Apart from this most disconcerting state of matters, in which protesters of a peaceful religion displayed hatred and greed towards members of a minority group — and perhaps the fact that followers of all religions and faiths deserve equal treatment under the law — the decision by the police must be supported. All citizens of a state must be forced to follow the same rules and this should include respect for other religions. An act of hatred towards a minority community must be regarded as inexcusable and reviewed until the wrongdoers face the consequences of their actions. We cannot allow such barbaric scenes from the past, of Sikh men eventually having to attack the angry mob back with daggers to stop them from destroying the Hindu temple.
Building religious tolerance in the country has a long way to go but the police, meanwhile, must support minorities in coming forth and reporting hate crimes. It is not right to let minorities live paralysed in fear because this would be following in the footsteps of the Taliban, which also force people to live in fear.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 5th, 2012.
COMMENTS (13)
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@gp65:
when a retired, insignificant ex-minister is thrown in jail for a few years, it is NOTHING MORE than a 'token' gesture. When only 31 people are convicted for the bestial torture and murder of over 2,000 Muslims in the space of a few days, it is in fact a failure of justice rather than a demonstration of it. Oh, and when the Chief Minister at the time of the riots is exonerated and even starts to foster ambitions for prime minister, in most parts of the world it would actually be a national disgrace. But apart from all that, you're completely right.
Pakistan's minority ratio has not changed drastically since 1948, which saw many non-Muslims leave, and just as many non-Hindus flee Hindustan. Even a cursory analysis of your comments shows that you're clutching at straws, since there are no known incidents of minority massacres in Pakistan that come even close to those witnessed across the border. In 2009, the Gojra massacre saw 10 people killed brutally by religious fanatics - and that news was beamed across the whole world. Are you trying to suggest that we have somehow covered up larger bloodbaths? Even if there had been a mass killing going into hundreds of victims which had somehow slipped under the radar, it would still fall well shy of the repulsive, shocking scenes that Hindustan brought to the world just a decade ago.
lastly, the terrorists who attack our minorities are usually the same ones who like to target Muslims and especially our armed forces personnel also - and they are hunted down across the length and breadth of the country. So for you to start ranting about the killings in Karachi is frankly laughable, as it is a totally different kind of scourge.
Pakistanis have a long way to go before they can push the bigots back into obscurity - but they are much, much closer to doing so than Hindustan is. Sorry to burst your bubble.
Hasan
The hearts of these followers of THE religion of peace must have been really brimming with love for the prophet to burn down a temple.
Why is it that Buddhism, Hinduism or Christianity never lay claim to being the 'religion of peace', and yet are far kinder to peoples of other faith.
@Hasan
It must kill you guys that one single religious bloodbath in your country accounts for almost all the minority violence that has taken place across Pakistan’s 65-year history.
Conveniently forgetting East Pakistan are we not eh?
@Hasan: "Let’s hope it doesn’t take the same ten years it took for your ‘Supreme Court’ (LOL) to hand out a few token sentences in the wake of the Gujarat massacres.
It must kill you guys that one single religious bloodbath in your country accounts for almost all the minority violence that has taken place across Pakistan’s 65-year history "
When ministers are convicted - it is not a TOKEN conviction. Also how many terrorists have been convictd in Pakistan? just 1 - Shakil Afridi but all others who have killed 40,0000 Pakistanis roam scot free.
Secondly West Pakistan had over 15% Hindu population. It is down to less than 2%. Just because you do not record instances of oppresion and atrocities on your minorities , it does not mean they do not occur. Finally, there have been no riots in Gujarat in the past 10 years. Can the people of Karachi say there have been no target kilings in past 10 years? No. Just in this year alone, more people died in target killing in Karchi than the number of Muslims that died in Gujarat riots (797).
ET With this constitution which authorises state to persecute minorities there should be no hope left for peace for minorities and and majority aswell.A judge sending someone to jail for blasphemy is not doing illegle job but abiding the law of the state.Change the law before law changes the land complete red . .
Where are Hamid Mir, Fareeha Idris, Mubasher Luqman. No words from their mouth on this ?????.
This is not an isolated incident which is happening only in Pakistan. Most Muslim dominated societies have the same level of intolerance towards other religions. Look what is happening in NIgeria where Muslims stormed into a Christian college hostel, separated the Christians from Muslims and shot them dead. In Egypt, Christians cannot even repair their Church, forget about building a new one.......From Egypt to Nigeria and from Sudan to Indonesia, the stories are all same..........This is how they represent their religion and if somebody compares Islam with violence, the whole Islamic world goes berserk.
@ASHOK:
Let's hope it doesn't take the same ten years it took for your 'Supreme Court' (LOL) to hand out a few token sentences in the wake of the Gujarat massacres.
It must kill you guys that one single religious bloodbath in your country accounts for almost all the minority violence that has taken place across Pakistan's 65-year history.
Hasan
It has been more than two weeks since the Muslim mob attacked the tiny one-rrom temple and the Hindu priest. Has police caught any one as yet?
What is the use of filing a case if you do not intend to actch the culprits. It is all drama to collect browny points.
" ... We cannot allow such barbaric scenes from the past, of Sikh men eventually having to attack the angry mob back with daggers to stop them from destroying the Hindu temple. ... "
A Swede once remarked to me - there were many similarities between Vikings and Sikhs - both are explorers and both do not understand the concept of "fear".
When the fanatics of a community win ,the community loses.