The Prophet in Pakistan.

The case against blasphemy. The crowd was inflamed by the robed High Cleric, and calling for the young girl accused of blasphemy to be beheaded. Then a voice was heard from the crowd, “Is not the Prophet the highest, most wise and powerful amongst us?” The crowd cheered. “Am I by comparison an insignificant mortal human?” The crowd cheered again. “Am I not fit to touch the hem of his garments?” The crowd didn’t know this man but he must surely also be a cleric to debase himself so at the feet of his Prophet. Sensing the crowd was behind him the High cleric offered the man the microphone. Both men smiled and the man continued. “Who amongst us would commit blasphemy?” The crowd moaned negatively. “Who amongst us would not fight to defend the most wise and powerful?” He waited for the renewed cheers to die down. “And yet what might the Prophet think of our actions”, he paused, “when he is far wiser than us and far more powerful? Does it not dishonour him for us to consider he needs our paltry weak and ignorant help to succeed? Which one of us would truly feel the need of support from a paltry, infirmed beggar to achieve his success? And if that beggar took great pride in his insignificant actions to claim our success for himself would we not feel greatly aggrieved?” The crowd fell silent unsure where this was going. “We are followers of a great prophet who achieved great things and are we here like that beggar to claim his successes for ourselves; that without our defence the wise and most powerful would fail? Surely Allah is greatly aggrieved by such insolence.” The crowd became restless. This was not what they wanted to hear. The High cleric grabbed the mic back. “But the prophet is dead and we now are the living body of Islam. We alone can defend his name.” The man answered, “True. As you say you are defending his name. But what is that? Is what you believe in simply a name? If you honoured me would you defend my name or my way of being, my wisdom, joy and humility? Am I nothing because you don’t know my name? And if you knew it would that be most important? Would Allah in his wisdom be threatened by the words of a child and demand she be put to death? Would his wisdom countenance such a vicious retaliation believing his feelings were hurt? It is you who forget his greatness and in that forgetting are defaming the honour of our prophet, usurping it to the uses of your own ego’s paltry honour.” The crow murmured. “And are you not now offended by what I say and, in your mind, trying to invent some reason to dismiss me and consider me also blasphemous?” The crowd fell silent. “Brothers we must live by the wisdom of our prophet, his kindness, understanding, charity and love not commit sins of vengeance, brutality and hate in his name.” The man sat down. He was never seen again.