ISLAMABAD – Muslims in Pakistan took to the streets on Friday in observance of a “Day of the Sanctity of Quran” following a call by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to protest against the burning of the Islamic holy book in Sweden. The largest rallies were anticipated in Lahore and Karachi, with demonstrations also taking place in Islamabad and other cities.
In Islamabad, lawyers displayed copies of the Quran as they protested in front of the Supreme Court, while worshippers outside mosques organized smaller rallies, demanding the severance of diplomatic ties with Sweden. Additionally, a group of minority Christians in the northwest region held their own rally to denounce the Quran burning.
Supporters of Pakistan’s Jamaat-e-Islami party, a major radical Islamist group, held rallies across the country, expressing their condemnation of the Quran burning incident.
The anger in Muslim countries has been growing since last week when a man, identified as a Christian from Iraq in Swedish media, burned the Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. Muslim leaders in Sweden have also condemned the act. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a televised speech to lawmakers, questioned the Swedish police’s handling of the incident.
Sharif further urged his fellow citizens through Twitter to send a strong message to Sweden by participating in nationwide rallies and demonstrations under the banner of the “Sanctity of Quran Day” following Friday prayers.
Similar calls for protests were also made by Imran Khan, the former prime minister, and other political leaders, resulting in separate rallies being held throughout the country.
Among the participants in the anti-Sweden protests is the Tehreek-e-Labiak Pakistan (TLP), a radical party known for its violent demonstrations against blasphemy and the desecration of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. TLP has called for a boycott of all Swedish products and the severing of diplomatic ties until the individual responsible for burning the Quran is brought to justice. The party gained prominence in the 2018 elections by focusing on defending Pakistan’s blasphemy law, which mandates the death penalty for those who insult Islam.