Things in our country are really moving from the absurd, to even more absurd. And most frightening of all is the hatred that flows with this madness. The latest example of this comes at the Lahore Bar Association (LBA) — where lawyers following a campaign led by the Khatme Nabuwat Lawyers Forum — have banned the sale of drinks manufactured by the Shehzan Company from canteens at all subordinate courts on the basis that it is an Ahmadi concern. This action takes discrimination against the Ahmadi community to new heights. We can only wonder if the instigators of this plot imagine that sipping the ‘offensive’ drink will in some way contaminate their minds, or alter beliefs. Everyone, after all, has the right to follow the religious philosophy they adhere to — and no drink can alter this. The real aim, of course, is to attempt to hurt the economic interests of the Ahmadis — who have through the decades been subjected to violence in all kinds of different forums, whether it is through physical acts such as murder or other means intended to prevent them from occupying a place as equal citizens in society. The Shezan Company has also been targeted before, during mob violence and through other such means.
The LBA president has said that around 100 lawyers voted in favour of the decision. It is frightening that a so-called ‘educated community’ of professionals could take a decision such as this. The evil of ignorance has obviously sunk deep within our society, leaving scars everywhere. The knives which inflict these wounds are carried by groups dedicated to spreading intolerance and campaigning against the minorities. The Ahmadis, of course, draw the special wrath of the forces committed to acting against them. When professionals such as lawyers, who should know more about justice than most, join hands with them, we can only wonder about the future of our country and ask what grim abyss we are headed for. The direction we have set out in does not augur well for the coming years — with this move also certain to hurt Ahmadi lawyers who practice at lower courts.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 12th, 2012.
COMMENTS (77)
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Blaming lawyers is lame, I think they bring this law with pure Islamic intention with out any personal gain .And it's a long long debate to prove its wrong or right according to Islamic law. But it is very simple as Pakistani,this thing is disgusting and pure evil.
sasha - Feb 12, 2012 - 9:51AM
''all u secularists… its a islamic state..formed on the basis of islam… not ur secular ideas… feel oppressed …depressed??… fell free to leave then…''
BINGO!
Spot on I must say. Pakistan was created for muslims to practice their religion not for secularists/liberals.....who disregard Islamic teachings
The day i would be judged based on my allegiance to a juice, and whats wrong with these people! Shezan mango drink is still my fav drink!! These people must have had a terrible childhood.
Yet another example of bigotry and ignorance from the denizens of the "land of the pure".
@Sayyed Mehdi: totally agreed with your dad, let me add a bit...and those who don't get admission in any law college, join madrassas. (you don't need any qualification to join one.)
Seems the majority of the lawyers have become "moonstruck"
@S Khalid: Why after Coke and Pepsi. Don't you know even marriage is allowed with people of book. (AHLE KITAB). These are just drinks. Additionally such steps are taken against weak and non aggressive segments of the society. Ahmadies are weak and non aggressive so have to suffer. However one danger still exists. God always comes to the help of those who get unnecessary persecution from fellow beings.So those doing it should keep in mind the wrath might come from nature.
this is such a shameful act which was done by KNLF. i am also a lawyer but i didnt expect such type of stupid activity done by lawyers. secondly to the President of LBA, sir i am very much ashamed to be a lawyer if our community is of such type. u banned shezan in courts but did u see the acts of lawyers which they did on ur successful election on january, 17, 2012. see ur acts at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76x4FGzR_Uk
shame to be name sake muslims
So when are they going to ban Coke and Pepsi and all the million other products in the market, which are owned by Jewish lobbyists??
@sasha:
We have right and logic on our side. You only have hate. We will win.
Oh I want Shezan =(
@sasha: dear, i appriciate your stand, i am also muslim, We should ensure that these so called oppressed should leave this country, then we will be purified of these evils but stop here , you are from which sect? because then i have to more purify this country. if you are from my sect then it is all right other wise i want complete purification, so be ready to die or leave, no body else except my sect should remain in this country,. HOW ABOUT THAT..............
Brave New Pakistan, Sasha Brave New Pakistani.
What next?????????????
This is a minor act when considering former LHC Chief Justice Khawaja Sharif is representing Mumtaz Qadri in IHC.
SHAME ON US ALL!!!
