Minhaj-ul-Quran International (Faisalabad chapter) organized Azmat-e-Mustafa (S.A.W.) rally on September 23, which was led by Sheikh Zahid Fayyaz, senior Deputy Secretary General of MQI. In addition to Syed Haydat Rasool Qadri, Muhammad Rafique Najam, Rana Ghazanfer Ali, Mian Kashif Mahmood, Mian Abdul Qadir, Allama Aziz ul Hassan Hasani, Prof Ghulam Murtaza, Haji Amin ul Qadri, Prof Arif Saddiqi, Bashrat Jaspal, Rana Tahir Saleem, Rana Nisar Ahmad, and other leaders, thousands of people including children and women attended the rally. The demonstration started from Dhobi Ghatt and concluded peacefully on Ghanta Ghar. The participants remained peaceful and let it be known to the world that the followers of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) do not take law into their hands.

The participants were carrying banners and placards. They chanted slogans against the profane, anti Islam movie and demanded of the UN and other influential countries to carry out legislation on respect for religions and the Prophets to put a permanent end to the practice of blasphemy. They also demanded of the OIC and the Muslim world to speak with one voice at the international level and put pressure on the world community to undertake legislation.

The participants continued to offer Durood-o-Salam on the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) along the route of the venue. They made it clear that those who performed the profane act were the global terrorists and the criminals of the worst kind who needed to be apprehended and tried on charge of terrorism. They said that such acts were a great threat to global peace and there was immense burden on the world community to make laws and conventions to secure peace from such individuals. They also made it clear that protest demonstrations would continue until effective deterrent was evolved to check such incidents.

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri delivered a telephonic address to 20- thousand strong demonstrations and condemned the provocative film and its makers in the strongest possible words. He said that all those involved in the reprehensible movie project in any manner were the global criminals who held the world peace hostage to their nefarious and heinous agendas.

Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri said that the government of Pakistan should have evolved a combined strategy by taking all political and religious parties on board regarding observance of the Day of the Love of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.). He said that through a comprehensive strategy, an effective message could have been delivered globally. He bemoaned that this opportunity was lost and consequently, some of the demonstration in bigger cities were hijacked by the extremists who resorted to violence, arson, pelting stones and burning public and private and public property. He said that doing so was contrary to the spirit of the teachings of Islam.

Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri said that MQI held countrywide protest rallies to protest against the blasphemous film, which despite being attended by thousands of the people remained peaceful. He said that this fact was noted by both national and international media. He felicitated the MQI workers and other participants on this, saying that the true followers of the holy Prophet (S.A.W.) do not take to arson, and acts of violence etc.

Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri said that the international law forbade the committal of blasphemy and the laws already existed in that regard. He, however, added that the problem lay with their enforcement in letter and spirit. He said that if denial of Holocaust could be outlawed, why were the champions of the human rights mum over the disrespect shown to the person of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.)? He said that if such incidents continued to take place, the ranks of the extremists would keep on swelling. He asked the western world that if it wanted to eliminate terrorism, it would have to seriously stop such anti-Islam acts from taking place.

Sheikh Zahid Fayyaz said in his speech that the emotions of 1.5 billion Muslims were greatly hurt by this the film. He demanded of the US authorities to apprehend all those involved in the movie and bring them to justice.