Memorial service: ‘The blood of the martyrs calls out’

Shazia Marri, Waseem Akhtar and prominent people from society attend service for Shahbaz Bhatti.

KARACHI:

As organisers filled the grounds of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, a song in memory of federal minister for minority affairs Shahbaz Bhatti, who was assassinated on March 2, belted from the speakers.

“Phir lo maseehon aik aur vaar hoga, Urta hua Shahbaz bhi shikar ho gaya.” (Look Christians, one more has been killed. The soaring Shahbaz has been killed.)

The memorial service for Bhatti took place on Tuesday evening, and was organised by the Diocese of Karachi and Balochistan. A number of civil society members were seen at the event, as well as Pakistan Peoples Party’s Shazia Marri, Waqar Mehdi, Najmi Alam and Kaiser Bengali and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Waseem Akhtar.

At least two hundred people attended the service, many of whom had not known Bhatti but recognised his services to the community. Kausar Naseem John said, “There is a degree of fear, but that was always there. However, we are free in this country.”

A flyer was distributed prior to the event by the Christian Khidmat Tehreek, asking politicians and the media to use the word ‘shaheed’ (martyr) to preface mentions of Bhatti’s name. They may have been comforted somewhat knowing that all politicians at the event did so.

“He formed the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance at my brother-in-law’s house,” recalled Anjum Sohail. “What happened was wrong. He was a good person, and he never had an air of pride about being a federal minister.”

The event slowly descended into a haze of speeches delivered at ear-splitting volumes, but there were moments of calm and introspection as well. Pastors prayed for Bhatti’s family. Bishop Sadiq Daniel recited passages from the Bible that spoke of God’s displeasure at taking another human’s life, and stressed inter-faith harmony. He recalled the murder of Abel at the hands of his brother Cain, and recalled God’s words from the Bible - “Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground!”

“In the same way,” Daniel said, “the blood of the martyred Shahbaz Bhatti and that of other martyrs calls out to God from His earth.”

Daniel said, “I believe that people from every school of thought and political party have felt sorrow at Bhatti’s death, and Christians have been encouraged by the memorial service organised by the MQM.”

Other speakers at the event included Nuzhat Williams, the president of the Young Women’s Christian Association, journalist Qudsia Qadri and Citizens for Democracy’s Umar Farooq. Marri and Rashid Rabbani spoke of the contributions given by the PPP to Pakistan and the need for Pakistan to be united against terrorism. Marri’s speech received resounding applause when she mentioned the services of the Christian community in the field of education, “which made Pakistan what it is today.”

Waseem Akhtar struck a more personal note, recalling his interaction with Bhatti in the National Assembly (NA). “It has been three years since I’ve been in the NA and honestly, I really don’t know what people are talking about there,” he said. “Everyone has their own personal interests … someone is lobbying for their business, or their brother, or a ministry. Even if Bhatti went up to the prime minister with papers to sign, it was always for someone else’s problems.”

Akhtar recalled Bhatti as a “self-made, brave, good-hearted man who was completely free from feudal airs and pride.” But while Marri and Rabbani said the country was united, Akhtar was more realistic about the state of affairs, pointing to the evident polarisation in society and how “we have become spectators”. Another attendee, Saleem Shahzad, said, “There was a sense of fear before, it is still prevalent today and will continue to be there.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2011.