RAWALPINDI, Pakistan: The “Protest Day” against the colonial interference in Muslim States and desecration of holy places was observed on the first Friday of the holy month of fasting on the call of Quaid-i-Millat Jafariya Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi with religious and national spirit. Peaceful demonstrations were organised in twin cities of Rawalpindi-Islamabad, all provincial capitals, small and big cities of the country. Ulema, Khutaba and Aa’imma Juma Wal Jamaat raised the voice of protest in Juma congregations against continued oppression in Syria, Iraq, Bahrain, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

In the Federal capital Islamabad, the central protest rally was taken out from the Jamia Masjid Jafariya I-9 Islamabad under the auspices of Mukhtar Students Organisation. The rally was led by Imam Juma Wal Jamaat Allama Syed Guftar Hussain Sadiqi, Maulana Shahzad Hussain Sundi, Shamim Haider Syed, Imran Zaidi, Bu Ali Mehdi, Qasim Al-Hussaini, Syed Jone Ali Mashadi, Ali Abuzar Chauhan and others. In his address on the occasion, Allama Sadiqi expressed grave concern over continued conspiracies of the colonial powers against Muslim States. He said the Arab world is completely supporting international colonial powers in whatever is going on in Afghanistan where holy places including Mazar Sharif are being desecrated and in similar incidents in Iraq Imamul Askarain, shrine of Hazrat Imam Abu Hanifah, Karbala-e-Moallah, Najaf-e-Ashraf and Syria. He said Ulema are being targeted and a few days ago, the city of Hazrat Syeda Zainab (S.A.) called Sitta-e-Zainab was targeted. He lamented that today minority is massacring the majority making their life difficult.

Syed Shamim Haider presented a resolution that was unanimously approved by the demonstrators among vociferous slogans. The resolution strongly condemned violence against and arrest of Shaikh Baqar Al-Nimr, and solitary confinement of Imam-e-Juma of Masjid Aaimma-e-Baqee Shaikh Taufiq since long. It said it is a good omen of Arab summit is being summoned by Saudi King Shah Abdullah in August about coups in the Arab countries. It said one of the reasons of coups is disappointment of people from their rulers besides non-fulfilment of rights, restrictions on beliefs and ideologies while Islam preaches to the contrary. It said the problems in Saudi Arabia would have been resolved by today had the problems of the people resolved, there was no restriction of beliefs on anyone, dignity of the holy places is restored. Similary, neither the Zionists would not have the courage to desecrate Al-Quds Al-Sharif and Hindus to raze the Babri Masjid to ground, nor would the Burmese Muslims have gone the gory oppression.

In Rawalpindi, a big protest rally was taken out from Jamia Masjid Sakhi Shah Piyara Kazmi Chaur Harpal after the Juma prayers. TNFJ regional president Allama Syed Matloob Hussain Taqi, MSO regional president Syed Arsalan Kazmi, Syed Rajab Ali Kazmi and others led the rally. They raised vociferous slogans against the oppression against innocent citizens in Syria and desecration of holy places. A resolution adopted on the occasion said the colonial powers first used satanic tactics to divide the Muslim Ummah in Arab and Ajam and then fanned biases pitching brother against brother. They did not let their designs open to the Arab world and where any voice of protest was raised it was silenced. Even today the Muslim States are playing in the hands of America and renowned ulema are gaoled while uncountable innocent people have been killed.

The resolution said the Fateh-e-Shaam and the courageous daughter of Ali Ibne Abi Talib (A.S.), Syed Zainab (S.A.) had defeated the Yazidi power and now the colonial powers have invited heinous defeat by attacking the Sitta-e-Zainab. The echoes of Zainab’s (S.A.) khutbaat are still fresh Shaam’s air and the kings with Yazidi minds have sent terrorists to Syrian so as to force the Syrian government to bow down and accept their supremacy. It said the Arab League countries that are putting their demands to Syrian government are actually trying to pave way for permanent supremacy of Israel. The resolution said that next target would be Iran and then they may move to their real target Pakistan. The demonstrators dispersed peacefully after their protest.

Another rally was taken out from Jamia Masjid Qasr-e-Abu Talib. Imam Juma Wal Jamaat Allama Syed Mohsin Ali Hamdani and other led the rally after Juma prayers. Allama Hamdani in his address said Pakistan is the citadel of Islam and the international atheist forces are utilizing all their energy to cause harm to it. Drone attacks, suicide attacks, blasts, target killings are still going on despite restoration of Nato supplies which is condemnable. He said solidarity will be expressed for the oppressed and hatred against the oppressors and voice will be raised against the desecration of holy places and the Islamic World on Friday following the saying of Amirul Momineen Hazrat Ali Ibne Abi Talib (A.S.) that express hatred against the oppressor and fully support the oppressed to whichever area they belong to. He called upon the human right organisations including the United Nations, the Security Council and ICC to stop interference of international colonial powers in the Muslim States and get the oppression of rulers against people stopped, and provide complete protection to the Sha’air Allah and holy places. He demanded to declare Syria, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain as international cities to that people can perform Zairaat of holy signs and Mashaheer-e-Islam in a respectable manner.

Meanwhile, according to reports reaching the offices of TNFJ’s central Protest Day committee, similar protest rallies were taken out in Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Lahore, Muzaffarabad, Faisalabad, Mianwali, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bhakkar, Khairpur Mirs, Hyderabad, Gilgit, Skardu and other cities.