MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

By Rana Tanveer, The Express Tribune – “LAHORE: A Christian worker at a veterinary dispensary building shared by a police post has accused two police officials of beating and humiliating him for drinking water from a glass used by the policemen.

Nisar Masih, assistant at the Veterinary Dispensary at Jandiala in the Narang Mandi police area, told The Express Tribune that he had filed an application on August 4 to the Sheikhupura regional police officer (RPO) against ASI Rana Raees Ahmed, the police post in charge and constable Muhammad Sarfaraz for beating him up for drinking water from a glass he found in front of the former’s office.

According to the complaint, Sarfaraz took Nisar Masih to the office of Ahmed on seeing him drink water from the office cooler. Ahmed asked Nisar Masih about his religion. When he responded that he was a Christian, Ahmed remarked, ‘How dare you drink from a Muslim’s glass?’ Ahmed then asked Nisar Misih to sit. When he sat in a chair, Ahmed admonished him, ‘How dare you sit on a chair? Sit on the ground.’ Masih said Ahmed also abused and beat him. His ordeal only ended when dispensary incharge Dr Mohsin Farooq Hashmi and two other colleagues pleaded with Ahmed to secure his release. Nisar Masih said, ‘I approached former MPA Chaudhry Wajid Ali on July 29 to request action against the police officials. He informed the concerned DSP and also forwarded a written complaint.’ He said he had stopped going to work since the incident fearing another beating.

ASI Ahmed told The Tribune he had had no objection to Nisar Maseeh sharing their glass when he did not know he was a Christian. ‘On July 28, there was a complaint and I called him to my office and asked him about his religion. He said he was a Christian, I asked, ‘How come he drinks from a glass used by Muslims?… Christians can’t use utensils used by Muslims.’

He denied that he had abused or beaten Nisar Maseeh. Instead, he said he had complained against him to Dr Hashmi. Ahmed said, ‘Dr Hashmi said he had no objection to sharing utensils with Christians… I told him to not let him drink water from our glass.’ He said I have given the glass to Nisar Maseeh and asked him not to use the new glass.

Chaudhry Wajid Ali said he believed that Maseeh had been humiliated and beaten on account of his religious beliefs. He said the DSP had not responded to his complaint.” Read more.

If speech critical of Islam is truly a “national security threat” then maybe it’s time to ban Islam, starting with the expulsion of this imam …

By Joe Newby, Examiner – “According to Mohammad Qatanani, Imam of one of the largest mosques in New Jersey, free speech that is critical of Islam poses a national security threat and ‘should be investigated by the Department of Homeland Security,’ The Blaze reported Thursday.

‘We, as Americans, have to put limits and borders [on] freedom of speech,’ he told The Blaze.

‘He explained that while Americans may ‘have the freedom’ to speak their mind, ultimately, they ‘have no right to [talk about Muslim] holy issues’ as it will incite ‘hatred or war among people,” Tiffany Gabbay wrote.

The religious leader also said that speech that denigrates Islam puts Americans at risk both in the United States and abroad. The solution, therefore, is to scrap the First Amendment and replace it with sharia law ‘for the ultimate ‘good’ of society.’

Gabbay noted that Qatanani was ‘nearly deported in 2008 for failing to disclose his former ties to the terrorist organization Hamas on a 1996 Green Card application.’

Stressing the online anti-Islamic video that some claim is behind the riots and protests at U.S. embassies, Qatanani said that Homeland Security needs to prevent artists from producing works that are critical of Islam or the prophet Mohammed.

‘They [Muslims] think our [American] freedoms are too much,’ he said. ‘The freedom of the American people is so different from their [Muslims’] freedoms. We believe freedoms have limits and rules, otherwise we will get people into trouble… Freedom according to Islam must be according to the Quran and Sunnah. You can do [anything] you like within the teachings of these two resources. This is the difference and main reason [for the conflict].’

He also told The Blaze that it is okay, however, for Muslims to mock Jesus or Moses.” Read more.

Egypt Independent – “Egypt’s influential Muslim Brotherhood demanded Thursday that France act against cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohamed in the same way as against the topless pictures of Prince William’s wife Catherine.

Its political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, called for ‘firm and rapid measures against the (French) magazine’ Charlie Hebdo which printed cartoons mocking the prophet on Wednesday.

The movement, from which President Mohamed Morsy emerged, pointed out that ‘the French judiciary has taken dissuasive measures against a magazine which published the photographs’ of the former Kate Middleton, the British royal.

French authorities on Tuesday banned the magazine Closer from any further publication or resale of the pictures and launched a criminal investigation into how they were obtained.

The FJP also stressed ‘the tough stand (of French authorities) against those who deny the Holocaust’ in France.

France has been bracing for a backlash following the publication of the Mohamed cartoons — two of which portray the founder of Islam naked — by Charlie Hebdo, a satirical weekly.” Read more.

Iran Protesters: Death To France, Down With The US! – “Dozens of Iranian students and clerics have gathered outside the French Embassy in Tehran to protest the publication of caricatures of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad by a French satirical weekly. Protesters chanted ‘Death to France’ and ‘Down with the US,’ and burned the flags of both nations Thursday.” Read more.

By Khurram Shahzad – “ISLAMABAD — Thousands of protesters angry at a US-made anti-Islam film clashed with police close to Islamabad’s diplomatic enclave on Thursday in chaotic scenes that left at least 50 people injured.

Officers fired tear gas and live rounds as the demonstrators, many armed with wooden clubs, tried to reach the heavily-guarded enclave, home to most Western embassies, including the US, British and French missions.

The government called in the army to protect the area after protesters broke through a barrier of shipping containers set up by police to block a road leading to the enclave.

The crudely made ‘Innocence of Muslims’, produced by US-based extremist Christians, has triggered protests in at least 20 countries since excerpts were posted online, and more than 30 people have been killed in violence linked to the film.

The US State Department on Thursday warned its citizens to avoid travel to Pakistan and Washington has moved to boost security at its diplomatic missions worldwide.

There have been dozens of demonstrations around Pakistan over the past week and at least two people have been killed, but Thursday was the first time protests in the capital had turned violent.

An initial demonstration of around 1,000 swelled to around 5,000 with the arrival of protesters carrying the flags of hardline Islamist groups Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Jamaat-e-Islami and Sipah-e-Sahaba — which is banned by the Pakistan government.

Police fired tear gas and live rounds as the protesters, chanting ‘we are ready to die to safeguard the Prophet’s honour’ and demanding punishment for those who insult Islam, stormed the container barrier.

The firing scattered the crowd, but they returned to pelt officers with stones and breach the cordon, before torching a police post next to the nearby five-star Serena hotel and fighting officers in chaotic scenes.

The luxury hotel, much used by visiting Westerners, came under attack as a few demonstrators managed to enter the car park and damage vehicles, while others picked up tear gas shells fired by police and threw them into the Serena compound.

Doctor Razia Sultana of the Federal Government Services Hospital said at least 44 police and six civilians were hurt in the clashes, with the majority of injuries caused by stones and tear gas shells.

The Islamabad demonstration dispersed in the early evening, around five hours after it started, as government paramilitary helicopters hovered overhead.

Protester Rehan Ahmad explained the crowd’s fury.

‘Islam is often ridiculed by America and the West and blasphemy is committed against our prophet in the name of freedom of expression,’ he told AFP.” Read more.