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My disappointment with Pakistan
Cheers for the governor's assassin have me mourning for the flight of reason, tolerance and rule of law from Pakistan.
The writer works for the Jinnah Institute, a public-policy think-tank based in Islamabad [email protected]
Just two years ago, lawyers, political parties, civil society activists and students were marching to establish the rule of law in Pakistan. We, as a country, stood united behind the belief that the law must take due course and the rule of law must reign supreme. We promised not to bow down to the pressures of dictators or external forces. But today, those who stood on the frontlines and made these promises are nowhere to be found to condemn a man who scorned the rule of law, broke sworn oaths of duty and murdered a man.
I am confused and angry. A murderer has been crowned a hero and the man he slaughtered is the villain. I am told a murderer of this ilk proudly walks down every street of Pakistan, waiting to slay anyone he, in his own head, accuses, tries and convicts of blaspheming. There are scores who will defend and glorify him. Then there are those who will sit in their drawing rooms and say the murderer shouldn’t be glorified, but the victim was asking for it. They will then tell you that Pakistan is a failed state, spiralling into the abyss of religious fanaticism. Some will incite you to take to the streets against the illiterate cleric propagating intolerance and violence. Others will invite you to a candlelight vigil or a Facebook group. Here they will collectively wish they could swat the mullahs back into their caves with their Prada bags.
The bloodlust and hysteria of the masses that cheered the governor’s assassin has me mourning for the flight of reason, tolerance and the rule of law from this country. The small band of people advocating that liberals confront this blood-thirsty mob in the streets has me worried for their sanity.
Dramatic? Sure.
That’s how I’ve felt since the assassination of Salmaan Taseer.
I’ve tried to write many times since it happened. Maybe it’s not the words hiding from me but me hiding from the words that will spell out in cold, indelible ink, what Pakistan has become.
Escapist? Sure.
You have to be one if you want to live in a country where 500 lawyers will sign a petition to defend the murderer, but not one will prosecute him for the crime he has proudly confessed to. You have to become an escapist when those leading the charge against intolerance are busy being intolerant of each other.
I’ve thought about writing a response, but I’ve never found the words to criticise those who do much more for this cause than I ever will.
Coward? Sure.
I’m not the only one. There are hordes of us lurking in the editorial pages of English dailies. Our pens churning out clever little eulogies for the country lost, preaching sermons of realism, hiding our cowardice under the garb of ‘reality’. Some of us have been to a protest or two for a ‘tolerant’ Pakistan, but that’s all we’ve done.
What more could we have done in the face of such violent opposition? I don’t know.
But we could have found one lawyer to represent the Taseer family. One man or woman to stand up for the rule of law, in a country that just experienced a great movement in its name, should not have to be such a tough ask.
Sad? Infinitely.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 23rd, 2011.
Reader Comments (53)
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Mrs. Taseer’s sister, Tammy, is a lawyer who often sermonizes through this newspaper. One wonders what holds her back from representing the family.Recommend
As a nation we failed to defend our Christians, Ahmadis and Hindus. We watched silently as Christian homes were burned, as Ahmadies were legislated against and Hindus were forced to migrate. Now the roosters are coming home and we have problems finding an imam to lead the funeral prayers of the governor of the mighty province of Punjab. Recommend
Pretentious Article? Sure.Recommend
I’m still feeling exactly the same way. Recommend
The Taseer family has a lawyer.Recommend
This was a really good article and I for one definitely agree with the statement that Pakistan’s current situation where a murderer, a coward, is crowned hero while the one speaks for the rights of people is considered the villain is indefinitely sad. Unless people like us stand up against such criminals, I really don’t things can change. Its sad yet true… Recommend
You have voiced the anguish that many feel.
It is at important times, such as in this instance, where our leaders which include the superior judiciary have to spell out, loudly and clearly, what the correct direction is.
