Death to Hebdo publications’ chanted dozens of people in Peshawar in Pakistan, and kissed posters of the two terrorists who were shot dead by the French police in Paris last week following the Charlie Hebdo massacre. The 'rally' was organised by a local preacher, who led a few dozen people in prayers for the two dead terrorist brothers -- Said and Cherif Kouachi -- who gunned down 12 at the magazine office in Paris on January 7. On December 16, 2014, the Taliban in Pakistan had attacked a school in Peshawar, killing more than 140 school children.
There were chants of ‘long live Cherif Kouachi, long live Said Kouachi’ as the protesters marched the streets.
The march was indicative of the fact that the cartoons issue can stir up strong feelings in Pakistan with its blasphemy law. Rights groups say the blasphemy law is often used to persecute minorities such as Christians and to settle personal scores.
Two years ago, a mob had torched and vandalised about 200 homes in a Christian neighbourhood in Badami Bagh area of Lahore after a man accused a Christian sanitation worker of blasphemy. Local residents and police officials later said the man had made the accusation after a drunken quarrel.
