Sharif Lone
Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2011.
COMMENTS (8)
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It appears that the surest way to live in Pakistan is to profess to follow the faith blindly.
COMMENTS (8)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
@Pakistani:
Dear, do me a favor and stop putting words in the Quaid's mouth and quote me direct words instead of your own. The Quaid-e-Azam is on record to have called Pakistan the premier Islamic state. And as far as mullahs are concerned, research who Maulana Shabbir Ahmed Usmani was.
A theocracy is a state ruled by the clergy which receive divine guidance, such a concept doesnt even exist in Islam, as revelation has ended with the Holy Prophet Pbuh. The states under the Pope during the Middle Ages are examples of this. So liberals should think twice before comparing Islam with Christianity, which is a common error they make.
Jizya is a tax whose amount is equivalent to peanuts. Please dont make that an issue.
I said it before and say it again, liberals should stop using minority rights for their own agenda. In an Islamic state, minorities have their due rights.
And finally, remember Pakistan is an Islamic Republic, when people like Ayub tried installing secularism by removing the word Islamic, they met such stiff opposition that they had to revert it. So seculars are even much lesser in number than the Islamists, if your argument is conceded to.
@Abdul Rehman Gilani: All the liberals and secularists respect the voices of right and religious views. They respect your views and allow these to be aired. But it appears this tolerance is one sided. How can it work when those who oppose your views are killed, threatened and are scared. Even the maulvi who offered Janaza prayers for Taseer had to hide himself in non Muslim UK. It is like having a boxing fight where one side has to tie his hands in the back and give free access to the punches. It makes us wonder the state of mind of the likes of you.
@Abdul Rehman Gilani: Does that mean the minorities will have to pay Jizya tax then? Are they not Pakistanis? Have you ever read the Quaid's speech he clearly pointed out that Pakistan should not be a theocratic state and religion should be separate from the state. Mullahs like you opposed the very idea of Pakistan but jumped on the bandwagon as soon as the new state was made. Quaid struggled for a separate country for the Muslims not an Islamic state. There is a difference but I guess you do not have the mental ability to understand that. Secularism will continue to live on in Pakistan and why I say that is because the religious parties have near earned more than 5 percent of the vote bank.
@AN:
Dear, half of this nation's history is strewn with dictators, now where was democracy then! And liberal forces are infinitesimal, the protests for and against the blasphemy law is ample proof.
And I only ask for implementing Islamic laws in the state, and democracy is the best way to do it.
@ Abdul Rehman Gilani After the imposition of sharia, there will be no need to crack down militants. These militants will once again become our holy warrior as they were once.
Pakistan is a democratic state. I know you will prefer a khilafat or let's say a theocratic state. Sadly because of some liberal forces, you can't achieve your objective so i can understand your frustration. Better live with it. Democracy will always be a strong force here.
PS. You better develop some tolerance for liberals too. They are part of your society and as much Pakistanis as much you are, like this or not.
@Abdul Rehman Gilani: How is that to be achieved? by kidnapping innocent people, just because they have other views? In a democratic set up. people elect governments and those who lose, accept the verdict of majority. Killings and destruction in the name of religion or nationality must be punished harshly. Tolerance means respecting views of those who have other views, without agreeing with them. Those who take law in their own hands are criminals.
fact is that the solution is to wholly and implement Islam on the state of Pakistan, then take a crackdown against these extremists.
but our liberal lobby is more worried, that would this happen, they would not be able to exist!
And by the way Salman taseer is no hero,his "crusade" against the blasphemy laws was perverse and doomed to fail.