If they fail to do so, which seems to be happening, it will be another regressive step towards being labelled a failing state. Recommend
It is very thought provoking and well written article.She really has touched the essence of issue.For betterment of our society and our country,all people need to unite against intolerance,injustice and anarchy.Recommend
you are not alone,Pakistan has disappointed most of its citizens at every level and in every field.What and where are solutions?Recommend
@M M Malik:
“As a nation we failed to defend our Christians, Ahmadis and Hindus. We watched silently as Christian homes were burned, as Ahmadies were legislated against and Hindus were forced to migrate. Now the roosters are coming home and we have problems finding an imam to lead the funeral prayers of the governor of the mighty province of Punjab.”
See:
First They came… – Pastor Martin Niemoller
First they came for the communists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
Creepy isn’t it!Recommend
The problem with Pakistani people is that they are passionate about their religion, yet they know nothing about it. Our religion has been hijacked by the likes of politico-religious Parties who have their own vested interests.
Unless we stand up to them, they will continue to widen their ‘subjects’ and bring Pakistan to its doom.Recommend
Feel the same wayRecommend
The ppp never fails to beat the drum of it being liberal.Its leaders proudly claim before the international media that it is the only liberal,secular party in pakistan amidst a sea of religious fanatics.
But its absolute abandonment of its governor has exposed the truth.ppp disowned taseer during his life & after his martyrdom the abandonment was made complete by ppp’s shameful surrender before the religious barbarians.
To save their own seats so that they could continue their corruption ppp raised its arms up before the religious savages instead of supporting their governor’s viewpoint.
To make matters even more shameful ppp pressurised & arm twisted sherry rehman into giving up her fight against hate & bigotry.
Benazir would be rolling in her grave given the pathetic surrender of her party before the religious barbarians.Recommend
we treat our minorities horribly.We have this mentality of being by birth better than our non muslim countrymen simply because we were born muslims.
I remember my uncle scolding me when i had lunch at my hindu friend’s home.He screamed ” tum ne uski napaak plates may khana khaya,ab tum bhi kafir hogaye ho.allah se tobah karo ke kabhi aisa kaam wapis nai karogay” .
And this from a man who had spent a decade in american education system before returning home.
No matter if we go & live in america,britain or canada our mentality remains the sick,bigoted,women oppressive mentality we have in our country.The civilized countries’ education,laws,media can’t take out the hate filled psychotic mumtaz qadri hiding in all of us.Recommend
See this is the problem with our so called educated people.
I am more educated then most people who are so called educated in our society.
Why do we forget that we live in a Muslim country?
When you take steps and talk like the late Governor did then you are calling for trouble.
This is a Muslim country I am not feeling sorry for Governor he deserved it.
If he said and did all this in England i expect him to get away with it but not in Pakistan.
I hate to see what our so called educated community is becoming.Recommend
Do we have a secular country?Recommend
The issue is religious, we are extreme about it and we should be, specially when it comes to the dignity and respect of our Prophet (Salws), because without these feeling we cant clam to be muslim. thing is, its not just one step of salman taseer which lead to his death. long before his statements about blasphemy law and the whole situation, he was known in general public as a too moderate, enlightened person who’s whole family was living European way of life, pictures of his family on beaches and etc were accessible on the internet, i even found some blogs against him sometime ago.
yes the main reason of murder was his views on blasphemy law but the hater started long before that.Recommend
@M M Malik:
I think its not OK to generalize the mis treatment of minorities in Pakistan. The underlying cause for each sub group treatmnet is different. Let me dissect this out one by one.
1- Christians: Our mis treatment of chistians stems from two reasons. a- They are converted to christianity from the very bottom of hindu caste system i. e mostly shudra. While we muslims ( at least we claim so) are converted from high caste hindus like brahman, khasatri and vashia. The inherent hatred against christians in india and pakistan has similar psychological roots . We treat them, not knowingly, in some what similar manner as we would do so in pre islamic times. No matter, how much descent a house hold may be, and how much cultured its members might be, they always carry seprate utensils for ” kam wali mai” who typically is a christian. b- For religious people, christians represent the remains of ” Christian British Empire” who had killed and executed thousands of ulema during 1857 mutiny and afterwards.
