Homes of Christians burnt

[Developereo]

"Here, we are second-class citizens."

Attack on Christians a further crisis for Pakistan - Los Angeles Times

As usual, the American media opts for sensationalism over facts. Pakistan is a poor country and, unfortunately, there is widespread lack of opportunity and education. Although poor, christians are not disproportionately disadvantaged.

In the major cities, the christians are an integral part of society, firmly ensconced in the middle class.

This is not to deny the growing influence of Islamic extremists -- they need to be silenced, no question -- but the LA Times is pushing an agenda instead of reporting the true picture.

 

[TruthSeeker]

This is not to deny the growing influence of Islamic extremists -- they need to be silenced, no question -- but the LA Times is pushing an agenda instead of reporting the true picture.

Well, of course you may be correct. Most of our "main stream media" here in the US seems to have a "template" that they apply to stories. I might add that I read many, many Pakistani newspapers and I see at least an equivalent "shading" or "template" there as well. Nonetheless, the LA Times story was "quoting" an 18-year old Christian, a Mr. "Akhlas". So the LA times may be biased against Pakistan to put this quote in the article, but, maybe, you would accept that the young man said it, especially after what he had been through with the fresh deaths of his close relatives. Or do you think that the LA Times made the whole story up?

 

[Patriot]

The situation was indeed very bad for christians during General Zia era but situation is getting better know.Christians are again joining Armed Forces and civil servant services and private sector is free for every Pakistani.

 

[Patriot]

The situation was indeed very bad for christians during General Zia era but situation is getting better know.Christians are again joining Armed Forces and civil servant services and private sector is free for every Pakistani.

 

[Developereo]

Nonetheless, the LA Times story was "quoting" an 18-year old Christian, a Mr. "Akhlas". Or do you think that the LA Times made the whole story up?

Of course I am not suggesting that the LA times made anything up. There is discrimination against christians, especially in poorer uneducated rural areas where power-hungry mullahs offer false salvation by promoting "facade" piety. Nobody denies that. But I am saying the LA times is exaggerating and sensationalizing the issue.

Most christians in urban areas are 100% integrated in Pakistani society -- nose to the middle class grindstool like everyone else.

I am sure My Akhlas believes what he says but, even in the US, if you look hard enough you can always find someone to verbalize a particular point of view, no matter how unrepresentative.

Do you really think all this talk about autonomy in Montana and Texas means that the US is about to break up?

 

[Developereo]

The situation was indeed very bad for christians during General Zia era but situation is getting better know.Christians are again joining Armed Forces and civil servant services and private sector is free for every Pakistani.

I agree. During ZAB in the early 70s they used to show Christmas mass on PTV. It probably stopped during Zia but maybe they can bring it back, along with more high profile interfaith activities in the mainstream media.

 

[Meesna]

Flames of hate

The day after the Gojra incident, a group of people gathered on a green belt outside the National Press Club in Islamabad. As one got closer one could hear a faint sound of hymns. The group was led by a woman with a child leaning against a tree. Those present sat in heavy silence and those who spoke did so just to give information as to why they were there. There was a substantial turn up from the Christian community, but unfortunately no Muslims were to be seen. That said a lot.

DAWN.COM | Columnists | Flames of hate

 

[tallman]

The situation was indeed very bad for christians during General Zia era but situation is getting better know.Christians are again joining Armed Forces and civil servant services and private sector is free for every Pakistani.

Do you consider burning 8 christians alive getting better.

 

[muse]

We are all responsible for Gojra!
Syed Mansoor Hussain



Just a few months ago, almost everybody was declaring that the Taliban posed an ‘existential’ threat to Pakistan. The recent massacre of Christians in Gojra has proven clearly that the real existential threat to Pakistan is and always was from the fanatics within.

Without the help and support of these fanatic fellow travellers, the Taliban would never have become the force that they are today. Contrary to what many in the liberal establishment choose to believe, religious fanaticism does not really have much to do with the religion being practiced. It is however a particular mindset that is exploited by all religions, and has been from the beginning of recorded history.

Even secular ‘religions’ like Socialism and Nazism have during the last century been responsible for considerable fanatical killing of minorities and other undesirables in an attempt to create greater ethnic, political or doctrinal uniformity. But then that is not our concern today. What we as Pakistanis need to find if possible is a way to limit and if possible control the rapidly expanding influence of the peddlers of religious fanaticism.

