A Pakistani Scholar Accused of Blasphemy Is Shot Dead

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Quote:

A liberal Muslim scholar who had been accused of blasphemy for a speech he gave during a visit to the United States was shot and killed in Karachi on Thursday, the city police said. The scholar, Muhammad Shakil Auj, was the dean of Islamic studies at the state-run University of Karachi. Unidentified gunmen on a motorbike attacked the vehicle he was riding in on his way to a reception at his honor at the Iranian Consulate. [...] Dr. Auj, 54, had earlier complained to the police about death threats he began receiving after delivering a speech in the United States in 2012, his colleagues and the police said. Nasir Lodhi, a senior police official, said that Dr. Auj told the police that four professors at the University of Karachi had accused him of blasphemy for comments he made during that speech. Mr. Lodhi said he could not say where the speech was made, or the nature of the offending comments. Dr. Auj lodged a criminal complaint against the four professors, who were later arrested by the police. One of them, Dr. Abdul Rasheed, had previously held Dr. Auj’s position as dean of Islamic studies at the university. The four men face trial but are currently free on bail, the police said. [...] Blasphemy is punishable by death under Pakistani law, and accusations of blasphemy have inspired a rising tide of vigilante killings in recent years that are seen as a sign of growing intolerance in the country. Human rights groups say the laws are frequently abused in pursuit of personal or professional grudges. Dr. Auj, who was considered a progressive liberal in his field, had written 15 books about Islam and was a regular participant in television debates about religious issues, according to a profile on the University of Karachi website. Last month, the government awarded him a presidential medal of distinction for his contribution in the fields of education and research. The Karachi police chief, Ghulam Qadir Thebo, announced a reward of two million rupees, the equivalent of about $20,000, for information leading to the arrest of Dr. Auj’s killers. His students mounted a protest outside Karachi University. On campus, some teachers said they would indefinitely boycott their classes. “The government has failed to protect our teachers,” said Ahmad Ali Shah, a student at the Islamic studies department, during the protest.

:mad:



It looks like these four professors took advantage of Pakistan's **********-up blasphemy laws and increasing tendency towards extremism to carry out a personal/professional grudge against the professor, resulting in his murder. At least the students and other teachers at the university are trying to take a stand against this kind of thing.

via JREF Forum http://ift.tt/1twVzMl