2- Hindus: Are u surprised if we mistraet hindus? Our treatment to them is a direct reflection of what happens to muslims in India. If indian muslims are killed in Gugrat, we do the same with our minority over here. If they destroy Babri mosque, we burn down temples in Lahore. So the mistreatment of Hindus has roots in India-Pakistan problem and is common to both countries.
3- For Ahmadis! Just imagine for one second that Pakistan was a majority Ahmadi/ Qadiyani country and traditional muslims were a small minority. The majority believed that he who does not believe in Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is not a muslim. While the minority insisted that they are true muslims and be allowed to preach their religion as such. What would have happened? A continuous rift ? till the majority would try to address this issue either by force or by legislation? So common sense is that you can not have oranges and apples look alike. Prophet hood is fundamentals of the religion. You fail to believe in a true prophet ( as Mirza claimed), you basically are non believer of that person and his teachings. You believe in a false prophet ( as majority of muslims think that Mirza was), you are out of the leauge of majority. The very insistence of qadiyanis that they are just like other muslims but at the same time thier consideration of ” other muslims” as non muslims has complicated the things for every body including themselves.Recommend
@Noor Nabi:
Conflict of interest.Recommend
It was Zardari regime’s negligence that emboldened outrageous Taseer to go after a law which is so sensitive & we all know it very well. They took the matter as any other routine scandal. When the regime refused to step-up & dealt with the issue, things got heat-up, someone rose & did what exactly he deserved. You simply cannot blame just one person … The whole (Zardari) regime responsible for it. They had to warned him before the crossing the red line.Recommend
@ Hasan Khan
I don’t see how what you’re saying is any different from what MM Malik said. We have still, as a nation, managed to mistreat and marginalize our minorities – albeit for different reasons.
Having said that, I don’t agree with any of the reasons you have pointed out. Sadly, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that we are an intolerant nation that cannot ‘live and let live’. On the other hand, Muslims in India are meted much fairer treatment that Hindus in Pakistan and Ahmadi’s preach the slogan “love for all hatred for none”.
We assassinate governors and greet the assassins as heroes. Tolerance, anyone? Recommend
@Shahzad Khan
I have no words to describe your ignorance.Recommend
@Hasan Khan : How deep man you are awesome .Wonder why pakistani needs enemies Recommend
@Noor Nabi: tammy is not Mr Taseer’s sister, she is his sister in law…Recommend
@Voice oF Pakistan:
So you wish to say that one has no choice if one is born in Pakistan. He/she should follow the diktats of Mullahs, howmuch ever they are against personal freedom?Recommend
@M M Malik: I agree with what you have said (even though its a factual statement and not normatively oriented) but I think you mean to say “the chickens have come home to roost” and not “the roosters are coming home” :SRecommend
@Hasan Khan:
So you have found reason to hate the whole humanity except who share your personal beliefs? What kind of mindset do you have?Recommend
@shazad khan:
All religions and philosophies are open to individual interpretation. Islam is no different. You cannot kill anybody for having a certain point of view. No religious philosophy is timeless. What may have been right in some period of human development is of little relevance now. And if that is not the case many religions including Islam would not have evolved, for at that time that was also a blasphemous act (going against the prevaling beliefs)Recommend
well writtenRecommend
“I’m not the only one. There are hordes of us lurking in the editorial pages of English dailies.”
You couldn’t have put it better! We are absolutely lurking and frankly, the party is still on in the wings where we’re hiding. Bill Gates said that he realized that the reason most good people do nothing is because they don’t actually know what to do.
Maybe a more creative palette of options is in order. Maybe the elite need to snap out of their/our identity crisis and accept our place (and our contribution) to the scheme of things. We’re living this Faiz-induced, Guevarian day dream of dystopian socialism where the wealthiest, most connected, most influential people are talking about taking to the streets, without a thought to who should remain behind in the hallways of power to hear the protest.
Where we should be talking about how best to channel our resources to institutions, programs and policy that will improve the longterm health of our society, we are resorting instead to political strategies invented by disenfranchised, exiled revolutionaries who had been pushed to the brink of despair.
