A Pakistani official on Saturday placed a US$100,000 bounty on the head of the maker of an anti-Islam film that has sparked a wave of violence and anger, as Muslims mounted fresh protests worldwide.
Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmed Bilour also called on the Taliban and Al-Qaeda to join the hunt and help accomplish the "noble deed.''
Bilour spoke to reporters in the northwestern city of Peshawar a day after violent nationwide demonstrations against the "Innocence of Muslims'' film left 21 people dead and more than 200 injured.
"I announce today that this blasphemer who has abused the holy prophet, if somebody will kill him, I will give that person a prize of $100,000,'' Bilour said, urging others to shower the killer with cash and gold.
"I also invite Taliban and Al-Qaeda brothers to be partners in this noble deed,'' he added. "I also announce that if the government hands this person over to me, my heart says I will finish him with my own hands and then they can hang me.''
Protests against the low-budget film, which mocks Islam, have erupted across the Muslim world, leading to more than 50 deaths since the first demonstrations on September 11.
That the person advocating murder for money is a Pakistani government Minister is absolutely outrageous. Any sympathy towards the Muslim community over the lampooning of its prophet in a spoof movie is fast evaporating.
By all means Muslims can feel aggrieved at the portrayal of the prophet whom they idolise. But violence is a completely unacceptable response, and it should be condemned.
Dad was dead right; two wrongs do NOT make a right.
9 comments:
Yeah, but they obviously don't see it as a wrong, do they?
I too subscribe to the belief that two wrongs don't make a right. I wonder how one should respond to the SAS going into Afghanistan to wreak revenge on the Taliban responsible for our troops' deaths?
It was deeply saddening that they suffered so, yet I believe that they should not have been there in the first place. For me, that was a wrong. Their deaths were wrongs. too. SAS-led retribution must, it seems to me, be a wrong, too.
Retribution. Key seemed to relish the idea. I'll bet there are those here who are cheering-on the pay-back, KS included.
yes, the problem with retribution is that it tends to get a bit cyclic.
violence is not ok---including U.S. violence such as killing innocent civilians using drones.....or decimating 2 countries out of revenge for 9/11....or arming radicals to fight proxy wars....or......
Our Prime Minister supports 'an eye for an eye'.
Is he sick?
Your dad, Keeping Stock, would have been critical of Key sending SAS back to Afghanistan on a revenge mission, by the sound of it. He was right to say what he did about 'two wrongs'.
With respect Mark, you know nothing about my father. He was a decorated WW2 veteran, who followed orders. There is a huge difference between soldiers doing what they are trained to do in combat and a politician offering money to someone to kill an innocent citizen.
The sad (and ironic) thing about this whole affair over the film is that these people who have enacted or advocated violence against the west are damaging the perception of their religion a lot more than the film ever would have. All actions like this does is reinforce the image that islam is a violent religion.
I didn't catch it all, but there was a discussion about this on the UK Sky news this morning (about 0600), I think it was with an official from the High Commission in London.
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