Putting an end to bigotry

Once again, the Ahmadi community is being harassed by radical clerics. On April 29, the Gulshan-e-Ravi police in Lahore arrested seven members of the Ahmadi community without filing an FIR against them when around 300 people protested in front of an Ahmadi place of worship. With mounting pressure from the people of the locality, the police finally filed blasphemy and terrorism charges against eight Ahmadis. Incidents of harassment against the Ahmadis have increased manifold, particularly in Punjab. A member of the Khatam-i-Nabuwat Lawyers Forum has been a central figure in recent anti-Ahmadi confrontations.

The authorities must prevent such hate-mongers from targeting the minorities before the situation gets out of control. As it is, Pakistan does not have much to show as far as its human rights record where the minorities are concerned. They have often been subjected to social stigmatisation and insecurity at the hands of the militants, who have gained impetus over the years.

Tolerance and interfaith harmony were part and parcel of the original doctrine of Pakistan. Unfortunately, previous governments did very little to support this school of thought. The ruling factions of the 1970s and 1980s gave much support to the obscurantist forces through the institutionalisation of isolation of minorities, especially the Ahmadi community, by enshrining anti-minority laws in our Constitution. No government has been able to repeal the Blasphemy Law.

The Ahmadis have traditionally been a peaceful lot and have shown great restraint despite consistent persecution and targeted attacks. As citizens of Pakistan, we must not forget that the white portion in our national flag represents the minorities. Now, the very same white portion has been tainted with the blood of the minorities. We must end this dangerous trend before the entire flag turns red due to intolerance and bigotry.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2013.