We own the stage. And all we can think to put up is this elegant and romantic charade.Recommend
@Hasan Khan
What a load of nonsense you just posted under the garb of ‘dissecting’ each group and the reasons for their treatment.
First of all, your ‘reasons’ sound more like justifications of the ill-treatment meted at the groups rather than pointing to any factual underlying cause.
Not all Christians are from ‘lower casts’, neither did they have any part in the killing or executing ‘thousands’ of Ulema. Don’t know where you got the thousands estimate from but its expected from the ‘Ulema’ types.
Hindus are Pakistani’s too, they have neither any say or input into what Hindu’s from our neighbourhood do to Muslims. Why should we hurt or kill those who have nothing to do with something that has occured in another country?
But once again, expected yet worrying at the same time.
As for Ahmadi’s, I am an Ahmadi, you people like to spread a lot of false information about us through every medium. It is expected because what you cannot face, you try to diminish it with spreading lies and odd theories.
Now let me explain the Ahmadi position in terms of what constitutes a Muslim and what if Ahmadi’s were a majority in a nation.
Ahmadi’s consider anyone who calls himself a Muslim to be a Muslim. The only verification required is the recitation of the first Kalima and that is it. The rest is up to Allah to decide, no one has the right to decided another persons faith.
Similarly, Ahmadi’s vehemently believe in a secular state, this is why we supported Pakistan tooth and nail. Our doctrine does not mandate any religious interference in the state, you are free to do worship and live as you please.
The community is together in a spiritual and community sense around the world, not to be under one state where the rights of others are restricted.
You are free to spread your misinformation as much as you can but the truth never dies.
Remember that.Recommend
@Hasan Khan
Christains: Islam shuns the class system. Mutiny is dealt as per the law of the time.
Hindus: Islamic teachings do not allow tit for tat actions. What happens to Muslims in Gujraat is
wrong and cannot be justified by mistreating Hindus in Pakistan.
Ahmadies: To call kalima reciting people non-Muslim is against the teachings of Islam. One
cannot cut one’s heart and see what is in it. Ahmadies believe non-Ahmadi are Muslims. Recommend
Beautifully written ! Where is the justice and law in our country that we fought to protect. Where are the rights of the minorities for which this country was created? Is this country becoming hostage to a small active and violent minority that raises murderers into heroes. Or are we growing into a country that wants to displace democracy with a caliphate. My disappointment is not with this country but with its people. The people who brace Mumtaz Qadri as their hero, the people who march on the streets torching figures of Salman Taseer and the people who are silent when all this happens. This article is a sad reminder of the obscure future of this country. Recommend
The article is in good spirit but really what again is being ignored is the culture that’s in us. And it’s not to any western education or local madarssah which will pick on people who go beyond the defined law. It’s ignorance if we don’t try and understand it. Saying things like the religious philosophy overburns logic is same to those who knowing well that fire will scare hands put up with it to discover. The anticipation of the convict is much higher than appreciation that education could give. Several case studies where educated have assisted in illegal procedures of any nature including terror have surfaced too often to be cited. Without justifying the act I could say that tolerance needs to be sufficient from all quarters. It’s the anger which is reflected upon non Muslims not individuals but general followers of faith. Globally if what someone does in waziristan is reflected on all Muslims, religious and secular, simmilarly same could be applied to Denmark and las Angeles. Being appologistic is not a resolve any true human could take that is what makes us human. Faith is more important than life itself, often collective lives. But Salman taseer was nor a bad person nor he said something which was reflected upon him it was just his prowess which alot could not put in pretext of their actions, and same was done in a brutal wayRecommend
@Anonymous: At least have courage to use your name. I am not preaching the hate of humanity just trying to make the biased people like you understand that discrimination against minorities is not just the problem of the ” intolerant and emotional” nation but a wider issue that also pervails in the very liberal and so called descent house holds.Recommend
Why so much intolerance and hatred? Islam does not teach either. May be we do not know or understand Islam, be it the “religious ones” or “enlightened ones”. Recommend
@ Nadia Malik
Be optmist….we are through the course of change..