My father's a lawyer and he tells me that a lot of people in Pakistan who go for the legal profession either have fake degrees or go into law because they couldn't find admission anywhere else. That explains it.
wow!!! it seems they have too much idle time at their hands...
Mullahs turned lawyers couldn't produce better than Shezan, banning was the only solution. I wonder where's the freedom of choice in this case?
It is sickening
I wont comment anything in this frenzy but just quoting the article itself "Everyone should be allowed to practice his believes" so let them bycott why u are worrying so keenly ...at the end they are independent citizen of independent country....
I cant believe this insanity actually happening in Pakistan!! Complete insanity!! On my next visit to Pakistan I'm definitely goin to drink shezan , infact I'll throw a shezan kitty party at my place!!
I think we are going towards an stage where all products, all investments coming to this country, all trading, all imports/exports dealt by non-Muslims shall be banned on demand of a few fanatics. One should remember that most of the religious groups in undivided India were against creation of Pakistan; and now they want that all affairs in Pakistan should be decided with their approval!
Who wants Shezan ? We want Aab-e-Zamzam and only Aab-e-Zamzam !
The innovation people have in pushing Pakistan to abysmal depths, as if its present position is not enough, amazes me. Pakistan's enemies are not outside Pakistan!
Why just stop at Shezan, please ban everything that has anything to do with infidels... Henry Ford was not a muslim neither was Thomas Edison so lets spearhead a movement to go back to stone ages, Ghairatmand Pakistanis a very talented bunch can definitely reinvent the wheel.
Are these lawyers the reason that Pakistan has very low conviction rate for terrorists? Do these lawyer purposely damage a good case of minorities like Ahmadis and Shia in favor or a Sunni client? BTW do these lawyer hesitate in accepting money (fee) from Ahmadi clients?
which hundred lawyers?? im a lawyer... no one asked me!!
Thank you ET for such bold editorial. True it is Pakistani society is getting deteriorated on human rights issues specially with reference to Ahamdies. But the type of bold, fair, honest and factual journalism which ET is pushing forward one can see light at the end of tunnel.
I will always buy Shezan from now on
this is a sad news as i am currently studying law and am looking forward to start my professional life as a lawyer. I have just one question for the LBA have they heard of the concept of freedom of practicing ones religion and what has the president done to those lawyers who had there "little party" right infront of the high court after winning the LBAs election
Shezan company should immediately sue LBA for discrimination. And the course should make an example out of those lawyers who initiated this action.This madness should end.
@ Sasha - Read some history please. I can recommend some books if required, you might think though that those books are written by yahoodi agents.
Any so called religious person give me any example from the life of Muhammad (May Peace Be Upon Him) when He boycotted minorities/Kufaars for any reason whatsoever 1400 Years Ago? These so called educated lawyers are not following footsteps of Muhammad, are they? They are trying to achieve their political objectives in the name of Islam, which is so appalling. I am so embarrassed as I once belonged to this uneducated community in Pakistan, although for short period of time – thanks God not any more. True teaching of Muhammad (MPBUH) are Love for All Hatred for None!
@Sasha will you be providing them with the travel documents and money to leave the Country? I doubt you'd want to stay in a state where you don't have rights to worship, where you will be denied justice, jobs, and basic human rights just because of your belief. Despite all this injustice they take pride in their country and try to better it, and make sacrifices for that country.
This ban is actually so unbelievably ridiculous that even as an ahmadi i have no choice but to laugh my head off. To be honest it's a pretty benign attack when compared to the massacre in 2010, false imprisonments, public lynchings and all the other countless examples of gross injustice perpetrated against ahmadis in Pakistan. It has however had an amazing side-effect (one which i am SURE the loopy lawyers failed to anticipate). This move of banning the drinks will cause no significant damage to the finances of this company i assure you. It has however caused the :LBA to condemned time and time again and strengthened support for the rights of ahmadis a hundred-fold among the general pakistani population. I think this is what one calls an "own-goal". Personally i hope the LBA continues their jihad of ignorance. Only by bringing to light the inherent injustice, banality and outright idiocy of the ahmadi-persecution lobby will the people of Pakistan have the opportunity to reject them. As indeed they are doing in this particular case.
juice the judiciary. sadly,another shameful episode from these 'educated' lawyers one wonders if the cjs lead in judicial activism has become a twisted example for these immiture penguins. now, can mr cj please step in do the needful. thank you.
