RIOTING AT KARACHI

Taranaki Daily News, 21 March 1935, Page 5

RIOTING AT KARACHI

POLICE FIRE UPON MOB 40 KILLED; OVER 100 HURT MURDER STARTS TROUBLE OFFENDER OF MAHOMET By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright Rec. 10 p.m. Calcutta, March 19. A message from Karachi says that Abdul Quayam, a Moslem, was executed for the murder of a Hindu who wrote offensively against Mahomet. A huge crowd of angry Moslems rushed the cemetery and exhumed Quayam’s body, and attempted to carry it in a procession. The police interfered and were stoned by the Moslems. The military were called out and they fired on the-demonstrators. At least 40 were killed and more than 100 were injured. The situation is calm but the Sussex Regiment and armed police are patrolling the city. The execution was postponed a fortnight ago owing to the Moslems stoning the police. To-day 100,000 fanatical Moslems, including women and children, paraded the streets with the exhumed body. They menacingly refused to make way for a party of British officers and troops. The officers fired their revolvers in the air, whereupon the infuriated rioters stoned them and threw bottles at the officers and troops. The latter fired, wounding several.

Later the police placed a cordon across the road, threatening to fire if the rioters did not disperse. The mob bearing the corpse continued to advance, whereupon the police fired a volley. Panic ensued and the police seized the body, which was re-buried.

The trouble apparently had its origin in a young Sind Hindu author’s attack on Mahomet in his recent book “Islamic History,” which had a tragic sequel in the court of the Judicial Commissioner at Karachi on September 21 last The author, Maharaj- Nathuram, was recently sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment with hard labour by the Sessions Judge at Hyderabad for blasphemous allusions to the Prophet in his book. Nathuram was waiting in the court for the hearing of his appeal against the sentence when three Bathans, who are Mohammedans, sitting nearby, rushed Nathuram, the two holding him while the other repeatedly stabbed him. The victim was admitted to hospital, where he died. The court adjourned in confusion. Two men were arrested. The crime created a sensation in the city. Hindu shops were closed as a mark of respect to Nathuram, whose body while being carried to the cremation ground was escorted 'by a vast crowd. - There were amazing scenes before the clash occurred when nearly 50,000 people prayed by the exhumed coffin of the executed man. Even after the troops fired thousands of fanatical Moslems _ refused to abandon the coffin, but religious loaders eventually persuaded them to place the body in the original grave.. A British officer and three Indian magistrates were injured by missiles. Influential Hindu and Moslem citizens are -raising a fund for the relief of the flam flies of the dead.