One of the participants of the rally, Abdullah Ismail, passed away after he was taken to Mayo Hospital. Witnesses said he had complained of feeling unwell from the smoke from US flags burnt at the rally.Leaving aside the fact that burning flags tends to offend the patriots of the nation whose flag it is, if the flags are made from plastic, the fumes may be poisonous.
But inhaling poisonous fumes is not the only bad ideas from the Pakistani protestors:
Hafiz Saeed alleged that the film, Innocence of Muslims, had been produced with the backing of US establishment. He said the director, the producer and all those involved in the production and release of the movie must be hanged publicly. “The US must make a law against blasphemy – or we will not let the US consulates in Pakistan function,” he said.Unlike typical Americans, I don't object to the U.S. having a law against blasphemy. But does Saeed realize that if the U.S. has a law against blasphemy, the Koran will be a banned book? After all, the Koran blasphemes the Son of God by denying his divinity.
If the U.S. had a law against blasphemy, it is outspoken Muslims, not the makers of dumb films, who would most likely be the most obvious enforcement targets. After all, the offensive and stupid film in question does not blaspheme the one true God, who the Christians worship.
That is not to say the U.S. will actually make a law against blasphemy. They seem more likely to make a law against offending Muslims, which will likely make legitimate religious dialog more difficult.
- TurretinFan
