Brutal, Mass of Labor Burns Factory Managers Alive for Taking down Posters of Quranic Verses

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A mob of workers in Pakistan is reported to have burned alive a factory manager from Pakistan for taking down posters containing verses from the Koran. Photo/REUTERS TV via REUTERS

LAHORE - A mob of workers in eastern Pakistan tortured and burned alive a factory manager from Sri Lanka on Friday (12/3/2021). The victim was brutally attacked to death on charges of blasphemy after taking down a poster bearing verses from the Koran.

Prime Minister Imran Khan strongly condemned the rampant factory mob, which he said had embarrassed the country.

A police official in the eastern city of Sialkot, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case, said investigators believe the attackers accused the factory manager of blasphemy by taking down posters containing verses from the holy Koran.

"The factory workers tortured the manager," said local provincial government spokesman Hassan Khawar. "A total of 50 people have so far been identified and arrested," he said.

PM Imran Khan condemned the killing and said he was personally overseeing the investigation and that those guilty would be punished.

"The horrific vigilante attack on a factory in Sialkot and the burning alive of the Sri Lankan manager is a shameful day for Pakistan," he said in a message on Twitter.

Television footage showed crowds of hundreds of people on the streets of Sialkot, in the heart of Pakistan's most populous industrial district where most of the country's export industry is located.

Underscoring the shock caused across the political establishment, Pakistan's powerful military also issued a statement condemning the "cold-blooded murder."

"Such extra judicial vigilance is inexcusable in any way," said the military's press wing, adding that the military chief of staff had ordered full support to the civilian government to bring those responsible to justice.

A Punjab police spokesman said more than 100 arrests had been made including the main suspect, who he said was seen in videos torturing the Sri Lankan manager and inciting people to fight him.

Mob killings on charges of blasphemy, a crime that carries the death penalty, are common in Muslim-majority Pakistan.

Friday's killings come just weeks after days of violent protests by the radical Tehrik-e-Labaik Pakistan, a Sunni Muslim group founded in 2015 to tackle actions it considers blasphemy against Islam.

Tahir Ashrafi, Khan's adviser to Interfaith Harmony, condemned the killers in a videotape statement shared on social media.

"This is a barbaric act and is completely against the teachings of Islam," he said.

Conclusion

In fact, all acts of radicalism and terrorism in the name of Islam are the actions of individuals alone. They understand Islam only halfway. In fact, Islam is a religion of rahmatan lil 'alamin which means a religion full of love for the universe. They are Muslims taught to love all creatures, be it plants, animals, especially humans.