The wages of exploitation

One cheering bit of news over the past week or so is that the English-language press is doing a fine job on the blasphemy laws — it has taken a woman plus a death sentence to awaken many. The numerous columns may have little effect upon a professed ‘democratic’ government in thrall to the intransigent gentlemen of the book, but they are indeed spreading awareness — and who knows, one day a miracle could occur.

However, not so cheering is that it will not be one day soon, as this present government, true to itself and to its policy of doing ‘deals’ to bolster its power base and to blazes with the welfare of the people, has installed as chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) (does it know what it is doing?) a maulana well known to be anti any form of tolerance or even reason.

Over the past 24 years, 964 citizens of Pakistan have been charged under Section 295-C of the Penal Code, out of whom 32 have been murdered either by fanatics or by those who stood to benefit from their removal. It is safe to say that all were innocent of the charge put against them, or they were insane — as only someone who was mentally deficient would blaspheme in this land, the law being well-known.

Now, some reports have it that the government is ‘thinking’ about a repeal or an amendment to the laws, and all reports have it that the enemies of tolerance, the obscurantists and the clergy who interpret religious laws in their own wayward and malicious manner, stand firmly against any change. All that has to be done is to remove the Ziaul Haq additions to Section 295 — both B and C (which mandate state-sanctioned murder) — and allow the original 295 and 295-A to remain. They are neither pernicious nor wicked, and are in line with the laws of other countries.

As for the CII, Islamic ideology did not figure when Pakistan was made. This country was founded to advance the cause of the Muslims of the sub-continent, not as a bastion to protect Islam which was secure in itself. Religion, religious practice and religious laws were all manipulated — twisted and warped and exploited shamelessly by the establishment (civil and military) which has used religious groups as useful tools to control foreign and domestic policies. These religious groups exercise influence far in excess of their actual vote bank, yet parliament, from which they are largely excluded, bows and scrapes before them.

The world view of our clerical brethren is far divorced from any vision we may have of a modern Pakistan, fit to take its place in the 21st century. They have made inroads into Pakistan’s society as a whole — dangerous inroads — which have promoted sectarian and anti-western terrorism and had a divisive influence. The establishment — military and civil — has encouraged them to set themselves up as guardians of Islam, purely in their own shameless, self-perpetuating and controlling interests.

Maker-Founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s stand that religion must not be the business of the state has come under stringent attack by our neo-ideologists. As long as religion is allowed to be very much the business of the state and is used against the common concept of human rights — as is the case with Sections 295-B and C of the Penal Code and many other so-called Islamist laws — we can forget about democracy, progress, the world of today, and even about a stable and decent economy that is not forever exhibiting signs of collapse.

Afterthought: Having said all that, one amazing November 23 headline in a Karachi afternoon rag announced: “Seized liquour to be sold for revenue generation.” Rather than destroying “foreign branded smuggled liquor” the FBR has suggested that it be preserved and sold to foreigners. The government has agreed. If this truly be so — then, hail progress!

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2010.