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DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Pakistan's mosques, media and intolerance
Pakistan's mosques, media and intolerance
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been fighting militants for years, but tough measures are needed to overturn a system breeding religious intolerance after the long failure of authorities to confront mullahs and hardline groups.
Analysts say the notion of religious mistrust is deeply entrenched in the predominatly Muslim country - even in the school system - and it is now up to leaders to mobilise public.
Last week's massacre in the city of Lahore of more than 80 Ahmadis has generated a heated debate in Pakistan, a US ally, on how to tackle the issue.
In a sign of how hatred is propagated, The News newspaper said one of the two surviving gunmen caught by security forces said he had been persuaded that Ahmadis were "blaspheming" Islam.
Identified as Abdullah, he told investigators that his mentors had him believe that Ahmadis were drawing caricatures of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) during a recent online contest and "so their bloodshed was a great service to Islam", the newspaper said.
That raised alarm bells in a country combatting militancy.
"The nagging feeling that the government has already lost the battle against extremism has now acquired the force of conviction," Zafar Hilaly, a former ambassador, wrote in The News last week.
ISLAMIC SEMINARIES
The government also vowed to reform tens of thousands of Islamic seminaries, known as madrassas, many of which are considered as breeding grounds for militancy.
Almost none of these measures, however, has been implemented.
Most outlawed groups have re-emerged under new names. Radical clerics still deliver fiery speeches against sects.
The US Embassy acknowledged the difficulties, given the importance placed on Pakistan helping Washington battle al Qaeda and its extremist allies.
"We recognise this is a problem," an embassy official said, adding that the embassy encouraged Pakistanis to take part in exchange programmes to see a multi-faith United States.
Analysts say Pakistani leaders dating back to the 1970s, however popular, took no action to counter radicals.
Hasan Askari Rizvi, a Lahore-based political and security analyst said governments have lacked the stomach to implement reforms, particularly in school curricula.
"In textbooks used in government schools, Pakistan is equated with Muslims...They teach Pakistan is a country only for Muslims. They don't teach that non-Muslims also live here," he said.
For rest of the article please visit the website link given at the start of the article.
DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Pakistan's mosques, media and intolerance
Pakistan's mosques, media and intolerance
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been fighting militants for years, but tough measures are needed to overturn a system breeding religious intolerance after the long failure of authorities to confront mullahs and hardline groups.
Analysts say the notion of religious mistrust is deeply entrenched in the predominatly Muslim country - even in the school system - and it is now up to leaders to mobilise public.
Last week's massacre in the city of Lahore of more than 80 Ahmadis has generated a heated debate in Pakistan, a US ally, on how to tackle the issue.
In a sign of how hatred is propagated, The News newspaper said one of the two surviving gunmen caught by security forces said he had been persuaded that Ahmadis were "blaspheming" Islam.
Identified as Abdullah, he told investigators that his mentors had him believe that Ahmadis were drawing caricatures of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) during a recent online contest and "so their bloodshed was a great service to Islam", the newspaper said.
That raised alarm bells in a country combatting militancy.
"The nagging feeling that the government has already lost the battle against extremism has now acquired the force of conviction," Zafar Hilaly, a former ambassador, wrote in The News last week.
ISLAMIC SEMINARIES
The government also vowed to reform tens of thousands of Islamic seminaries, known as madrassas, many of which are considered as breeding grounds for militancy.
Almost none of these measures, however, has been implemented.
Most outlawed groups have re-emerged under new names. Radical clerics still deliver fiery speeches against sects.
The US Embassy acknowledged the difficulties, given the importance placed on Pakistan helping Washington battle al Qaeda and its extremist allies.
"We recognise this is a problem," an embassy official said, adding that the embassy encouraged Pakistanis to take part in exchange programmes to see a multi-faith United States.
Analysts say Pakistani leaders dating back to the 1970s, however popular, took no action to counter radicals.
Hasan Askari Rizvi, a Lahore-based political and security analyst said governments have lacked the stomach to implement reforms, particularly in school curricula.
"In textbooks used in government schools, Pakistan is equated with Muslims...They teach Pakistan is a country only for Muslims. They don't teach that non-Muslims also live here," he said.
For rest of the article please visit the website link given at the start of the article.
