Religious clerics, scholars condemn Sialkot lynching attack

KARACHI: Religious clerics and scholars including Mufti Muneebur Rehman, Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani and Maulana Tariq Jamil have condemned the lynching of a Sri Lankan man in Sialkot.

The Sri Lankan factory manager, Priyantha Kumara, was beaten to death on Friday in Sialkot and set ablaze by a mob over allegations of blasphemy.

Read more: Sialkot lynching: Sri Lanka confident PM Imran Khan will punish culprits

Speaking to Bol News, senior scholar of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat and former chairman of Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Mufti Muneebur Rehman termed the Sialkot incident unpleasant.

“There is a constitutional and legal system in Pakistan and although questions are raised about its transparency and impartiality, there is no justification for taking the law into one’s own hands,” he said.

Mufti Rehman said that taking the law into one’s hands spreads anarchy and lawlessness in the society which was against the interest of the country and refrained the media from blaming anyone before the investigation was completed.

Mufti Usmani took to Twitter on Saturday and said, “Blasphemy is an extremely heinous crime. But it requires equally strong evidence to prove it taking it upon oneself to lay accusation and mete out punishment in a barbaric and haram [forbidden] way has no justification at all. The #Sialkotincident has disgraced this country and Muslim Ummah.”

Blasphemy is an extremely heinous crime; but it requires equally strong evidence to prove it Taking it upon oneself to lay accusation and mete out punishment in a barbaric and Haram way has no justification at all.
The #Sialkotincident has disgraced this country and Muslim Ummah

— Muhammad Taqi Usmani (@muftitaqiusmani) December 4, 2021

Maulana Jamil also termed the burning of the foreigner in Sialkot was a “sad” incident.

“It is against Islamic teachings to take the law into one’s own hands based on a mere accusation. There is no place for violence and extremism in Islam. Scholars play a positive role in preventing extremism,” he said in a tweet.

سیالکوٹ میں ناموسِ رسالت کی آڑ میں غیر ملکی کو زندہ جلا دینے کا واقعہ انتہائی افسوسناک ہے. محض الزام کی بنیاد پر قانون کو ہاتھ میں لینا اسلامی تعلیمات کے خلاف ہے. اسلام میں تشدد اورشدت پسندی کی کوئی جگہ نہیں. علماء کرام انتہا پسندی کو روکنے میں مثبت کردار ادا کریں.#Sialkot

— Tariq Jamil (@TariqJamilOFCL) December 3, 2021

Several video clips shared on social media showed a mob beating Kumara. Other clips showed his body set ablaze, as well as the overturned wreckage of what was said to be his car.

Read more: Army chief condemns ‘cold-blooded’ murder of Sri Lankan national in Sialkot

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Saturday expressed confidence that Prime Minister Imran Khan would keep his commitment by bringing the perpetrators of the crime to justice.