Adil Najam
This was another bad week for Pakistanis. Our closest international ally continued bombing our territory. The self-style custodians of our morality kept up the indiscriminate killing of our citizen. One of our most popular television show anchors incited murder in the name of religion through television.
Once again, this was a week when Pakistanis died. Pakistanis cried.
The political machinations in the country continue to be a distraction that is keeping many, too many, glued to the soap opera quality twists and turns in the story of Pakistan’s tortured democratic experiment. But the real story in the country remains what it has for the last two years: a divided society which is at war. Niether the self-styled custodians of our internal identity nor our self-styled freinds abroad seem to be helping. Indeed, they keep making things worse for Pakistanis everywhere.
Meanwhile, Pakistanis continue to die. Pakistan continues to cry.
Whether it is pre-US-election posturing or a deeper shift in US policy, it is clear that the American forces have increased their military incursions into Pakistani territory. Beyond the fact that this is clearly a violation of the sovereign territory of a country they claim to be their ‘closest all,’ one cannot even imagine what the strategic logic of these incursions could possibly be since each incursion only strengthens the hand of the extremist elements that are supposedly after, angers Pakistani public opinion, and pushes the Pakistan goevrnment into a tighter corner. There is no real evidence that they have hit any important militant target but innocent Pakistanis, including children, women and even Pakistani soldiers have certainly been killed; 15 killed this Wednesday; 12 more on Friday.
Meanwhile. Pakistanis continue to die. Pakistan continues to cry.
Meanwhile, the merchants of murder and mayhem thrive even more in this condition and continue their war against Pakistan. Indeed, they seem now to be targetting the places of worship themselves. Only today an alleged suicide bomber was caught in Islamabad. On Thursday, 25 died in a grenade attack at a mosque in the Banai area of Dir during taraweeh prayers. Last Saturday, even as Asif Ali Zardari was being elected President, 31 people were killed and another 81 others injured as a suicide bomber blew himself and his vehicle up at the Zangali police post at Kohat Road, Peshawar.
Meanwhile. Pakistanis continue to die. Pakistan continues to cry.
And those who one might have wanted to bring calm and lessons of peace, are themselves engrossed in preaching hate, and in this case murder, to mass audiences. On September 7, Aamir Liaquat Hussain – GEO TV’s popular religious talk-show anchor, former MQM Minister, a holder of multiple fake degrees, and religious instigator extraordinaire – in his GEO TV Show Alim Online presided over a long discussion instigating that those holding Ahmadiyya beliefs were ‘wajib ul qatl’ (i.e., liable to death). The next day, Dr. Abdul Mannan Siddiqi – a 46 year-old Ahmadi in Mirpurkhas and a US-trained cardiologist who had retruned to work in his community – was murdered in broad daylight while working at his local hospital. The next day, Seth Muhammad Yousuf of Nawabshah was also murdered brutally. Whether there is a direct link between the two or not, the preaching of hatred and the practice of hatred both thrive in our land of the pure.
Meanwhile. Pakistanis continue to die. Pakistan continues to cry.
One sits here, shaken by sadness at this waste of human life, and wonders: at how many hands and for how many reasons should Pakistanis die? How long must Pakistan cry?
A very good article indeed.
it’s a tragedy that in a country which came into being on the base of religion, we find it hard to tolerate the minorities.
The fake degree holder & a Pretender Presenter, belonged to MQM but after his program which resulted in killing of Ahmadis, he was expelled from MQM by Iltaf Hussain.
People may say whatever about iltaf Hussain but his dicision in this case is spot on. There was no need for such program when the country is already burning from inside, these are times for unity and tolerance but some people just cannot hold thier will to create disturbance wather it’s political or religious.
Last night I caught a protest in multan yestserday carrying banners that govt. must stop support for Ahmadis, I ask these mullas, how can the govt. support ahmadis when it was the govt. itself who declared them non-muslims.
What Govt support? read below, these are current events,
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Rana Ata-ul-Karim fell to assassins bullets at his home on August 6, 2009 at about 10 a.m. He was 36. He left behind his widow, a son aged 9 and two daughters 4 and 3 years old.
Rana Karim was a well-known Ahmadi in the neighborhood. He had a master’s degree in agriculture and was in the business of production and distribution of poultry feeds and medicines. On the day of the incident when he went out, three armed men entered his house, shut his family in one room, and waited for his return. His wife pleaded the intruders to take away whatever they wanted, but they took nothing except life. As soon as Rana Karim entered his home, they fired at him. He was hit thrice. One bullet hit his neck and damaged his windpipe, the other hit close to his ear while the third hit low and damaged his kidney. He died on the spot.
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Approximately 300 Policemen and Elite Force commandos raided Ahmadiyya houses on 10th August, 2009 to commit the shameless act of Official Blasphemy having No Fear of Allah, the Almighty, Lathianwala, Faisalabad.
Since 1952 the Kalima was on the mosque proclaiming the Oneness of God and Truthfulness of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw), yet his name is being chipped off using hammers.
The atrocities did not end at this. 32 Ahmadi Muslims of this village were booked for blasphemy of Holy Quran and Holy Prophet (saw). This was all pre-planned with the support of Pakistani authorities.
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what ismailis are doing is far worst than what Ahmadis are accused of. have you ever seen an ahmadi burning tyres or smashing windows? yet they by numbers each day just because they carry a faith which other do not agree with.
A friend said the other day that I support Ahmadis and have soft feelings for them and my answer was the same,
No matter what, as a muslim we must set example for the minorities and not the other way around, cause if killing of minorities or non-muslim was allowed, Prophet (PBUH) must have done it himself when he entered Mekkah, instead he forgive.
Live and let live, before you are anything, you are a human, respect the humanity first.
“However, he said, a preliminary investigation showed there was no desecration of the Koran.
and
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5701BH2009080 1
Six Christians burnt alive for no reason except big0try of the perpetrators.
This news is being kept well under wrap in Pakistan…reported as being fight between two “groups”,..no mention of one sided attack on Christians…
http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/headlinenewsd .php?hnewsid=1295