Islamic Ideology Council declares Engr Muhammad Ali Mirza guilty of blasphemy

(Web Desk): The Islamic Ideology Council has declared renowned religious scholar Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza guilty of blasphemy, stating that his statements were made without any religious purpose and were based on blasphemous words. As a result, Engineer Mirza is deemed deserving of severe punitive action.

The council meeting was chaired by Chairman Allama Dr. Muhammad Raghib Hussain Naeemi, with the participation of Council members, Justice (r) Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry, Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Rashid, Sahibzada Pir Khalid Sultan Qadri, Muhammad Jalaluddin Advocate, Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, and others.

The meeting also saw participation from members, including Allah Bakhsh Kalyar, Justice (r) Altaf Ibrahim, Maulana Pir Shams-ur-Rahman, Muhammad Yousaf Awan, Syed Iftikhar Hussain Naqvi, Dr. Mufti Intikhab Ahmad, Rana Muhammad Shafiq Khan Pasroori, Sahibzada Syed Saeed-ul-Hassan, Sahibzada Hafiz Muhammad Amjad, Fareeda Rahim, and Barrister Syed Atiq-ur-Rehman Shah Bukhari.

The council reviewed the FIR filed against Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza for blasphemy, following a correspondence from the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing, and made its decision accordingly.

It is noteworthy that on August 26, the Jhelum Police arrested Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance after a controversial video statement. His academy was also sealed and locked by the authorities.

Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza, a resident of the Machine Mohalla area in Jhelum, regularly uploads his lectures and speeches on social media. His YouTube channel has over 3.1 million followers.

Section 3 of the MPO Ordinance gives authorities the power to arrest and detain anyone suspected of engaging in activities that threaten public peace or disrupt public order.

The Islamic Ideology Council noted that while some claim that certain blasphemous words are mentioned in the Qur'an and Sunnah, this is often presented incompletely. In reality, these words are cited not to endorse them, but to reject, deny, or strongly warn against them.

The council further explained that Islamic law permits the quotation of blasphemous words only when there is a legitimate religious purpose, such as for testimony, refuting falsehood, education, or admonition. Without such a necessity, repeating such words is impermissible and, in certain cases, a grave sin—especially when it concerns the sanctity of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Therefore, the council emphasized that there is absolutely no allowance for quoting offensive words without a religious objective.

In its decision, the council stated that several of Engineer Mirza’s statements contained words of blasphemy that were uttered without any religious justification, making him deserving of severe punishment. Since this behavior has been repeated, his crime has become even more serious.

The council also remarked that one of Mirza’s videos could be considered as an insult to the Qur'an, and it falls under the category of distortion of meaning, leading to blasphemy. Therefore, the charges should include those related to blasphemy against the Qur'an.

The council concluded that Engineer Mirza’s statements are contributing to spreading corruption and unrest in the land. Therefore, a letter will be sent to the Christian community in Pakistan, asking them to clarify whether the statements made by Engineer Mirza regarding the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) align with their sacred texts and collective beliefs. A detailed decision will be made once the response is received.