There's nothing a practising Muslim ever does without the invocation: "Bismillah ar-Rahman-ur-Rahim" (In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful). About Prophet Mohammed he will tell you that Allah sent him to earth as "Rahmat-ul-Alemeen" (mercy on all mankind). The very word Islam means peace, you will be told. Allah, Prophet Mohammed, Islam is all about peace, compassion, mercy. Get it?

No doubt Mumtaz Qadri, the assassin of Pakistan Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, believes himself to be a pious Muslim. No doubt "Bismillah ar-Rahman-ur-Rahim" preceded the bullets he pumped into a person he was trained, paid and sworn to protect, risking his life if need be. No doubt he committed cold-blooded murder in the name of "Allah the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful", in defence of a religion that means peace, and the honour of the Prophet (Hurmat-e-Rasul), who is meant to be mercy on all mankind. Killing for peace? I just don't get it.

Could it be that despite his self-perception, Qadri was actually under Satan's evil influence? Banish the thought! For the "respected ulema" of Pakistan, the man is a "ghazi" now. (In Islam a ghazi enjoys as high a status as a shaheed.) If we happen to think otherwise, we too are blasphemers, kafirs, wajib-ul-qatl (fit to be killed).

Killing may not be your idea or mine for promoting peace, but, to the "respected ulema" of Pakistan that's Islam. Read the joint statement issued by 500 "maulanas" from the Jamaat Ahle Sunnat Pakistan (JASP), which also issued a death threat to anyone who dared lead or even participate in the namaaz-e-janaza (funeral prayer) of Taseer: "The punishment for blasphemy against the prophet can only be death, as per the Holy Book, the Sunnah, the consensus of Muslim opinion and explanations by the ulema... this brave person (Qadri) has maintained 1,400 years of Muslim tradition, and has let the heads of 1.5 billion Muslims of the world be held high with pride." No, you messiahs of murder, count me out.

... contd.

ALSO READ The taper tigers

Please read our terms of use before posting comments