Coordinates	33°51′35.9″N151°12′40″N
color	#00CC66
name	Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
birth date	February 19, 1951
school tradition	Qadiriyya Sufi
main interests	Islamic Philosophy, Hadith, Tafsir, Seerah, Tasawwuf, Politics
notable ideas	Fatwa on Terrorism, Concept of Jihad, interfaith dialogue
influences	Tahir Allauddin, Allama Iqbal, Shaykh ibn al-`Arabi, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, Abdul-Qadir Gilani
influenced	Shaykh As’ad Muhammad Saeed as-Sagharji, Shaykh Babikir Ahmed Babikir, Shaykh Abdul Hakim Murad
website	www.tahir-ul-qadri.com
signature	}}

Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri (Urdu: محمد طاہر القادری) (born February 19, 1951, Jhang, Pakistan) is a Pakistani Sufi scholar and former professor of international constitutional law at the University of the Punjab.

Qadri is the founder of Minhaj-ul-Quran International, a Sufi-based global organisation working in the fields of welfare, human rights and education. Its objectives are the promotion of a moderate and non-extremist vision of Sufi-Islam, the establishment of good relations and understanding between communities and religions, and the education of youth employing the methods of Sufism. He also founded The Minhaj University of which he is the head of the Board of Governors, as well as an international relief charity, Minhaj Welfare Foundation. Qadri is the founding chairman of the political party Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), however, he is no longer involved in politics. Qadri has been credited with speeking at the World Economic Forum in January 2011.

Biography

Qadri is the son of Farid-ud-Din Qadri. His ancestors belong to the Sial family of Jhang. Qadri started his education at the Christian 'Sacred Heart School' in Jhang, a Catholic mission school, where Qadri learned English and was exposed to Christianity at an early age. He began his religious education at the age of 12 in Madinah, Saudi Arabia at the Madrasa al-‘Ulūm ash-Shar‘iyya, which was situated in the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, the first residence of the Islamic prophet Muhammad after his migration to Madinah. He learned under Hazrat Maulana Zia-ud-Din Madani and studied Hadith from al-Sayyid Alawi al-Malik. He then received Ijaza. He continued his religious education with his father and other scholars, and completed Dars-e-Nizami and Dars-e-Hadith.

He studied law at the University of the Punjab, Lahore where he graduated with an LLB in 1974, gaining a Gold Medal for his academic performances. Following a period of legal practice as an advocate, he taught law at the University of the Punjab from 1978 to 1983 and then gained his PhD in Law from the same university in 1986. He was appointed as a professor of Law at the University of Punjab, where he taught British, US and Islamic constitutional law.

He was appointed as a Jurist Consultant (legal adviser) on Islamic law for the Supreme Court and the Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan and also worked as a specialist adviser on Islamic curricula for the Federal Ministry of Education (Pakistan). At various times between 1983 and 1987, he received and declined offers for various high-level posts.

He has delivered more than 6,000 lectures on economy and political studies, religious philosophy, law, Sufism, medical sciences, material sciences and astronomy. Numerous lectures are available in Urdu, English and Arabic at different Islamic Shops around the world.

Qadri has himself given ijazah to a number of leading Muslim scholars, making them his students, linking them through himself back to Muhammad.

In 2006, Qadri was a keynote speaker at the Muslims of Europe Conference in Istanbul, Turkey to discuss identity, citizenship, and challenges and opportunities for European Muslims.

In March 2010 he gained media attention for the launch of his unconditional Fatwa on Terrorism and appeared on various international media outlets including Sky News, BBC News, ITV, EuroNews, Al-Jazeera, CNN and CNN's Amanpour, CBC News, Russia Today, Al Arabiya and various other outlets. He appeared on Frost Over The World in which he was interviewed by Sir David Frost and Qadri said the 'purpose of his life is to bring peace and harmony in the world.' The US State Department declared the Fatwa to be a significant publication which takes back Islam from terrorists.

