A teenage boy in Mansehra, who allegedly contested the role of certain companions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), was coerced to profess his allegiance to the Sunni sect and declare other sects -- who question certain caliphs -- infidel by an unruly mob in the presence of police.
According to a video making rounds on social media, the boy can be seen declaring that the people who do not believe in the caliphate of Ameer Muawiya are 'infidels'. The youth was also asked to recite a kalma to demonstrate faith in the Sunni sect.
The person in the video can also be heard asking the boy to accept the caliphate of Muawiya, who became a 'rightful ruler' after Imam Hassan and Imam Hussain reached a peace deal with him.
On social media, it was being claimed that the boy was a Shia and people forced him to profess Sunni Islam. However, according to the statement of local police, the boy hailed from the Sunni sect.
In a statement, the police said: "The accused Syed Zed Bukhari s/o Syed Altaf Hussain of Dera Sayedan is a Sunni, while some of his relatives belong to the Shia sect of Islam."
According to the police statement that sought to debunk 'propaganda' being disseminated on social media, the boy was a student of Matric and made some questionable remarks against the controversial role of Ameer Muawiya and Abu Sufyan in a Whatsapp conversation with his friend.
However, the conversation got into the hands of local clerics, who took 'offence' to the remarks made against the said personalities and demanded registration of a case against the boy, said police. It added that the clerics submitted written complaints to the SHO Garhi on Sept 5 that was followed by a protest attended by at least 200 people.
To prevent any law and order situation, the SHO concerned detained the boy and brought him to custody in preventive custody, the statement claimed.
According to police, the protesters decided to withdraw their complaint against the boy after learning that the latter was a Sunni and a minor. "They sought his verbal testimony, however," said police, adding that the boy and the family agreed to it 'voluntarily'.
Sudden rise in blasphemy cases against Shias:
At least 42 cases pertaining to blasphemy were registered across Pakistan in a single month. Most of those accused of blasphemy belonged to the Shia community, who have been booked under 295-A and 298 sections of the Pakistan Penal Code for allegedly ‘insulting the companions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)’.
Similarly, members of Ahmadiyya and Christian communities are also among the people accused of blasphemy. Blasphemy accusations are highly inflammatory in deeply conservative Pakistan and have in the past sparked mob lynchings, vigilante murders, and mass protests.
According to a video making rounds on social media, the boy can be seen declaring that the people who do not believe in the caliphate of Ameer Muawiya are 'infidels'. The youth was also asked to recite a kalma to demonstrate faith in the Sunni sect.
Mansehra: Mohd Zahid, a local Shia, is being forced by mullahs to recite the kalma of the 'majority' sect in presence of the police officials. He's also being forced to curse and call all those Shias infidels who have different beliefs than the 'majority' sect. 1/2#ShiaGenocide pic.twitter.com/rA03tPHSJV
— Asad Gokal (@asadgokal) September 6, 2020
The person in the video can also be heard asking the boy to accept the caliphate of Muawiya, who became a 'rightful ruler' after Imam Hassan and Imam Hussain reached a peace deal with him.
On social media, it was being claimed that the boy was a Shia and people forced him to profess Sunni Islam. However, according to the statement of local police, the boy hailed from the Sunni sect.
Police say boy not Shia:
In a statement, the police said: "The accused Syed Zed Bukhari s/o Syed Altaf Hussain of Dera Sayedan is a Sunni, while some of his relatives belong to the Shia sect of Islam."
According to the police statement that sought to debunk 'propaganda' being disseminated on social media, the boy was a student of Matric and made some questionable remarks against the controversial role of Ameer Muawiya and Abu Sufyan in a Whatsapp conversation with his friend.
Just received detailed response from DPO Mansehra, Mr Sadiq Baloch. The reality is bit different from how it’s being portrayed in above video. Swift and intelligent response from Mansehra Police has resulted in amicable solution of the issue. pic.twitter.com/Lmt2qBUJD4
— Zaigham (@aviramza) September 6, 2020
However, the conversation got into the hands of local clerics, who took 'offence' to the remarks made against the said personalities and demanded registration of a case against the boy, said police. It added that the clerics submitted written complaints to the SHO Garhi on Sept 5 that was followed by a protest attended by at least 200 people.
To prevent any law and order situation, the SHO concerned detained the boy and brought him to custody in preventive custody, the statement claimed.
According to police, the protesters decided to withdraw their complaint against the boy after learning that the latter was a Sunni and a minor. "They sought his verbal testimony, however," said police, adding that the boy and the family agreed to it 'voluntarily'.
Sudden rise in blasphemy cases against Shias:
At least 42 cases pertaining to blasphemy were registered across Pakistan in a single month. Most of those accused of blasphemy belonged to the Shia community, who have been booked under 295-A and 298 sections of the Pakistan Penal Code for allegedly ‘insulting the companions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)’.
Similarly, members of Ahmadiyya and Christian communities are also among the people accused of blasphemy. Blasphemy accusations are highly inflammatory in deeply conservative Pakistan and have in the past sparked mob lynchings, vigilante murders, and mass protests.