Were secular parties targeted, harassed in Germany in 2002 or at any other time, like they were in Pakistan in 2013?
NIDDERAU, GERMANY: This is in response to Anwer Mooraj’s piece “The return of the old guard” (June 9). When talking about the 2002 elections in Germany, Mr Mooraj ignores the major differences between that country and Pakistan. When he says that “There were no cries of foul play. No appeals to the courts. This is how a democracy works”, I got the impression that Mr Mooraj may not have been fully aware of the historical development of Germany after the Second World War. Germany has been a functioning democracy since decades and its leaders followed policies that ensured that the world eventually changed its perceptions about “bad” Germans of the Nazi era. Pakistan, on the other hand, has experienced democracy in fits and starts. Therefore, comparing the 2002 Germany elections with those taking place in Pakistan is unjustified.
My question is: were the secular parties targeted and harassed in Germany in 2002 or at any other time, like they were in Pakistan in 2013? Of course not. Did the 2002 elections mark the first time that a peaceful transition had taken place in Germany? Of course not. If there had been the kind of pre-election violence in Germany that we saw recently in Pakistan, there would have been a huge hue and cry about it in the country. However, I do agree that Pakistan has changed its course by a change of government in a peaceful manner.
There is one comparison, which could fit well with Germany. Western powers were still not sure about Germany because of its Nazi history. But when in 1969, the government changed hands from the Christian Democratic Union to the Social Democratic Party of Willie Brandt for the first time, the US and other Western powers realised that Germany would never repeat the pre-Second World War fiasco.
That is hopefully what will happen in Pakistan, with a civilian government proving itself capable of creating a better image of the country, which is something which was done successfully in Germany. We should never forget that “tyranny is always better organised than freedom” so patience is the name of the game.
Sharif Lone
Published in The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2013.
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