I think we curse our country and people more than others.
Now people are greeting Egypt and Libya…but the same people were with head downs from last two decade….nobody curse them even…
Change may prevail through years…and pray that we will be the part of it, Inshallah…..
Egypt proves that change may come without leaders…so forget ours also…. Recommend
I am sorry to say , we have lost our way,under the pressures of hardcore,half-educated n misguided mullahs,who were against the creation of PAKISTAN, n now have become the UNCLE’S of the country.They create all kinds of fuss to prove that the CREATION was absolutely wrong.
Soon after 1947,they come up to support Liaqat n got QRARDAD E MAQASID included in the BASE OF CONSTITUTION,n from then ,we are running from pole to pole,but we have been pushed to THE DARK.Now, you read SEHR’S article n get the results of MULLAHISM.
These MULLAHS n so called religious scholars,always talk about Gandhi,MULLAH Azad,n so on n on,but never QUID E AZAM,n leaders who created PAKISTAN.Try to asses the worse situation in which we are caught ,now.May GOD save us.AAMEENRecommend
@Hassan Khan:
How does it matter if I am Khan, Ahemedia, Hindu,Christian, Zohraastrian, Sikh or plain atheist. What does my name has got to do with my comment except that it does not give you an oppertunity to comment on my religious beliefs. And I know you are feeling the pinch! If you have anything to argue about on the comments, argue, else get lost.Recommend
Pakistani leaders and government has not only failed the minority but also the majority. Look around and see how many of us get to live decently. Poor people regardless of their ethnic background or religious beliefs cannot even earn enough for a day to feed their family. If one is living as an honest man he can get anywhere.. It is a complete mess with the system everywhere in Pakistan, yet our government refuses to address it or do anything about it! What are people left to do, I think that’s why turn to extreme ways. SAD!!Recommend
but how we become intolerant? we must visit the roots of this problem. in case of Salman Taseer he is also guilty. he should go to higher courts instead of condeming or to show himself more liberal.. if some body is not agree with any law they should make amendment through elected person, I am not defending Qadri.
But the so called social activists, moderate and liberal class when show their faces on screen should keep in mind that they are in Pakistan not in west. Recommend
What about Pakistan’s disappointment with you? Recommend
If merely condemning a law can get you killed then the vast majority of the population thinks that Taseer deserved to be murdered then I am afraid we are doomed. We will suffer in the self imposed darkness until we have the guts to think for ourselves. The mullahs and agents of hate will keep on pushing us around until we stand up to them.Recommend
Poor Pakistan. Every other member of English speaking chattering class seem disappointed with or mad this country. Sadly they whiplash their own country and fellow countrymen only to prove their scholarship and get noticed. For all these people suffering from chronic lack of self esteem, I would quote a US president.
“Ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country” Recommend
The mistake which is made to hand over responsibility to others to resolve all the problems. Just because a few people protested on a given does not necessarily know everything.Recommend
Two things and Only these two things will cure all ills.
1) Select Best People as your representatives by Character. Do make sure there entire Past is spotless.
2) Let’s Support RULE OF LAW everywhere in Pakistan. This is our resposibility as a nation to stand Behind Judiciary and Strengthen it at lower level too.
Keep Public pressure on next selected representatives that they follow people agenda. Stand behind Judiciary to get prosecuted those who are prove to be wrong doing. People will see a change if these steps taken. Recommend
Lets put things into perspective. A lot of people have commented on killings in Gujrat of muslims, and therefore ppl in Pak are foaming at the mouth justifying killings or atrocities of hindus in Pakistan.
There was an evil act that preceded the Gujrat riots. A muslim mob of 1000, burnt down bogey no 6 of Sabarmati Express that had been reserved for hindu pilgrims. 60 innocents, mainly women old ppl and children were burnt alive.
This evil act was followed by another evil act- the riots which claimed lives of 240 hindus and 800 muslims.