Qadri was quoted in the American ''Foreign Policy'' magazine as "I am trying to bring [the terrorists] back towards humanism. This is a jihad against brutality, to bring them back towards normality. This is an intellectual jihad."

In August 2010 Qadri held the first anti-terrorism camp for Muslim youth at the University of Warwick with the aim of tackling extremism in the UK. The camp was organised by his organisation Minhaj-ul-Quran UK which has established 572 schools, a number of colleges and a chartered university.

Over the years, Qadri has been known to call himself by various un-authenticated titles such as Doctor, Professor, and most recently Shaykh-ul-Islam, none of which have been officially acknowledged or independantly authenticated.

In January 2011 Qadri was invited to speak at the World Economic Forum in Davos on the topic of "The Reality of Terrorism".

Foundation of Minhaj-ul-Quran

Qadri founded a Sufism-based organisation Minhaj-ul-Quran International in October 1981 and spent the next decade expanding it nationally and internationally.

Views

He argues that terrorists have left the true, classical teachings of Islam and that their rebellious spirit of violence and religious extremism is a continuity of the Khawarij. Qadri was one of the religious leaders in Pakistan to condemn the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. He has denounced and severely condemned Osama bin Ladin.

Qadri refutes the division of the world into two categories Dar al-Islam (the abode of Islam) and Dar al-harb (the abode of war) and that the west being the latter, which has been taught by various scholars including Sheikh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyah which is one of the reasons why radicals misuse this concept. Qadri has briefly explained this concept in his Fatwa on Terrorism. He divides the world into five categories and believes the west is similar to Dar al-Islam due to the freedom of religions and based on the international law. Qadri has commented: "All these Western countries - Britain, Europe, North America, wherever you are living - since you are enjoying all rights, all freedoms according to the constitution as other non-Muslim communities are enjoying, there is no difference. And I would have no hesitation in saying you are enjoying the rights and freedoms much better than in many other Muslim and Arab countries."

He describes terrorism as an "ideological infection" and believes that, through his anti-terrorism summer camps, "we are fighting on the ideological, philosophical, theological and academic fronts. We are trying to educate young people."

He expressed concern when cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad were published in newspapers around Europe and sent out a memorandum called 'A call to prevent a clash of civilizations'.

Reuters featured Qadri in August 2009 as a leading Sufi scholar who is working to bring the western youth away from extremism towards moderate Islam and to combat extreme tendencies.

After the December 2009 Rawalpindi attack he was quoted as saying: "Suicide attacks are not allowed in Islam, these actions are un-Islamic, a view which is also widely acknowledged by non-Sufi Muslims based on the teachings of the Quran. The slaughter of human beings in any religion or country, and terrorism in all its manifestations, are totally in contradiction with the teachings of Islam."

On 2 March 2010, Qadri issued a 600-page Fatwa on Terrorism, which is an "absolute" scholarly refutation of all terrorism without "any excuses or pretexts." He said that "Terrorism is terrorism, violence is violence and it has no place in Islamic teaching and no justification can be provided for it, or any kind of excuses or ifs or buts." Qadri said his fatwa, which declares terrorists and suicide bombers to be unbelievers, goes further than any previous denunciation.

On 9 September 2010, Qadri wrote a letter to the U.S. President Barack Obama in response to the controversial 'Burn a Quran Day' urging him to stop this incident from happening. Qadri wrote in an article published on the CNN website: "If this event had gone ahead it would not be less than 9/11 in the sense of far-reaching consequences and after-effects." he added: "A handful of individuals, it does not matter whether they are related to mosque or church, cannot be given the right to flippantly play about with peaceful co-existence, and their so-called sentiments cannot be preferred over global peace."

The US Congress funded think-tank United States Institute of Peace hosted Qadri in November 2010 to speak about his struggle against radicalism in Islam in light of his Fatwa on Terrorism.

