The people against whom all the atrocities were committed were the honoured residents of this land.
KARACHI: This is with reference to the letter “Agony of women during Partition” (October 20) by Haroon Janjua. How horrible the experience must have been and I am especially appalled by the fact that Muslims caused all that. Even if one claims that this was in retaliation, even then this cannot be permissible. The people against whom all the atrocities were committed were the honoured residents of this land. Whatever the circumstances, this should not have been allowed to happen and every protection and respect should have been extended to all people. This also brings me to the way Muslims have treated fellow Muslims. Bombings and killings are the order of the day. Even sacred places of Muslims, i.e., shrines, mosques, imambargahs, etc. are the targets of blasts in the midst of prayers. Even funeral congregations are not spared. All of this is done by extremists, who massacre common folks, women, children and the elderly with no exceptions.
The exodus of the colonial power from our region ironically coincided with extreme suffering, large-scale bloodshed, massacres and the biggest migration in history on both sides of the divide rather than with rejoicing for the newly-found independence of both India and Pakistan.
All this suffering has still not ended although people have historically lived in these very lands in harmony and peace, with tolerance, love and compassion for one another. They shared the same culture, languages, heritage and customs irrespective of their religious differences.
We should all pray that instead of madness, sanity prevails in these beautiful lands of love, which have remained the hallmark peace and compassion, and that the forces of death, destruction and hatred vanish soon.
S Israr Ali
Published in The Express Tribune, October 23rd, 2013.
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