Most Pakistanis are Muslims and most Muslims are not of a fanatic bent of mind. Without getting involved in the debate about whether Islam is a religion of peace, it is perhaps enough to say that different segments of the ‘power’ elite within Pakistan have used Islam quite cynically to further their own political and economic interests. This has been going on from the day this country was founded.

The feudal ‘aristocracy’ plays a particularly egregious role, using religion as a means to keep its lands and the peasants on those lands under control. Even today, in areas controlled by feudal families, ordinary peasants live a grim and diminished life, deliberately denied education and other facilities by their feudal lords to perpetuate their state of servitude. These rural poor are thus extremely susceptible to religious manipulation.

‘Shoulder to shoulder’ with the feudal elite are the hereditary ‘pirs’, for whom I still prefer the phrase used to describe them all those years ago: ‘religious divines’. This group survives on keeping devotees and followers drunk on piety and in a state of poverty and ignorance. A quick glance at the list of our leaders in government and in the opposition suggests a profusion of hereditary religious divines and feudal ‘lords’.

The third and perhaps the most important power elite in the country now is the Pakistan Army. The army has over the last few decades instilled religiosity among the ranks and junior officers to motivate and prepare them to fight the ‘infidel’ across our eastern border.

The role played by the army or at least the generals that ran Pakistan since 1977 has also been perhaps the greatest impetus to the increasing tide of fanaticism in the country. Not only were the ranks indoctrinated, but religion was also used to develop ‘non-state’ fighting forces to serve as proxies in Afghanistan and Kashmir — the very same proxies that have come back to haunt us now.

General Zia-ul Haq’s entirely self-serving and cynical Islamisation campaign was a definite milestone in this evolution of religious fanaticism. Zia compounded the problem by empowering the ‘mullah’ or the former lowly prayer leader of the local mosque and so created another power centre that is beholden to excessive religiosity for sustenance.

Our middle class, made up of the petty shopkeeper and the medium-sized farm owner, is already beholden to religious excess and forms the primary support group besides the army for the religious extremists that are now fighting against the country itself.

The poor are often unjustly accused of being religious fanatics. That is a canard against the poor, for they have no time for the niceties of religion; they are just too busy trying to survive.

And yes, we the ‘liberals’ are not without our share of blame. We acquiesced! We went along, afraid that if we vocally opposed the steady march towards religious extremism and excessive displays of public piety, we would be accused of doctrinal weakness, and our ‘Islamic’ credentials would be scrutinised and perhaps be found wanting. The newspaper that even the New York Times calls a liberal paper routinely censors anything that might offend the tender religious sensitivities of its readers.

The essential and obvious point is that we are all responsible, directly or indirectly, for what happened in Gojra. The perpetrators were not just a few masked fanatics but a large crowd of ordinary people. Indeed they represented the average Pakistani. Sadly that is what we have become. And that is the real existential crisis that confronts us as a nation at this time.

The question then is whether we as a nation have reached the tipping point. Whatever anybody might wish to happen it seems that Pakistan is marching inexorably towards becoming a theocratic state, perhaps not like the one in Iran but perhaps more like what it could have been if the fifteenth amendment to the Pakistani constitution had actually passed almost ten years ago.

Before I stand accused of being anti-religion, I wish to state that in my opinion religion is and will always be a very important part in the lives of most people in this world, including Muslims everywhere. Also, that belief in any religion does not by itself lead to fanaticism or violence. Almost always it is people in search of political power that use religion to mobilise and then incite ordinary people for their own purposes.

The only variable that remains incapable of assessment at this time is the role of the ‘silent majority’ of Pakistani Muslims that does not subscribe to any extremist theological position. If this majority stays silent then we are in for a tough time.

Even if Pakistan ends up a theocracy, fortunately from an historical perspective all extreme systems, whether based upon religion or political ideology, eventually moderate or else collapse under the weight of their own excesses.

Syed Mansoor Hussain has practised and taught medicine in the US. He can be reached at smhmbbs70@yahoo.com

 

[Meesna]

Interesting points raised;

یہ بات سمجھ سے بالاتر ہے کہ پاکستان میں ایسے واقعات میں اضافہ کیونکر ہوگیا ہے جن میں کمزور لوگوں نے اسلام، پیغمبر اسلام اور قرآن کی توہین کرنا اچانک شروع کردی ہے؟​

...