Qadri states in his Fatwa on Terrorism:

"The importance Islam lays on the sanctity and dignity of human life can be gauged from the fact that Islam does not allow indiscriminate killing even when Muslim armies are engaged in war against enemy troops. The killing of children, women, the old, infirm, religious leaders and traders is strictly prohibited. Nor can those who surrender their arms, confine themselves to their homes and seek shelter of anyone be killed. The public cannot be massacred. Likewise, places of worship, buildings, crops and even trees cannot be destroyed. On the one hand, there is a clear set of Islamic laws based on extreme discretion, and on the other, there are people who invoke the name of Islam to justify the indiscriminate killing of people, children, and women everywhere, without any distinction of religion or identity. It is a pity that such barbaric people still refer to their activities as Jihad. There can be no bigger discrepancy than this to be seen on earth. It can in no way be permissible to keep foreign delegates under unlawful custody and murder them and other peaceful non-Muslim citizens in retaliation for the interference, unjust activities and aggressive advances of their countries. The one who does has no relation to Islam and the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him)."

Views on an Islamic State

Qadri views an Islamic state as a Muslim-majority country which respects freedom, the rule of law, global human rights (including religious freedom), social welfare, women's rights and the rights of minorities.

He also claims that the first constitution of Madinah "declared the state of Madinah as a political unit". He also mentions that the constitution declared the "indivisible composition of the Muslim nation (Ummah)".

With respect to constitutions, Tahir ul-Qadri says: "This was the constitution, which provided the guarantee of fundamental human rights in our history." He believes that "a constitution is a man-made law and by no means it can be declared superior to a God-made law."

He believes in the Sovereignty of God’s law, that the Qur'an and Sunnah equates to State law, and that Islam encourages political activity. Tahir ul-Qadri sees Islam as a faith which allows political participation. He believes in democracy and human rights, and argues that rights are defined by Islam in Quran and Sunnah.

Published Works

He has authored some 400 published works in Arabic, English and Urdu. Amongst his notable and recent works are:

“Dala’il al-Barakat” (10,000 Durood and Salawaat in praise of Muhammad, written in the style of the well-read ''Dala’il al-Khayrat'' of Imam Jazuli, which was written nearly 1,000 years ago),

“Minhaj us Sawi’” (A Hadith compendium in 2 volumes compiled in the pattern and style of Imam Nawawi’s ''“Riyad us-Salihin'' رياض الصالحين” and Khatib Tabrizi’s ''“Mishkat al-Masabih”'' Consisting of approximately 1,000 pages),

“Mawlid an-Nabi”, the largest ever written work on the subject of Mawlid, consisting of approximately 1,000 pages.

The entire income of Qadri’s published books, DVDs/CDs of his lectures is dedicated forever on his behalf to his organisation Minhaj-ul-Quran International which is usually published inside his books.

English works include: ''Fatwa on Terrorism and Suicide Bombings'' Irfan ul Quran (Modern and Scientific English translation of the Quran) Beseeching for Help Creation of Man Pearls of Remembrance Islam on Prevention of Heart Diseases Islamic Concept of Intermediation The Constitution of Madina (First ever written constitution) Islamic Concept of Knowledge (Al Ilm) Greetings and Salutations on the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم)

Islam and Politics

The Islamic State The Ghadir Declaration Virtues of Sayyedah Fatimah

Political career

On May 25, 1989, Qadri founded a political party Pakistan Awami Tehreek or PAT. The main aims of this political party were to introduce the culture of true democracy, economic stability, improve the state of human rights, justice and the women's role in Pakistan. Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) other aim was to remove corruption from Pakistani politics.

In 1990, Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) participated in the national elections just one year after it was founded. In 1991, PAT and TNFJ (Tehreek-e-Nifas-e-Fiqh-e-Jafria A shia political group) now known as Tehreek-e-Jafria signed a 'Communique of Unity' in order to promotes social and religious harmony. In another creative move, PAT for the first time in the political history of Pakistan, introduced an idea of "working relationship" between the three national political forces, PAT, TNFJ and Tehreek-e-Istaqlal.