A very vocal minority of black-coats has turned into another moral brigade on a variety of issues taking law into their own hands and indulging in violence. There philosophy of "if you are not with us, you are against us" is dangerously fascist and should be overwhelmly condemned.
@MS-Mariya Suhail: and y wud i leave when i dont fell any oppression or depression here.. but u ppl seem to b in agony... so leave it for good.... which wud b gud not only for u..but for us too "the adherents of deen'.! period
Sasha its people like you who need to leave because this country was created by a secular leader who wore western suits and drank publicly.
Please tell the lawyers that I will no longer buy products made in, produced in or imported from Pakistan, from soccer ball to Basmati rice.
Their action is no better or worse than Aprtied.
altaf hussain... thanks for tellin me that...:)
@sasha: you are a creep.
Today, for the first time in my life, I am truly ashamed to be a barrister and a member of the Lahore Bar Association. As a corporate lawyer based outside Pakistan, I have little cause to visit the courts in Pakistan, but I shall endeavour to carry and drink Shezan juice on every occasion that I find myself in the Lahore High Court. I shall also be lodging a personal complaint against such atrocious nonsense!
Lawyers have emerged as one of the most creepiest professional faction of our society. These law degree holders are biggest violators of the law themselves.
but shezan mango juice is the best:( Don't laweyrs have better things to do? How unprofessional and stupid. I feel after the lawyers movement they have started to regard themselves as above the masses.
mind this..all u secularists... its a islamic state..formed on the basis of islam... not ur secular ideas... feel oppressed ...depressed??... fell free to leave then...
all u ppl who r ashamed ... will also b ashamed in hereafter too...!!
How crazy can one get??i think the fanatics should be stopped before it gets way out of hand
Only in Punjab, no wonder.
Well the alternate option is to buy juices manufactured by the Swiss multinational nestle. The Swiss are known for their anti-Islam rhetoric so perhaps that's not such a good idea either.
Amreeki Coke aur Pepsi bhi naheen peetay hoan gey ye log. Phir ye peetay kya hein? Muwakkilon ka khoon?
And, by the way, Shezan's ownership didn't change in 2012. Why were these hypocrites committing the "blasphemy" of "allowing" drinking of it till now?
Idiots; congenital idiots.
What is justice? Power and Majority wins. Majority of lawyers came to this decision, respect it, no matter how much it hurts your inflated sensitivities.
After all we live in an evolutionary world where the strong survives. Power to the bar association.
Give them free Shezan Juice and you will see they will drink it like "thirsty crows " lol.
Hey folks, do you see who the real enemy is? Banning a Pakistani product means more jobless people, more poverty more crime. Whoever wanted to see that how people lived in the in stone ages, here's oppertunity for you.....visit Pakistan soon. Inna Lillla Wa Inna Elehe Raje'oon. Cheers!
Suggestion to these moulvi: Stop using mobile and computers because most of these technologies are invented by Jews. Stop using Facebook, google, youtube because they are owned by Jews. Stop drinking Pepsi, Coca cola they are owned by Jews too.
Lets destroy whole Pakistan and live the life as people use to live in 7th Century without electricity, tv, internet, cars, airoplanes and buses.
These lawyers should start Qadri brand drinks.
This ban needs to be challenged in court for being motivated by discrimination, inciting religious hatred and persecution of a specific group. In fact, the government decree terming Ahmedis non-muslims needs to be challenged in court. Anybody brave enough to do this?
Real Face of Lawyers Movement
they should also ban pepsi and coca cola since these are not products of the "muslim ummah". they should just drink water from the local nullah. shame on them!
i thought the lawyers were supposed to be at the forefront of fighting for justice and rights of the weak. This is criminal on their part.
Since when does an organization which is basically a lawyers union have the right to deprive someone of their livelihood - your courts are public property are they not? The Editor is spot on when he uses the term absurd.
"Everyone, after all, has the right to follow the religious philosophy they adhere to..."
How true. This should also apply to Ahmadies and discriminatory laws against them must be repealed and their right to preach and profess their beliefs must be restored.
This is absurd.... But I am going to do something about it.... Despite being a Sunni muslim I am now going to buy shezan drinks whenever I feel like drinking some juice.... Shame that lawyers, a relatively educated bunch would support something like this....
very disturbing