The moon and the maulvi

DAMMAM, SAUDI ARABIA: This is in reference to the article “The moon and the maulvi” by Amina Jilani (July 29). Our problem is that those who are secular give in to the clergy very easily, usually without showing the slight hint of any opposition. And in this, one shouldn’t really blame the maulvis because they, after all, are doing only what they profess to believe in. That is unfortunately not what the more secular-minded in Pakistani society do. Hence, we have a situation where, by and large, someone like Salmaan Taseer is not remembered as a shaheed. Why has his party, the secular PPP, not demanded that justice be done to his family for his murder? The bottom line is that until the secularists muster up some courage and take some risks, they will not succeed in spreading their viewpoint among Pakistani society.

Liaqat Ali

Published in The Express Tribune, August 3^rd, 2011.