The news that a small Florida church burned a copy of the Qur’an on March 20 went virtually unreported in most of the world – with Pakistan the chief exception.
Dozens of reports on the Qur’an burning appeared in Pakistani media outlets on March 22-23, but the story received negligible coverage elsewhere in the Islamic world.
Pakistani religious organizations mobilized. Dozens or religious leaders met in Lahore to plan a response, and announced plans for public protests across Pakistan. In a statement the meeting accused the U.S. government and Pope Benedict XVI of responsibility for the “blasphemy.”
One of the participants, a group which the U.S. State Department calls a “front operation” for the terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Toiba, announced that a reward of some $1.2 million would be paid to anyone who kills Jones.
Still, little media coverage or reaction was evident beyond Pakistan’s borders.
Friday, March 25 saw protests in Pakistan. In Lahore, an Islamist federal lawmaker urged Islamic countries to “denounce friendship with Christians and Jews” and embrace jihad in the face of a Western “crusade.”
A “shari’a court” attached to a major mainstream Muslim organization declared Jones guilty of blasphemy and sentenced him to death. The organization demanded that the government expel the U.S. ambassador within two weeks, or face much bigger demonstrations, including a march to Islamabad.
A large anti-U.S. rally was held in Islamabad on Sunday March 27. Munawar Hasan, leader of the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, told the gathering that if Pakistan and other Islamic countries had any sense of honor they would cut off all ties with the U.S.
During the course of last week, more reports on protests about the Qur’an-burning incident appeared, the vast majority of them limited to Pakistan.
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Dozens of reports on the Qur’an burning appeared in Pakistani media outlets on March 22-23, but the story received negligible coverage elsewhere in the Islamic world.
Pakistani religious organizations mobilized. Dozens or religious leaders met in Lahore to plan a response, and announced plans for public protests across Pakistan. In a statement the meeting accused the U.S. government and Pope Benedict XVI of responsibility for the “blasphemy.”
One of the participants, a group which the U.S. State Department calls a “front operation” for the terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Toiba, announced that a reward of some $1.2 million would be paid to anyone who kills Jones.
Still, little media coverage or reaction was evident beyond Pakistan’s borders.
Friday, March 25 saw protests in Pakistan. In Lahore, an Islamist federal lawmaker urged Islamic countries to “denounce friendship with Christians and Jews” and embrace jihad in the face of a Western “crusade.”
A “shari’a court” attached to a major mainstream Muslim organization declared Jones guilty of blasphemy and sentenced him to death. The organization demanded that the government expel the U.S. ambassador within two weeks, or face much bigger demonstrations, including a march to Islamabad.
A large anti-U.S. rally was held in Islamabad on Sunday March 27. Munawar Hasan, leader of the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, told the gathering that if Pakistan and other Islamic countries had any sense of honor they would cut off all ties with the U.S.
During the course of last week, more reports on protests about the Qur’an-burning incident appeared, the vast majority of them limited to Pakistan.
Cache version as the original page may not be loading
