A woman was heckled and harassed in market in Lahore, Pakistan (video above) after the Arabic calligraphy on her attire was mistaken for verses from the Quran. The situation turned ugly at Lahore’s Icchra Bazar when people accused her of committing blasphemy, shouted slogans, and tried to attack her. The local police intervened to protect her.
According to a report in Dawn, garment traders who are aware of clothing with Arabic calligraphy being sold in the market sheltered her in a shop. The woman also tried to defend herself in front of the angry crowd, which refused to budge. One of the shopkeepers called the police.
A police team led by Assistant Superintendent of Police Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi arrived at the scene and addressed the mob. “During my service I have handled three such incidents, and you should have trust in us,” she said (video below). The ASP then escorted the woman out of the market.
Religious scholars who were present at the police station where the woman was brought confirmed that the calligraphy was not of verses from the Quran, according to a report by BBC. However, the woman issued an apology while rejecting the allegations of committing blasphemy.
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