Light a candle: Taseer remembered for standing up to extremism

Speakers seek establishment of a tolerant society

LAHORE:

Speakers at a vigil held on Monday to mark slain governor Salmaan Taseer’s fifth death anniversary paid tributes to him for raising his voice against religious extremism.

The participants gathered at the Liberty Roundabout included members of the Pakistan Peoples Party, the Peoples Students Federation and several civil society organisations. They carried placards with slogans like Taliban Zaliman, Dehshatgardi Murdabad (Down with terrorism) and Dehshatgard Ka Jo Yaar Hai, Ghadaar Hai Ghadaar Hai (Those who support terrorists are traitors).

The featured speakers included PPP Senator Shazia Marri, PPP media wing in charge Jahanara Wattoo and Taseer’s children Shehyar Salmaan Taseer and Sher Bano Taseer.

Mari said the PPP had always opposed terrorism and its leaders had sacrificed their lives for this upright stance. She paid homage to Taseer for supporting equal rights for all citizens regardless of their religious affiliations.

Amna Malik, one of the participants, called upon the government and political parties to strive for the establishment of a peaceful and tolerant society in the country. She said Taseer had sacrificed his life in pursuit of these ideals.

“The religious zealots are a minority. We will not allow them to force their beliefs upon the rest of us,” she said.

Malik said implementation of the National Action Plan should be ensured in letter and spirit. This, she said, could help eliminate extremism and create a facilitating environment for poets, writers and intellectuals to work for a positive outlook in the society.

Samson Slamat echoed Malik’s concerns and urged the need for promotion of values of tolerance and co-existence. He said extremist outfits espoused a pre-tribal culture and wanted to drag the country towards barbarism. “Taseer was gunned down in broad daylight for raising his voice for an oppressed woman,” he said.

Abdullah Malik termed Taseer a martyr for humanity and said that the late governor had been an ambassador of peace, progress and tolerance.

Strict security measures were in place to avoid any untoward incident. All major roads leading to the venue were blocked for traffic by putting up barbed wires. A large contingent of police was deployed to secure the area.

A senior police official said precautions had been taken to avoid any untoward situation. A vigil held to mark the anniversary last year had been attacked by a group of armed men. Five of the suspects arrested in connection with the attack were later convicted by an anti-terrorism court.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2016.