Condemning the murder of a university student, Mashal Khan, over allegations of blasphemy, Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai said no one but Pakistanis are to be blamed for bringing bad name to their own country and Islam.
In a video message on Facebook Malala said, “This was not just the funeral of Mashal Khan, it was the funeral of the message of our religion Islam,” she said. “This is an incident filled with terror and fear,” Malala said.
She urged state institutions and political parties in Pakistan to shun their silence, take a stand and bring justice to the victim and his family.
Malala said people complain about the presence of Islamophobia in the West and that the western nations were “maligning our names”. “No one is maligning the name of your country or religion…we ourselves are bringing a bad name to our country and religion,” she stressed.
She added that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) never advised his followers to “be impatient and go around killing people”. “We have forgotten our values. We are not representing the true Islam,” she regretted.
“This incident was not just about the death of Mashaal. It was also the death knell of the message of Islam. We have forgotten our religion…we have forgotten our values and decency,” the young Nobel Laureate said, not mincing any words.
She also urged countrymen study their religion carefully. It is the right of every Pakistani to live safely and peacefully. If we keep wantonly murdering people… no one is safe,” she said. On April 13, Abdul Wali Khan University students Mashal and Abdullah were targeted by a violent mob on campus premises. Mashal was killed, while Abdullah was injured for allegedly “publishing blasphemous content online”, according to police.
