Islamabad: Renowned Islamic scholar and former judge of the Federal Shariat Court, Mufti Taqi Usmani, on Thursday strongly condemned violent acts carried out in the name of solidarity with Palestine. He urged the public to observe boycotts and protests peacefully, in line with Islamic teachings, without resorting to vandalism or harm to life and property.
Mufti Usmani’s statement came in response to a series of attacks on international fast-food outlets across Pakistan. Speaking at a conference on the Palestinian issue in Islamabad, the scholar criticized Israel’s ongoing military offensive in Gaza and supported the boycott of companies linked to Israeli interests. However, he emphasized that Islam does not permit destruction or aggression.
“Islam is a religion of balance. It is not a religion of vandalising property or hurting others due to emotional impulses,” he said. “Protest, boycott — but do it peacefully, without causing unrest or harming anyone.”
In recent days, Pakistan has witnessed a wave of attacks on fast-food outlets believed to be associated with Western corporations. On Wednesday, an outlet in Lahore’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) was attacked by a mob who pelted stones, breaking windows and damaging parts of the building. Footage of the incident circulated widely on social media, showing the scale of the destruction.
Similarly, in Mirpurkhas, a restaurant was set on fire late Tuesday night, according to local police. In Karachi, over 100 activists from the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) attempted to ransack a fast-food outlet on the M-9 motorway, though their actions were prevented by timely police intervention.
Notably, KFC has become a frequent target despite not being listed by the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which advocates for peaceful, non-violent resistance against companies seen as complicit in Palestinian oppression.
In Karachi’s DHA, ten TLP activists were arrested following an attack on a KFC outlet on Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, in Larkana, a fresh case was registered on Thursday against eight individuals accused of vandalizing another KFC outlet. The suspects face charges under multiple sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act and Pakistan Penal Code, including rioting, assault, and obstructing public servants.
The police statement revealed that the suspects are being presented in the Anti-Terrorism Court, while CCTV footage is being used to identify others involved. Search operations are ongoing under the supervision of Assistant Superintendent of Police Abdullah Afzal.
Mufti Usmani warned that if protests escalate into violence, they risk plunging Muslim countries into internal conflict. “Fighting your own government and taking up arms in the name of protest is unacceptable. Such actions have led to civil wars in the Muslim world,” he cautioned.
He also appealed to the public to engage with state institutions constructively, saying that demands for governmental action must be made through lawful and peaceful means.
As the conflict in Gaza continues to draw global outrage, Mufti Usmani’s message served as a reminder that the path of protest in Islam remains grounded in justice and peace — not chaos or violence.
