The state policy of denial and/or apathy has reached a stage where places of worship are being desecrated.
MELBOURNE: A surge in sectarian violence has caused great concern among all sections of society, including Pakistanis living abroad. The Ashura tragedy in Rawalpindi reflects the inefficiency and incapacity of our state institutions whose job is to fight terrorism and militancy. Political and religious leaders are trying to play the part of fire-fighters but no one is seriously making any effort to know the cause of the fire. Steps like imposing a curfew, suspending and transferring police officials and so on are only temporary and will not have any long-term impact.
The response is typical of a strategy only cosmetic in reality and has been the norm of governments in Pakistan. Another tactic is to seek help from far-right religious elements to curb sectarianism and this also doesn’t usually work. Codes of conduct are being formalised and getting signed from all sides and schools of thought. This only indicates an apologetic attitude on the part of the state and more than anything else, is reflective of its inability and unwillingness to take on this problem head on. The reason for this is obvious: in trying to bring to heel the monster of sectarianism, the state is trying to use the ‘help’ of those very elements who are fuelling it. The state policy of denial and/or apathy has reached a stage where places of worship are being desecrated and innocent people are being killed in broad daylight in the name of faith. Once a very inclusive and tolerant society, Pakistan has now been transformed into a highly volatile and intolerant one. Furthermore, the increasing phenomenon of religiosity has fractured society on ideological lines. What used to be routine religious events in the past now bring everything to a halt.
The shrinking writ of the state is openly challenged by banned outfits who have been emboldened by the lack of an effective state response. Any armed conflict between rival factions in a country, which is a haven for illegal arms, will always have serious consequences for the very existence of the state. For starters, the education system needs to be purged of hate content and material that encourages students to be exclusivist and/or intolerant towards those of other faiths and beliefs. The media, as well, has a crucial role to play because it needs to show the reality to its audience/readers.
Malik Atif Mahmood Majoka
Published in The Express Tribune, December 28th, 2013.
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