وہ میڈیا جو انسانی حقوق اور عدلیہ کی آزادی کے عظیم الشان مقصد سے کم کوئی بات نہیں کرتا اس کو مسیحی پاکستانیوں اور توہین مذہب کے نام پر سڑکوں اور گلیوں پر دوڑا دوڑا کر مارے جانے والوں کے انسانی حقوق کیوں نظر نہیں آتے؟​

BBC Urdu | ??? ?? ?? ???????? ???? ??????

 

[Meesna]

Now Ahmadis. Seems open season on Blasphemy charges these days.

Police sacrilege Ahmadiyya Mosque and houses in Lathianwala

Faisalabad, Pakistan; Aug 10, 2009: Couple of days ago a case under anti-Ahmadiyya clauses (PPC 298) was registered by some activists of Sunni Tehreek against 32 Ahmadis accusing them of inscribing Holy scriptures at their houses and place of worship which allegedly hurt the feelings of complainants in village Lathianwala located some 25KM away from Faisalabad at Sheikhupura Road. Police at the behest of some bigots also added Blasphemy clause PPC 295-C (Use of derogatory remarks, etc; in respect of the Holy Prophet) to the FIR (First Information Report) which carries death penalty. At this outrageous act of Police a three member delegation of Ahmadis approached high ranking police officials to get the Blasphemy charges dropped and settle the matter peacefully without unjustifiably hurting innocent Ahmadis implicated in the case.

In the morning of August 10, 2009 around 300 strong contingent of Police, gathered from whole district, stormed the Mosque and 28 houses belonging to Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and removed Holy inscriptions, comprising Names of Allah and Kalima (Muslim creed) etc. According to reliable sources the terror and frightful operation continued for 8 hours. Police sacrilege was led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Rai Muhammad Hussain and Station House Officer Mian Muuneer Ahmed of Police Station Khururianwala while the matter was still pending decision with high ranking police official Senior Superintendent of Police Kamran Yousuf. At the time of operation Ahmadiyya delegation was waiting for a meeting with Deputy Inspector General of Police.

Police used chisels, cement, paint etc to do this dreadful act of shameful sacrilege and removed every Arabic word they could find on Ahmadiyya Mosque and houses. It is worth noting that media was kept at distance thereby not allowing to cover this act. After what happened at Gojra and Mureedke last week; Police is still busy to appease the religious extremists and bigots. Religious minorities feel insecure and helpless in this hostile environment.

32 innocent Ahmadis still face the charges of anti-Ahmadiyya laws and Blasphemy, arrests and prosecution which may lead to from three years imprisonment to death.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Are Baha'i s permitted to practice their faith openly in Pakistan? I know that in Iran the Baha'i faith is banned.

 

[Patriot]

3 days ago, Gov. of Pakistan identified Siphah e Sahaba as the organization responsible for the incident of Gojra. And yesterday, its very chief got taken out in a shootout, apparently involving 'personal grudge'. Just a coincidence? I think not. About damn time, that we got serious about taking care of home-grown terrorists (and specially those spreading sectarian strife).

 

[muse]

Think Saudi Money. Pakistan has been a battle ground for Saudi ideology for the last 30 years. Many do not realize this but the world 2nd largest Shi'ah nation is Pakistan, and after the Iranian revolution, when those who wanted to externalize the revolution became ascendant and used militia organizations as their proxy, the Saudi began funding radical Sunni organizations. The Iranian ceased their activity in Pakistan because it was counter productive, but the Saudi funded Sunni militia found common cause with the Al-Qaaida element and the rest is a history of attacks on religious minorities, not just Christians but recall the attacks on Shiah doctors, the Ahmadi, Masajd, Shrines of Sufi Saints, and ulema who opposed the ideas of the radicals.

It will take state effort at every level to sensitise the population that such behaviour and attitudes is not only unIslamic, but will be punished most severely.

Pakistani readers should take note that it is no accident that the brothers Sharifov, fresh Billionaires from Saudi Arabia now rule the roost in Pakistan's most populous province, the scene of a number of terror attacks, none of which targetted the brothers Sharifov or the PML-N cronies.