On precisely that note, from members here I have a generally positive impression of Minhaj ul Quran and am inclined to dismiss claims made a few months ago that it has extremist elements. However I am distinctly unimpressed by [url=http://www.thestar.com/News/article/205334]this[/url] and wonder if there has been any official response from the organisation. Can anyone enlighten me?

Quote:

Journalist Jawaad Faizi says he can still feel broken glass showering over him in his car as he fended off blows from a cricket bat in a surprise attack he blames on "religious fanatics."

A writer for the Pakistan Post, Faizi said he was beaten by three men because he mocked a Pakistani cleric in a column.

Faizi said the men smashed the windshield and driver's window of his car as he arrived at his editor's home about 8:45 p.m. Tuesday. He said he was struck by the cricket bat and was cut on his forearm.

"They were smashing and smashing, hitting and hitting," Faizi said. "I could not stop them."

Faizi said both he and his editor, Amir Arain, recently received phone calls warning them to stop writing defamatory articles about the religious group Idara Minhaj-ul-Quran and its leader, Allama Tahir-Ul-Qadri.

Faizi said he wrote a column two weeks ago mocking the cleric, who he said told a gathering in Pakistan "that he could write the name of Mohammed on the moon with his finger."

"He is always trying to fool the people," Faizi said.

The columnist said his three attackers screamed at him in Punjabi and Urdu to stop writing about Minhaj-ul-Quran.

...

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, a Toronto-based association of more than 300 journalists, editors, publishers, producers and students, condemned the attack.

Executive director Anne Game urged Peel police to "ensure that a full investigation into the attack is initiated immediately."

In a statement, her group called the incident "a cautionary tale" and expressed concern about the potential chill on other journalists writing about faith-based issues.

Faizi said he used to write about crime and religion in Pakistan, where he was head of the Punjabi Union of Journalists.

He and his family fled the country in 2002 and sought political asylum in Canada.

Minhaj ul Qur'an has a large following.

Most people in Pakistan are illiterate. (litteracu levels are at around the 20% mark iirc).

The group does invoke passion in people. Can't really control what someone does. (or can they?)

(I myself have to be careful in this post as it may offend others on these very forums. :P)

I just do not attribute what an individual(s) does with the overall group.

"Admin" wrote:

I just do not attribute what an individual(s) does with the overall group.

Agreed on that.

I still don't quite understand what distinguishes Minhaj, or what the appeal of Qadri is. Did he actually say that about writing Mohamed on the moon?

"Don Karnage" wrote:

I still don't quite understand what distinguishes Minhaj, or what the appeal of Qadri is.

A lot of people hold in very high regard. and are extremely sentitive to him being insulted etc. Their life, their choices I guess.

When it comes to Islamic theological lectures he does at times concentrate on things not in others' lectures. They lack the normal stories and embellishments others do to spice up their speeches.

But we Muslims have this issue of having only teo ways of looking at a person - an angel or a devil.

Alot of people dislike him becasue politically he diod not align himself with a few other religious bigwigs in Pakistan. Went his own way. Some condemned him for his stance.

Politics eh? I couldn't care less either way. like him or dislike him - your choice. Others on here will disagree.

Quote:

Did he actually say that about writing Mohamed on the moon?

No. He was doing a lecture and someone interrupts him pointing to the sky.

His words were "They are saying that Allah (swt) has written the name Muhammad in the couds around the moon."

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8777821828235183542&hl=en

And then you see him squint and not really see it. (24 seconds or so into the clip)

But people can be sensitive when it comes to their religious affiliations.

He did not claim he wrote it in the sky. I don't even think he could see it, seeing the squint. The reporter was chatting cobblers over that. With the smashed car - I would not be surprised. This is pakistan.

THIS [i]is[/i] SPARTAAAA!!!!!

(I had to set that up. but then I thought maybe nooen will close it off, so I did.)

Thanks Admin. I don't think I really object to him. Perhaps he'll make a statement on the incident in this lecture.

I've certainly got no problem with him... it's just strange that I can't really find any information that indicates why he is so loved/vilified.

"Don Karnage" wrote:

I've certainly got no problem with him... it's just strange that I can't really find any information that indicates why he is so loved/vilified.

[color=indigo][b]You will never understand why people love him so much untill you've sat in his presence and heard him speak.[/b][/color]

"Don Karnage" wrote:

I've certainly got no problem with him... it's just strange that I can't really find any information that indicates why he is so loved/vilified.

ditto. to be honest i hadn't ever heard of Minhaj-ul-Quran or Dr. Qadri till i came to this forum.

also 100 i don't see the issue with minhaj-ul-quran u saw in the article, some bad ppl carried out a bad act, it's not as if Dr. Qadri ordered it or summat.

*DUST*, It's pretty clear I didn't take issue with Minhaj-ul-Quran, and I explicitly said so, but there should be a response.