Adil Najam
Report from News (21 February, 2007):
A fanatic shot dead Punjab Minister for Social Welfare Zill-e-Huma Usman “for not adopting the Muslim dress code” at a political meeting here at the PML House on Tuesday. A party worker caught the accused, Maulvi Sarwar, and handed him over to the Civil Lines Police. Huma was at the PML House to hold an open Kachehry. As she was busy meeting the PML women activists, the accused sitting in the audience approached her with a pistol and pumped bullets into her head from a point-blank range… The accused, M Sarwar Mughal - popularly known as Maulvi Sarwar - is a resident of Baghbnapura in Gujranwala. Two police stations of Gujranwala and the Tibbi police of Lahore had booked Maulvi Sarwar for the murder of six women, but he was acquitted for want of sufficient evidence. His alleged spree of killing “immoral” women started in the year 2002. In his confession statement before the police on Tuesday, he said he was opposed to women holding public office. He added that after he read in the newspaper that the minister was holding an open court, he decided to kill her.
Sometimes you just wonder why! Sometimes you just want to give up!
I have been feeling sad and numb and down and dejected all day. I heard about the brutal murder of Punjab Minister Zile Huma Usman’s murder by a crazed fanatic some 10 hours ago. And I have been in utter shock.
I have tossed and turned. I had thought earlier that I would not even write about it. What is the use? When a society goes so mad that a woman is killed just because she is a woman, what can a blog post do. Just ignite more silly debates; more childish heckling; more immature point-scoring; trying to show how smart you are; or, more likely, trying to show how idiotic others are; reaffirming your own belief that you are always right, and everyone else is always wrong; single-track chest thumping; self-righteous finger-pointing. No remorse. No compassion; not a word of sympathy; not a shred of caring. All there is, is anger; getting high on our own anger; anger for its own sake; getting so very angry that you even forget what or who you are angry at.
But now I do want to write about this. We, as a society, have some serious thinking to do.
What killed Zille Huma Usman? Not religion. Not madness. But anger. Uncontrolled anger.
A society that seems to be fueled by anger. No conversation is seen to be legitimate unless it is an angry conversation. And the solution to everything seems to be violence. ‘Kill the infidels’ say the believers. ‘Kill the mullahs’ shout the modernists. ‘Hang them by the gallows.’ ‘Put them in boats and let them sink.’ ‘Death is what they deserve.’ We have heard it all right here. I suspect we will hear it again. That dastardly, self-righteous anger. This violence in the language, as Zille Huma so tragically found, becomes the violence of bloodshed all too easily. Today it was in the name of religion. Tomorrow it will be something else.
So, do me a favor folks. Give her some dignity. Hold your anger. Think about what happened. Ponder. And pause. For the sake of whatever is sacred to you; please pause!
An innocent woman’s life has already been taken by our inability to put a lid on our passions and our anger. Let us please not make a tamasha out of her death by making her a poster child for whatever ’cause’ we are parading for right now.
good morning
good people to live with
Does anyone have an update on how this ended? What happened to him?
Just came across this old piece. Just how messed up are we!
I am very afraid for the life of Minister Nilofer with this danda walla mullahs. Allah humain in mauvioun say bachai.
These mullahs have already murdered one woman minister and are now rooting to murder another just because they have perverted minds and cannot imagine someone just expressing friendship and goodwill with a hug.
It’s a sad incident and I wish we have more educated Mullahs to spread educated religion.
Another dangerous situation being created in Islamabad:
http://dawn.com/2007/04/09/top2.htm
Fatwa against Nilofar issued
Iam from India and I like to read on Pakistan History and politics. It really saddens be that even after so many years of Independence Pakistan is in a very bad shape. It was argued that Pakistan be seperate than India for its future. Jinnah was concerned about rights of muslims. What rights you have?? Your media is tortured,You have no freedom of expression. There is no stable govt for ages now. Your country is still confused whether to have democracy or dictatorship. On the other hand you can see India..Muslims are given equal rights,Our current president is muslim..Bollywood is controlled by muslims. We also let your singers to come to India and perform. People like Atif aslam are treated like God in India. How on earth it was assumed that we would not give rights to muslims?? India has the maximum number of muslims after Indonesia. on the other hands percentage of hindus have declined in pakistan after partition. You may argue and point out incidences like babri ,gujrat etc..But these incidents were not democide..gen agha khan was appointed to do all crime and no one voiced for the innocent..I dont hate Pakistan..and i also know this problem is not one sided..British ruled India for more than 200 years but we dont hate them but started hating each other..This is the reason the world rules us even after having all intelligent people..I hope i cleared my point..how could some one kill coz of dress code?? It is a shame..Its high time that you guys start spending more of your money on education rather than on defense.