From 1989 to 1993, Qadri continuously worked as an opposition leader tying to indicate the government's mistakes and to suggest ways for improving the situation in the political, educational, and economical fields. In 1992 he presented a complete working plan for interest-free banking in Pakistan covering all kinds of national and international transaction which was recognized and appreciated by all sections of the society including industrial and banking professionals. PAT offices were also opened in major foreign countries.

Qadri continued his research alongside his political career and, in 1996 he presented a thesis on the utilization of an observatory for moon sighting based on the more recent scientific findings.

He was elected as an MNA (Member of the National Assembly) of his Lahore constituent on the Pakistani National Parliament.

See also

Minhaj-ul-Quran International

Qadiriyya Sufi Order

Fatwa on Terrorism

Minhaj us Sawi

The Amman Message

Contemporary Islamic philosophy

References

External links

Minhaj-ul-Quran Research Institute

Translation of the Holy Quran in English & Urdu

Online Quran Project includes the English and Urdu Qur'an translation by Tahir al-Qadri.

Books by Tahir ul Qadri to Read Online

Speeches by Tahir ul Qadri to Play & Download

The Official Website of Minhaj-ul-Quran

Minhaj Encyclopedia (Urdu)

Tahir ul-Qadri's Legal Opinion against Terror: Fatwa Falls on Deaf Ears

Correct Islamic Faith International Association (CIFIA)

The Constitution of Madina

Tahir Qadri's Sufism and his Worshippers

Category:1951 births Category:Islamic politics and Islamic world studies Category:Islamism Category:Living people Category:Muslim philosophers Category:Muslim reformers Category:Muslim scholars of Islam Category:Muslim theologians Category:Muslim writers Category:Pakistan Awami Tehrik politicians Category:Pakistani academics Category:Pakistani expatriates in Canada Category:Pakistani Sufis Category:Pakistani translators Category:Pakistani politicians Category:Pakistani writers Category:People from Jhang District Category:Qadiri order Category:Qur'an translators Category:Sufi orders Category:Sufi poets Category:Sufis Category:University of the Punjab faculty

ar:طاهر القادري ca:Tahir ul Qadri de:Tahir al-Kadri es:Tahir ul Qadri no:Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri pnb:طاہر القادری ur:طاہرالقادری

Coordinates	33°51′35.9″N151°12′40″N
Name	Salmaan Taseer
Order	26th
Office	Governor of Punjab, Pakistan
Term start	15 May 2008
Term end	4 January 2011
Predecessor	Lt Gen Khalid Maqbool
Successor	Sardar Latif Khosa
Birth date	May 31, 1944
Birth place	Simla, Punjab, British India
Death date	January 04, 2011
Death place	Islamabad, Pakistan
Spouse	Aamna Taseer
Children	ShaanShehryarShahbazSaraSanamShehrbano Aatish Taseer
Alma mater	Chartered Accountant, from London
Ethnicity	Punjabi
Residence	Governor's House (Lahore) (official)
Party	Pakistan Peoples Party
Website	Personal Website }}

Salmaan Taseer (Urdu, }}; May 31, 1944 January 4, 2011) was a Pakistani businessman and politician who served as the 26th governor of the province of Punjab from 2008 until his assassination in early 2011.

A member of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), he had served also as a minister in the caretaker cabinet of Prime Minister Muhammad Mian Soomro under Pervez Musharraf. Taseer was also the chairman and CEO of the First Capital and Worldcall Group.

He was appointed to the post of governor on May 15, 2008, in place of outgoing governor Lt Gen (R) Khalid Maqbool, by then-President Musharraf at the request of the PPP establishment.

On January 4, 2011, Taseer was assassinated in Islamabad by his own security guard who disagreed with Taseer's opposition to Pakistan's blasphemy law.

Early life

Salmaan Taseer was born on May 31, 1944, in Simla, British India. His father, Muhammad Din Taseer, obtained his PhD in the United Kingdom and was a close friend of Allama Iqbal. His mother Bilqis "Christobel" Taseer, a Christian Englishwoman, was the sister of Alys Faiz, a writer and poet who herself is the wife of renowned Urdu poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz. His father died when he was six years old and he and his two sisters were brought up in relative poverty by their mother.

