Tahir Ashrafi (left) with other Muslim extremist leaders
Three articles were brought to BPCA's attention recently. The first two were articles in the New Pakistan online newspaper by Mahmood Adeel, and ably express why we should be very sceptical about the words of Tahir Ashrafi, the Islam(icist) spokesperson and leader who is widely quoted as being in support of Rimsha. Basically, it says the case against Rimsha was a PR disaster for the Muslim extremist movement and the blasphemy law, and they have recognized this. So they are making supportive noises about the Rimsha case, talking of justice, of prosecutions on those making false charges, on the need for full and free investigations by the law and order forces, and the need to curb abuses. This is a PR tactic to try and blunt our and other calls for the blasphemy laws to be massively reformed or abolished. It is, in short a manipulative charm offensive.
