Renowned Islamic scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani, a former judge of the Federal Shariat Court, on Thursday stressed avoiding violence and vandalism while boycotting products in support of Palestine as the Karachi police foiled yet another attack on a fast-food chain’s outlet.
Mufti Usmani’s remarks came in the wake of multiple recent attacks on outlets of international fast-food chains across the country. Korangi Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mohammed Tariq Nawaz told Dawn.com that the police resorted to baton charge to disperse a mob that stormed an outlet of international fast-food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) in Korangi.
He said around 40-60 people stormed the KFC outlet in Korangi Industrial Area and tried to damage it but the police took swift action and detained 10 suspects while others fled.
SSP Nawaz told Dawn.com that more police personnel were deployed to ensure the outlet’s security. Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar appreciated the police’s performance in foiling the miscreants’ attempt to damage the restaurant by arresting 10 suspects, according to a statement.
KFC notably is not included in the boycott list of the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. The BDS movement is inherently a non-violent movement that calls for the boycott of corporations “complicit in the oppression of Palestinians”.
Addressing a conference about Palestine in Islamabad today, Mufti Usmani blasted Israel’s action in the course of its devastating military onslaught in the Gaza Strip and supported a boycott of products to express solidarity with Palestine.
However, the scholar emphasised: “Islam is a religion of balance. It is not a religion of vandalising [property] or hurting someone by merely getting carried away by emotions.
“Therefore pelting stones at someone or harming someone’s life and property is forbidden in Shariah. Therefore, do protest and boycott but peacefully in which there should be no element of unrest.”