Personal life

Salmaan Taseer married Aamna Taseer; the couple resided in Lahore. They have three children: Shahbaz, Shehryar and Shehrbano. Shehrbano is a journalist for Newsweek. Salmaan Taseer also has 3 children from a previous marriage: Sara, Shaan and Sanam.

Taseer also had a son, Aatish, in 1980 with Indian journalist Tavleen Singh. Though married at the time, Taseer met Singh during a book promotion trip to India in March 1980. According to Aatish, their "affair lasted little more than a week." Aatish is a freelance journalist in the UK and has recently written a book – ''Stranger to History: A Son’s Journey through Islamic Lands'' – about his estranged relationship with his biological father.

In the early 1980s, Taseer had a year long affair with Bollywood actress Simi Garewal.

Taseer was known to be one of the trusted aides of Benazir Bhutto. He was a classmate of Nawaz Sharif at St. Anthony's School in Lahore, and had obtained a degree in Chartered Accountancy from London.

On 26 August 2011, his son, Shahbaz Taseer, was kidnapped in Lahore by unidentified gunmen.

Political career

Taseer started his political career in his student era, as a member of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the late 1960s. He was a part of the movement for Mr. Bhutto's freedom and opposed his arrest and death sentence. He also wrote a political biography on Bhutto titled ''Bhutto: A political biography'' (1980).

In the 1988 general elections, Taseer became a member of the Punjab Assembly from Lahore. In the 1990, 1993 and 1997 general elections, he stood for election to be an MNA but lost.

In 2007, he was appointed the interim Federal Minister for Industries, Production and Special Initiatives.

On May 15, 2008, Taseer was designated for the office of Governor of Punjab by the PPP-led coalition government.

Business career

Taseer set up several chartered accountancy and management consultancy firms early in his career. In 1995, he established the First Capital Securities Corporation (FCSC), a full service brokerage house with equity participation by Smith Barney, Inc., USA, and HG Asia Hong Kong.

Taseer founded the Worldcall group with a payphone network in 1996. The group has grown over the years to become a major private-sector telecom operator with a national and regional footprint. A majority stake in Worldcall was acquired in 2008 by Omantel, the Sultanate of Oman's incumbent operator.

Taseer also owned an English news channel in Pakistan, Business Plus; and the first children's channel, Wikkid Plus; and was the publisher of the English language Daily Times.

Incarceration

Taseer was kept in solitary confinement for six months and three weeks at the Lahore Fort, where he was shackled to the ground. He did not meet a single person, or read a book or newspaper during his incarceration and emerged 40 pounds lighter than when he had gone in.

Taseer was arrested 16 times and placed under house arrest several times in jails around Faisalabad, Jhang and Lahore.

Controversy

Taseer advocated that the clause in the Constitution declaring the Ahmadi community to be non-Muslims should be revoked.

In an interview with Meher Bukhari on Samaa TV, Taseer commented on his view about the country's blasphemy law and on filing a mercy petition for Asia Bibi who has been sentenced to death by a court under the Blasphemy Law.

In December 2010 Taseer was alleged to have left the country for several days without handing over charge to the Punjab Assembly Speaker. This meant that the province was without a constitutional head, and it also rendered the assembly speaker ineligible to preside over sessions. Leaving the province without informing his successor was in violation of the constitution and this led to Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal sending a letter to Prime Minister Gilani calling for the removal of Salmaan Taseer by the President. Evidence provided by ICAO on the governor's travel abroad, led to a case being filed in court for breach of the constitution.

Death

On January 4, 2011, one of Taseer's bodyguards, Malik Mumtaz Qadri, shot him 26 times with a submachine gun at Kohsar Market, near his home in Sector F6, Islamabad, as he was returning to his car after meeting a friend for lunch. Kohsar Market is a popular shopping and cafe spot for the city's elite and expatriates. Eight hours before his assassination, he tweeted an Urdu couplet by Shakeel Badayuni: "My resolve is so strong that I do not fear the flames from without, I fear only the radiance of the flowers, that it might burn my garden down."

