'If you force Muslims to register, we will all register as Muslims'
LAHORE: The recent developments in the United States regarding a ban on Muslims entering the great country and the reaction of the general public have proved that the people of the US are born great. Great beyond the words to express their greatness. They are free from any form or type of parochial, insular or sectarian feelings, free from any kind of cast, creed or religious prejudice and stand for humanity. The former secretary of state, Madelene Albright, even went one step forward by declaring that she would stand in solidarity with Muslims if President Donald Trump forces them to register. She said at a Women’s March rally recently, “If you force Muslims to register, we will all register as Muslims.”
All over the US, people from all walks of life are showing solidarity with the Muslim minority in the country. It is a unique show of love for humanity, which only great people can exhibit. Crowds of hundreds of people gathered at dozens of international airports to support those affected by their president’s executive orders. A team of lawyers along with Governor Tery McAuliffe went to Washington’s Dulles International Airport to provide legal assistance to those detained and normal citizens are visiting detainees at airports with flowers and messages of solidarity. This show of oneness is only for humanity.
Contrarily, look at the Muslim world, especially Pakistan. Can anyone think of showing love and solidarity for a non-Muslim in this way? Can anyone stand up for the rights of non-Muslims in Pakistan? We are busy killing our brothers in the name of religion and on the basis of cast and creed. We kill our daughters in the name of honour, destroy places of worship for minorities, and burn their homes. Is it for this that our forefathers struggled for a separate homeland? We, the citizens of the Land of the Pure must spare a few moments to think and compare ourselves with the great people of the US. I hope our people will use the gestures of Americans as an example, instead of dividing our nation into groups based on ethnic grounds.
Aamir Aqil
Published in The Express Tribune, February 6th, 2017.
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