant in Lahore, the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab.

Around 300 people had crowded outside the restaurant by the time they arrived, said Assistant Superintendent Syeda Shehrbano.

Videos of the scene circulated on social media, with one showing a woman, visibly scared, sitting in the far corner of the restaurant, shielding her face with her hand.

In another, she is surrounded by officers, who had formed the only barrier between her and a growing crowd who were shouting for her to remove the shirt. In some videos, people can be heard chanting that those who blaspheme must be beheaded.

Footage shared on social media shows Ms Shehrbano standing at the restaurant's entrance, trying to restore order to an increasingly charged crowd.

"Nobody actually knew what was written on the shirt," she said. "The major feat was to try to get that woman out of the area in order to ensure that she is safe."

Ms Shehrbano adds that she had to "negotiate" with the crowd.

"We told them we would take the woman with us, her actions are going to be taken into and we're going to hold her responsible for whatever crime committed as per the law of the land."

The footage later showed Ms Shehrbano putting her arm around the woman, now covered by a black robe and a headscarf, and pushing through the crowd. Other police officers formed a chain with their arms to clear their path as people in the crowd pushed against them.

Ms Shehrbano said ers of the hardline Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) party were among those in the crowd.

The women were brought to a police station, where several religious scholars confirmed that the text on her dress was Arabic calligraphy, not verses from the Quran.

The police then asked the scholars to record a video stating their findings and that the woman was innocent.

"I didn't have any such intention, it happened by mistake. Still I apologise for all that happened, and I'll make sure it never happens again," she said, adding that she is a devout Muslim and would never commit blasphemy.

Authorities said she was in Lahore to do some shopping, and has since left the city.

Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, a former advisor to the prime minister on religious affairs said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the men in the crowd, rather than the woman, should have been the ones to apologise.

Ms Shehrbano said authorities have seen a "mushrooming of incidents" similar to that on Sunday.

"Had I not screamed and had I not convinced the crowd that we will do something about it, It would have turned nastier… Thank God," she said. She has been widely praised, with the Chief of Punjab police calling for her to receive an award for her bravery.

Laws against blasphemy were first codified by India's British rulers and expanded in the 1980s under the military government.

In August last year, scores of churches and homes were burnt in Jaranwala, a city east of Pakistan, after two men from the city were accused of damaging the Quran.

SaharaReporters

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advanceDNA: 9:33am On Feb 26, 2024
Pakistani Muslim are a different breed of muslims.... They consciously look for virtually anything they can call blasphemy so they can kill.....

251 Likes 20 Shares

Skooltynz: 9:40am On Feb 26, 2024
no wonder israel no dey looseguard they understand this people language very well violence for violence.

302 Likes 24 Shares

rayvelez(m): 9:47am On Feb 26, 2024
She can’t escaped this in Sokoto even the owner of the restaurant would have been the one to chased her out…

58 Likes 3 Shares

PlayerMeji: 9:52am On Feb 26, 2024
Arabic calligraphy. Not verses from the Quran...

He don be for these people..

127 Likes 5 Shares

Nokio2: 9:59am On Feb 26, 2024
So Islamabad people could not read Islamabad language and wanted to Islamabad another Islamabad woman
Dress that has peaceful writing
But religion of peace peoples want to burn it..

134 Likes 9 Shares

Armaggedon: 10:13am On Feb 26, 2024
This sort of thing has been encouraged in the north from the beginning. It was condoned because it was mainly carried out against the Igbos. Now, the north has collapsed all wise and the next is west. It's just a matter of time.

27 Likes 1 Share

happney65: 10:15am On Feb 26, 2024
Abeg I no fit laugh jare.. grin

5 Likes

MasterJayJay: 10:15am On Feb 26, 2024
There is a demon controlling these people.

Even the name of the capital where it happened shows how BAD they are.

The capital of Pakistan is IslamaBAD.

99 Likes 4 Shares

merits(m): 10:15am On Feb 26, 2024
OLAADEGBU:


SaharaReporters
Trouble dey sleep Yanga go wake am.