After his assassination, protests erupted in different parts of Punjab. Protesters also burned tyres and blocked traffic in Lahore.

The next day, many people turned up for governor Salman Taseer's funeral in Lahore in spite of denunciations by some clerics and religious scholars from mourning Taseer, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and many supporters of the ruling PPP were seen attending the funeral prayer. The funeral prayers were finally led by Allama Afzal Chisti of the Ulema wing of the PPP after the chief cleric of the Badshahi Mosque, who had initially agreed to offer prayers, backed off at the last moment, saying he was going out of town. Taseer was buried at a military cantonment in Lahore.

Assassin

The assassin Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri is from Punjab, and was part of the security detail provided to Taseer by the Elite Police. After the shooting, Qadri threw his weapon down and put his hands up when one of his colleagues aimed at him. He reportedly pleaded to be arrested. Qadri reportedly said he killed Taseer due to the latter's vocal opposition to the blasphemy law in Pakistan.. Taseer was against the blasphemy law and termed it a black law. Notably, Taseer made headlines when he favored the Christian Pakistani woman, Asia Bibi, who had been sentenced to death for blasphemy. It was suspected that this was the main reason for his assassination. According to a report in ''Dawn'', the assailant was associated with Dawat-e-Islami, a religious organisation associated with the Barelvi movement. Supporters of Mumtaz Qadri blocked police attempting to bring him to the Anti-Terrorism Court in Rawalpindi, and some supporters even showered him with rose petals.

Reactions

;Domestic

The masses of Pakistan began showing love for Malik Mumtaz Qadri, sundry Facebook pages and Youtube videos erupted in Qadri's love soon after. However, there were also masses which condemned the kidnapping, notably on Twitter.

Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf expressed grief over the assassination, adding that Taseer was a seasoned politician and his death was a loss for not only the PPP but also the entire country. Many members of the country's business community also conveyed their shock after the killing.

The Chief Minister of Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif condemned the killing, saying, "This is really a big loss for the PPP and as we believe friendly politics deeply condemn this murder, praying for Mr. Taseer."

The Government of Punjab ordered all public institutions and schools to shut on January 5 in honour of Taseer. The Punjab Provincial Assembly unanimously passed a resolution condemning the assassination and praising Taseer's political and social services. The Jamaat Ahle Sunnat, an Islamic religious organisation representing the Barelvi movement, issued an advisory against mourning his death. They also declared Qadri a "hero of the Muslim world." A Taliban commander in South Waziristan said that Taseer would have been assassinated anyway "very soon" even if he had not been killed by Qadri. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and current President Zardari, spoke at a memorial service for Taseer in London saying: "To the Christian and other minority communities in Pakistan, we will defend you...those who wish to harm you need to go through me first. Allah has promised them (perpetrators) hell, and we shall send them there." He also said a ''jihad'' is needed to combat extremism in Pakistan, while condemning those who praised the assassination.

;International United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the assassination calling it a "loss for Pakistan."

Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna condemned the killing a letter to Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. The Ministry of External Affairs also said: "On behalf of the people and the Government of India and his own, Mr. Krishna conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and the people of Pakistan."

France condemned the assassination and hailed Taseer as a man known for his "courage in defending democratic institutions." Deputy Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Christine Fages said, "France firmly condemns the assassination on Tuesday of the governor of Punjab Salman Taseer. Governor Taseer was a political personality of the highest order."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan his Paakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari "[o]ffering his condolences to Zardari and condemning the assassination, the Turkish PM also asked the president to convey his heartfelt condolences to the members of the bereaved family and the people of the country."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague stated that he was "shocked to hear of the assassination of Salmaan Taseer" and that "his death will be a loss to the leadership of Pakistan. On behalf of the British government I send my condolences to Mr Taseer’s family, friends and colleagues."

