Pakistan governor buried, clerics warn against grief

Salman Taseer

ISLAMABAD, (Reuters) – A politician gunned down over  his opposition to Pakistan’s blasphemy laws was buried yesterday after a murder likely to cow further those pushing for  a more liberal and secular vision of Pakistani society.

Five hundred Pakistani religious scholars said that anyone  who expressed grief over the assassination of Salman Taseer,  governor of Punjab province, could suffer the same fate.

Taseer, a liberal politician close to President Asif Ali  Zardari, had championed the cause of a Christian woman sentenced  to death under the blasphemy laws which critics say are used to  target religious minorities, often to settle personal scores.

His killing in broad daylight at a shopping centre in  Islamabad on Tuesday showed how difficult, and how dangerous, it  would be to roll back a tide of religious conservatism which is  growing in strength in the Muslim country of 170 million.

Taseer was killed by one of his guards, who said he was  incensed by the politician’s opposition to the blasphemy laws,  in a parking lot at a block of shops popular with foreigners.

The scholars praised the “courage” and religious zeal of the  killer, saying his action had made Muslims around the world  proud. Pakistani officials said they were investigating whether  the killing was part of a wider conspiracy.

Salman Taseer

The blasphemy laws have widespread support in a country that  is more than 95 percent Muslim, and most politicians are loath  to be seen as soft on the defence of Islam. Taseer, however, was  an outspoken critic.
Thousands waved ruling Pakistan People’s Party flags at  Taseer’s funeral at his official residence in the city of  Lahore, which was attended by Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani  and other top government officials.

The Jamaat-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat Pakistan group of scholars making  the veiled threat is from what is seen as a relatively moderate  school of Islam in Pakistan. It is a vocal critic of militants  violently opposed to the government and its ally Washington.

However, they have been leading protests in favour of the  blasphemy law.
The hardline stand taken by them illustrates how difficult  it can be for Washington, which sees Islamabad as indispensable  in its war on militancy, to persuade Pakistani leaders to crack  down harder on religious extremism.

“More than 500 scholars of the Jamaat-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat have  advised Muslims not to offer the funeral prayers of Governor  Punjab Salman Taseer nor try to lead the prayers,” the group  said in a statement.

“Also, there should be no expression of grief or sympathy on  the death of the governor, as those who support blasphemy of the  Prophet are themselves indulging in blasphemy.”

Many people writing on social media have praised Taseer’s  assassination. When his accused killer, wearing a black hood,  was brought to court in a police vehicle, some people screamed  Allahu Akbar (God is greatest). Others threw rose petals.