Another perspective, have hindus ever lynched muslims in Pak thus, or launched suicide bomb attacks in Pakistan schools ??
I rest my case.
A little perspective.
An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind- Mahatma GandhiRecommend
Cant agree more! Pakistan should grasp India’s hand of friendship and try to learn and progress.Recommend
It wasnt only the obsession with the blasphemy law that contributed to the murderer’s insanity. I guess the magma made up of poverty, deprivation, disregard, injustice are equally important elements in the volcanic scenes of brutal escapes such as these. its religious commitments or devotion he is living with;. Mess with his only property and see what happens…Recommend
@Asffend Aahmed:
I am an optimistic person however when I see the brutalities of this society everyday, where one whose views are slightly different from the mainstream society, is either considered blasphemous or a traitor, it becomes a little hard to remain optimistic for long.
What happened in Egypt is a ray of hope except it is hard to believe that something like that could happen in Pakistan since the society has become so intolerant of any other belief, custom, religion, even of the opposing sex that such a revolution seems far fetched if not impossible. Incidents such as the ones which happened to Ahmadis in Lahore, the killing of two young boys in Sialkot, the imprisonment of a Christian woman since she was falsely considered blasphemous; all point to the same thing that this society and these people have to change their mindset and need to be a little more tolerant. We all need some space to breathe, we all already have too many problems therefore we should not be creating more by raising issues which didn’t even exist. Come on people! Recommend
well, in my opinion the comment made by salman taseer on blasphemy law which would have been gone unnoticed before 9/11 gets killed and the man who killed him becomes the hero and then minister for minorities have been killed so thats the sort of polarization we all should have to worried about in pakistan, in other words the american presence in a sense has enhanse the redicalizam and its depense the situation worse then ever.There should be an change of strategy by americans on this so called “war on terror” otherwise I am afraid that their will be no end of this war and it helping growing redicalization in pakistan.When there is crisis, when times are desperate the moderate shrinks because the people from the moderate move towards extreme for instance in europe when there is unemployment the racists parties rose up suddenly their membership grows up, but this is much more seviour then that the “war on terror” has become in the eyes of majority people in pakistan and the muslim world the war against islam the moment it becomes the war against islam so then there is divide in pakistan which has been increase the polarization in pakistan either you are pro american or anti islam or you are pro islam and anti america, and in my opinion america has loosing the battle of hearts and minds, you don’t win terrorism by bombs you win war on terrorism by winning people over to your side isolating the terrorist, and as we all know terrorism effects economics pakistan is the biggest casualty today because of terrorism not that just that we are cutting down on our very low education and health budget probably the lowest in subcontinent, so we cutting that to finance this war.Recommend
hhhRecommend
well, actually in my opinion the important factor of this whole discussion that no one has talking about is the “polarization”. The comment made by salman taseer on blasphemy law which would have been gone unnoticed before 9/11 gets killed and the man who killed him becomes the hero and then minister for minorities have been killed so thats the sort of polarization we all should have to worried about in pakistan, in other words the american presence in a sense has enhanse the redicalizam and its depense the situation worse then ever.There should be an change of strategy by americans on this so called “war on terror” otherwise I am afraid that their will be no end of this war and it helping growing redicalization in pakistan.When there is crisis, when times are desperate the moderate shrinks because the people from the moderate move towards extreme for instance in europe when there is unemployment the racists parties rose up suddenly their membership grows up, but this is much more seviour then that the “war on terror” has become in the eyes of majority people in pakistan and the muslim world the war against islam the moment it becomes the war against islam so then there is divide in pakistan which has been increase the polarization in pakistan either you are pro american or anti islam or you are pro islam and anti america, and in my opinion america has loosing the battle of hearts and minds, you don’t win terrorism by bombs you win war on terrorism by winning people over to your side isolating the terrorist, and as we all know terrorism effects economics pakistan is the biggest casualty today because of terrorism not that just that we are cutting down on our very low education and health budget probably the lowest in subcontinent, so we cutting that to finance this war.Recommend