Thousands attend funeral of slain Pakistani Sufi singer
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 23 June 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Thousands attend funeral of slain Pakistani Sufi singer, 23 June 2016, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/57a43c0411.html [accessed 27 June 2017] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
June 23, 2016
Thousands of mourners thronged the streets of Karachi on June 23 to attend the funeral of one of Pakistan's best-known Sufi musicians – Amjad Sabri – who was gunned down a day earlier in what police have called an act of terrorism.
Funeral prayers for Sabri, held on Karachi's Ibn-e-Sina thoroughfare, brought together large number of Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims.
Many were crying as others chanted the devotional Qawwali songs that Sabri had sung.
Sabri was shot dead on June 22 by two gunmen on a motorcycle as Sabri was driving his car to a TV studio where he was scheduled to perform for a Ramadan show.
Pakistan's Taliban claimed responsibility for the killing.
Sufism is a tolerant and mystical practice of Islam that has millions of followers in Pakistan.
But it is opposed by Islamic extremists like the Taliban, who view Sufism as heretical.
Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa, BBC, and Dawn.com
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
