Islamic Brutality

Submitted by Mathews (India), Jul 5, 2010 at 15:31

Printed from Alleging blasphemy, fanatics hack lecturer's hand 5 Jul 2010, 0351 hrs IST,ET Bureau & Agencies Topics: TalibanMuslim League KOCHI: A private college lecturer, out on bail after being arrested for preparing a question paper with objectionable reference to the Prophet which triggered protests by Muslims, was attacked and his right hand severed by unidentified persons at Muvattupuzha on Sunday. Mr T J Joseph was dragged out of his car and hacked with sharp weapons by assailants while he was returning from a church along with his family, including his sister and mother. His right hand was severed while he suffered cuts in his left leg, they said. 52-year-old Joseph was rushed to a private hospital here where he is undergoing a surgery. A Malayalam lecturer at Newman College in Thodupuzha in Idukki district, Mr Joseph was arrested in April last after the question paper which he had set for the BCom II year internal exams sparked protests by Muslim outfits who said it had hurt their religious sentiments. He was later suspended from the college, whose authorities also apologised for the mistake. Police said they were searching for the assailants, numbering around eight. The gang, came in a vehicle with knives, swords and other weapons. The gang first pushed the family members out of the car and later severed Mr Joseph's right hand. Both his hands from the wrist have been severely damaged. According to his sister, the attackers were young men. There had been three attacks against Mr Joseph earlier too. The lecturer was on the run after various Muslim groups protested in Thodupuzha, a town near here. Thodupuzha remained tense after clashes broke out in the town and district authorities ordered a ban on the assembly of people. Political leaders condemned the incident. In a strongly-worded statement, the Indian Union Muslim League said two wrongs did not make a right and it was macabre way of reacting to what the lecturer had done

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".