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A page from Zarb-e-Momin
After the January 7 attack on the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, a jihadist magazine in Pakistan published an article by Islamic cleric Maulana Syed Adnan Kakakhel, in which the author questioned the Pakistani government for its silence in condemning the publication of cartoons blasphemous of the Prophet Muhammad.
The jihadist magazine Zarb-e-Momin (Strike of the Faithful Muslim) began publishing in the early 1990s and is the first publication in Pakistan which openly supported Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist organizations in Afghanistan. Early on, the magazine was only sold outside mosques after Friday prayers, but now it is freely available in towns across Pakistan.
The article, titled as "Is Love [of Muhammad] Facing another Battle", warns the West to stop ridiculing the Prophet Muhammad or prepare for the consequences. While criticizing the world leaders who joined hands in Paris to condemn the attack on Charlie Hebdo, it argues that there is unprecedented unity and consensus in the whole Western world aimed at hurting the religious feelings of Muslims.
Following is the text of the article, as translated from Urdu:
"One Is Baffled At The West's Double Standards And Scenes Of Unprecedented Unity And Consensus In Enmity Against Islam"
"The hearts of 1.75 billion Muslims are injured, their souls pierced. Once again the center of Muslims' belief, the axis of their love, their biggest benefactor, their faith and belief, are shamelessly attacked by the enemies shorn of humanity. A wave of grief and angst has spread from one corner of the Muslim world to another. From Morocco to Sudan, the Muslim Ummah is expressing its grief and anger at this criminal attempt and most heinous crime.
"The act of [ridiculing the Prophet Muhammad] is so evil and bad that even the Pope had no option but to condemn it. He had to declare that if you abuse my mother, you should wait for a punch in response.
"One is baffled at the West's double standards and scenes of unprecedented unity and consensus in enmity against Islam. After the Paris incident [the attack on Charlie Hebdo] the way the Western world's top leadership gathered and walked on the streets of Paris, and the way one [Barack Obama] who failed to join the walk for any reason but expressed regrets, all these scenes are surprising. It shows that there is unprecedented unity and consensus in the whole Western world at hurting the feelings of Muslims and ridiculing their belief and faith."
"No Muslim Ruler Had The Courage To Officially Represent The Public Sentiments Of Sorrow And Anger [Against Blasphemous Cartoons], And Send An Unequivocal Message To The West"
“So, now the enmity of Islam is the only agenda on which the West and America can unite, forgetting all their differences. On the other hand, the situation of the Muslim Ummah is pitiably in shambles. The leaders of the Islamic world, their foreign ministers and foreign offices are unable to represent the sentiments of their publics.
"No Muslim ruler had the courage to officially represent the public sentiments of sorrow and anger, and send an unequivocal message to the West. Our [Pakistan's] National Assembly [lower house of the parliament] did pass a resolution condemning [the publication of cartoons], members of the parliament also protested, but someone has sealed the mouths of the Prime Minister [Nawaz Sharif] and the Foreign Office. No statement from the aged foreign affairs advisor [and de facto foreign minister Sartaj Aziz] has appeared thus far, which shows that the public representatives of a country which claims to be 'the citadel of Islam' have represented the sentiments of the public.
"The country's secular political parties, which always show a fanatical response at the slightest criticism of their leaders by causing mayhem in Karachi, have merely paid lip service [in condemning the Charlie Hebdo cartoons]. Such incidents are the touchstone of faith [demanding action from followers]. On the one hand are your financial, economic and employment interests, and on the other hand is the name of the universe's greatest saintly entity [Muhammad], whose name the creator of the universe attached with himself and made it part of our faith, and made the respect and obedience to him [Muhammad] as the number one condition for to be accepted by Him [Allah]. Such occasions [publication of blasphemous cartoons] demonstrate on whose side you are."
"If The West... Does Not Abandon Its Cheap And Dirty Acts Of Provoking Muslims And Trampling On Their Beliefs, It Should Be Prepared For The Worst Consequences"
"The reality is that if the West and America want to make the planet earth peaceful as they claim, then they will have to change their attitude towards the 1.75 billion Muslims. Muslims are not the world's inferior minority. The prophecy of the son of Aminah [Muhammad's mother] has proved true and the religion of the father of Fatima [Muhammad's daughter] is reaching every house and hut.
"At present, Islam is the fastest-spreading religion. Despite all their weaknesses, Muslims are a nation most connected to their religion. Amongst the world religions the passion to sacrifice their life for their religion is alive only among the followers of Islam.
"If the West, ignoring all these facts, does not abandon its cheap and dirty acts of provoking Muslims and trampling on their beliefs, it should be prepared for worst consequences. And it should accept that it has destroyed the world peace, not Muslims. Even the weakest Muslim is ready to get his head chopped off a hundred times to protect the honor of the Prophet Muhammad... If the West ignites this fire, it will also be burnt in its flames.
"The Creator of the universe [Allah] has summed up this in His book [the Koran] in two words [in Arabic]: 'Oh friend [Muhammad], I am enough for those who ridicule you.'"
Source: Haftroza Zarb-e-Momin (Pakistan), January 23-29, 2015.
