Pakistan - ‘Blasphemous’ Muslim Assassinated.

Pakistan - ‘Blasphemous’ Muslim Assassinated.(NYT).

Muhammad Shakil Auj, a liberal Muslim scholar accused of blasphemy, was shot dead in Karachi on Thursday. 

Auj was accused of the crime by four other professors after giving a speech in the U.S. in 2012 as well as for his liberal views, such as the idea that Muslim women should be allowed to marry non-Muslim men. He was shot in the head and neck by gunmen on a motorbike. Auj had previously complained to police about death threats.

Nasir Lodhi, a senior police official, said that Dr. Auj told the police that four professors at the University of Karachi had accused him of blasphemy for comments he made during that speech. Mr. Lodhi said he could not say where the speech was made, or the nature of the offending comments.

Dr. Auj lodged a criminal complaint against the four professors, who were later arrested by the police. One of them, Dr. Abdul Rasheed, had previously held Dr. Auj’s position as dean of Islamic studies at the university. The four men face trial but are currently free on bail, the police said.

Around the same time, a religious seminary in Karachi issued a fatwa against Dr. Auj, accusing him of blasphemy and calling for his death.

Blasphemy is punishable by death in Pakistan, and in recent years there has been an uptick in vigilante killings related to accusations. Auj had written 15 books about Islam and last month was awarded the presidential medal of distinction in Pakistan for education and research. Read more at New York Times