An enraged crowd in Pakistan accused a woman wearing a dress adorned with Arabic calligraphy of blasphemy, mistakenly believing the designs to be Quranic verses. She was fortunately rescued by police who escorted her to safety amidst the gathering of hundreds. Subsequently, she issued a public apology.
The Arabic calligraphy on the dress featured the word “Halwa,” meaning “beautiful” in Arabic. In Pakistan, blasphemy carries the penalty of death, and individuals have been lynched even before their cases proceed to trial.
According to Assistant Superintendent Syeda Shehrbano, police received a call around 13:10 local time (08:10 GMT) reporting a crowd gathering around the woman at a restaurant in Lahore, Punjab province. Approximately 300 people had amassed outside the restaurant by the time law enforcement arrived.
Videos of the incident circulated widely on social media, depicting a visibly frightened woman sitting in a corner of the restaurant, shielding her face with her hand. Police officers formed a protective barrier between her and the escalating crowd, who demanded she remove the shirt. Chants advocating beheading for blasphemers could be heard in some of the videos.
Footage circulating on social media depicts Ms. Shehrbano stationed at the restaurant’s entrance, endeavoring to pacify an increasingly agitated crowd.
She remarked, “The true nature of the shirt’s inscription was unknown to anyone. The primary objective was to safely remove the woman from the area.”
Ms. Shehrbano elaborated on the need to “negotiate” with the crowd, emphasizing their commitment to ensuring the woman’s safety and holding her accountable under the law for any potential wrongdoing.
In subsequent footage, Ms. Shehrbano is seen guiding the woman, now veiled in a black robe and headscarf, through the crowd with the assistance of other police officers forming a protective barrier.
She noted the presence of supporters from the hardline Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) party among the crowd.
Following the woman’s relocation to a police station, religious scholars confirmed that the text on her attire was Arabic calligraphy, not Quranic verses.
The police enlisted the scholars to create a video affirming their findings and the innocence of the woman.
The woman expressed regret, affirming her unintentional actions and asserting her devout adherence to Islam.
Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, a former religious affairs adviser to the prime minister, argued on X (formerly Twitter) that the men in the crowd should be the ones issuing apologies.
Ms. Shehrbano highlighted the escalation of similar incidents and credited her intervention with preventing a potentially dire situation, earning her widespread acclaim, including a call for recognition from the Chief of Punjab police.
Laws against blasphemy trace back to India’s colonial era and saw expansion in the 1980s under military rule.
In August of the previous year, Jaranwala, a city in eastern Pakistan, witnessed the burning of numerous churches and homes following accusations against two local men for desecrating the Quran.
Source: BBC NEWS
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