1 Like

NeoWanZaeed(m): 10:16am On Feb 26, 2024
Ignorant fools

27 Likes 1 Share

AC: 10:17am On Feb 26, 2024
They spread peace to the woman.

If not police, the woman would have been at peace resting in peace.


They will shout islamophobia while they things like this and then wonder why people hate their horrible cultists religion.

51 Likes 4 Shares

Exceed15: 10:17am On Feb 26, 2024
These people even kill their relatives in the name of "Mercy Killing. Thank God I have seen the light.

49 Likes 3 Shares

santaclaws: 10:17am On Feb 26, 2024
Typical illiterate muslim society. Just like the ones in Northern Nigeria... That's how they'd have killed the woman before discovering their ignorance. After killing her, they'd lie that she blasphemed 😏

They don't even understand the same Arabic language they've been learning all their lives. They think everything written in Arabic has to do with the quran or islam.

54 Likes 2 Shares

seuncyrus(m): 10:17am On Feb 26, 2024
Religion is the most dangerous creation ever.
Sadly , Most of those guys can't even read Arabic , they only memorize the text of the Quran.
If you want to know this, write an article in Arabic and ask them to read , they can't.
That was how those religious fanatics killed an Igbo man in the north decades ago because of a Lebanese magazine written in Arabic. They didn't even know it was a magazine, as long as it is written in Arabic , it's a sacred text.

Islam really needs to do something about its followers - It's not just about saying you're the religion of peace , Show me who you are by your actions and not just mere words.

50 Likes 6 Shares

Anguldi(m): 10:17am On Feb 26, 2024
Only ISLAMABAD tongue

17 Likes 1 Share

Ejehhhh: 10:17am On Feb 26, 2024
Na so dem nearly lynched one Igwe for lagos that year🤣🤣🤣

5 Likes 1 Share

NeoWanZaeed(m): 10:17am On Feb 26, 2024
Even at that, they should call her and address her ..even if the inscription is Quranic.


Terrorist people. Defacing Islam just like Hausa and other SECTS

13 Likes 1 Share

deolumike(m): 10:17am On Feb 26, 2024
What a religion?? It's 2024!
OLAADEGBU:


SaharaReporters

4 Likes

PETUK(m): 10:17am On Feb 26, 2024
The amount of Illiteracy in Islamic world is Heartwarming to us Neutral

17 Likes 2 Shares

1Sharon(f): 10:18am On Feb 26, 2024
The vampires almost claimed another one.

7 Likes

Franking: 10:19am On Feb 26, 2024
It appears Pakistani people live for blasphemy. They just go about looking for blasphemy. Coconut heads.

33 Likes 1 Share

potent5(m): 10:19am On Feb 26, 2024
Religion of pieces.

14 Likes

higgs: 10:19am On Feb 26, 2024
This is scary

7 Likes

dgitrader(m): 10:20am On Feb 26, 2024
rayvelez:
She can’t escaped this in Sokoto even the owner of the restaurant would have been the one to chased her out…

Even a police barracks can't save her. She will be roasted alive anywhere in the far north. Those almajiris are bloodhound savagies

24 Likes 2 Shares

Honoredeblazac: 10:20am On Feb 26, 2024
Sahara dey carry fake news. Urdu which is Pakistani language is written officially in Arabic script, so there is no way Pakistanis will hurt someone for some Arabic if it was not blasphemy. And it’s clear that when they checked and it’s wasn’t one, she was let go

6 Likes 1 Share

TOPCRUISE(m): 10:20am On Feb 26, 2024
This is similar to our North.
When you thread in places were western education is seen as Haram you have to be careful. A sneeze, a scratch, a wink, how you yawn or a gentle fart can make them qualify you as an infidel which can lead to your demise within a brief moment chorused by Allahu akba.

22 Likes 1 Share

xynerise: 10:21am On Feb 26, 2024
These guys are yet to realize only the devil behaves this way.

Religion of piss indeed

19 Likes 1 Share

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