Joe Shearer
PROFESSIONAL
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2009
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The situation of Shias in Pakistan is in no way comparable to that of Muslims in India.
Someone asked why Muslims are different from other minorities in India. The answer is that there is a long history of Muslim-Hindu conflict in India. Muslims came as invaders and ruled large parts of India for centuries. Many Hindus have not forgotten that and will never reconcile to the presence of Muslims. Some extremist Muslims might also throw that fact in the Hindus' face.
While there is sectarian violence against Shias in Pakistan, it is a new phenomenon in terms of scale. Shias are a very integrated part of Pakistani society from the military officer corps, to the media, to the fact that one of the two dynastic parties ruling Pakistan is Shia. For a 25% minority to hold a 50% stake in the ruling sweepstakes hardly speaks of marginalization.
Contrast that with India, where one of the two ruling parties makes no bones about its appeal to sectarian hatred. It purports to protect 'Hindu' interests from poaching by minorities. It is a blatant play on people's prejudices.
A really lousy example, and one that weakens the stand against extremists. Shia-Sunni riots have been commonplace in Calcutta, in Lucknow and in Mysore for decades, since members of my family have observed them. I have no historical evidence at hand on these, however, mainly since I have not looked at these events in any depth.
I wish you hadn't said this. Now the jackals will be out in full cry.