Sectarian strife

Despite the talk of laws and other measures against hate speech and the spread of violence we have heard over the past few days, notably since the December 16 shooting at the Army Public School in Peshawar, there has been little impact in real terms. This has been demonstrated by the attack on an Imambargah in the Chittian Hattian area of Rawalpindi on January 9. The attack took place while a ceremony was being held to mark Eid Miladun Nabi. It is somewhat unclear if this was a suicide bombing or if an explosive device placed in a neighbouring house was the cause of the blast. But there is no ambiguity about the fact that at least seven people have been killed and at least 20 others injured, with most of them still in critical condition. Just days ago, four Shias were killed in an attack during a volleyball match in the Orakzai Agency.

Sectarian strife then continues to spread its black web across our already shattered society. We can see that new laws and strident promises from the government will not instantly stop this. The death toll caused by sectarian killings is already high. It continues to rise steadily. It is quite apparent we have to deal with the problem on an urgent basis. There is no button we can press to do this instantaneously. But the steps that will eventually bring about change need to be put in place now. We must act against sectarian outfits, which are still operating, in some cases under the new names they assumed after they were banned. We must also use the media, mosque loudspeakers, school curriculum and every other means at our disposal to undo the hatred preached year after year and decade after decade. We see today how it has left our society in ruins. Rebuilding it will take time and effort. Both a short- and long-term strategies are required. But it is important we begin thinking about what these should constitute of so we can put them in place and prevent the continuing sequence of deaths which takes place when people are at their places of worship or are targeted simply because of their faith.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2015.

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