United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton strongly condemned the assassination of Taseer saying she "admired his work to promote tolerance and the education of Pakistan’s future generations" and that his death "is a great loss." Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry also condemned the assassination: "Governor Taseer was a proud champion of democracy and respect for the rights of women and minorities. He fearlessly stood up to the threats of extremists, and lost his life in defense of moderation and tolerance, values shared by most Pakistani citizens. The best way to honor his legacy is to continue resisting violent extremism and supporting the core principles on which Pakistan was founded."

Pope Benedict XVI called for the repeal of the blasphemy law and also called on governments in Muslim-majority countries to protect Christians from violent attacks. He told the Holy See's diplomats that the law was a pretext for violence against minorities. He also added that "The tragic murder of the governor of Punjab shows the urgent need to make progress in this direction." The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam responded in saying: "The pope has given a statement today that has not only offended the 180 million Muslims in Pakistan, it has also hurt the sentiments of the entire Islamic world. This is an interference in Pakistan's internal matters...we respect the pope, being head of Christians and their religion, but he should also refrain from interfering in Muslims' religious affairs."

;Social-media A fan page appeared on Facebook soon after the assassination against Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, showing news photos of him smiling. The fan page soon gathered thousands of supporters. Many prominent Pakistani bloggers started a campaign to have these fan pages blocked on Facebook as soon as the pages appeared on the social networking website. Several people also denounced the perpetrator creating a page named "I Hate Malik Mumtaz Qadri," but in contrast the page only managed to get a few fans with no comments or discussions. Outrage against the gunman was prevalent on Twitter, with numerous journalists and media personalities expressing their sadness over the passing of Taseer and the growing Islamisation and moral collapse of the country.

Possible repercussions

In the international media, his death was seen as more destabilising for the tenuous situation in the country, particularly in the light of resignation of members of the ruling coalition. One local analyst said the death was a "major setback for Pakistan, which is trying to get out of this vicious cycle of violence and worsening economy. [The killing] will certainly weaken the party position in Punjab." It was suggested that the killing was indicative of a "deeper trend" of "religious intolerance" afflicting Pakistan.

The son of the late governor, Shahbaz Taseer, who was a witness in Mumtaz Qadri's trial, was kidnapped on August 26th, 2011 on his way to work in Lahore, Pakistan.

Taseer's assassination may dissuade other Pakistani politicians from speaking out against the blasphemy law, according to a former U.S. State Department intelligence analyst with the Middle East Institute in Washington, DC.

|- |-

References

External links

Salmaan Taseer on Facebook

Salmaan Taseer at Find a Grave

Salmaan Taseer at Flickr

Salmaan Taseer at Twitter

Salmaan Taseer on YouTube

Category:1944 births Category:2011 deaths Category:Assassinated Pakistani politicians Category:Deaths by firearm in Pakistan Category:Governors of Punjab (Pakistan) Category:Murder in 2011 Category:Murdered businesspeople Category:Pakistani accountants Category:Pakistani businesspeople Category:Pakistani Muslims Category:Pakistan Peoples Party politicians Category:Pakistani people of English descent Category:Pakistani terrorism victims Category:Pakistani expatriates in the United Arab Emirates Category:People from Shimla Category:Punjabi people Salmaan Category:People murdered in Pakistan Category:Federal ministers of Pakistan

cs:Salmán Tásír cy:Salmaan Taseer de:Salman Taseer eo:Salmaan Taseer fr:Salman Taseer ko:살만 타시르 id:Salmaan Taseer it:Salmaan Taseer la:Salman Taseer ml:സൽമാൻ തസീർ nl:Salmaan Taseer no:Salmaan Taseer pnb:سلمان تاثیر pt:Salmaan Taseer ro:Salmaan Taseer ru:Тазир, Салман simple:Salmaan Taseer sk:Salmán Tasír fi:Salmaan Taseer ur:سلمان تاثیر vi:Salmaan Taseer