Amongst the 152 who died in last Wednesday’s tragic crash of Air Blue flight were six members of the Youth Parliament. All death in this tragedy were sad. The death of these talented youth with aspirations of building a better Pakistan was no exception. Maybe it was tragedy compounded. But the story of one of them is sadder even than the others – and because of what happened to him after he died!
This is the story of Prem Chand, a bright young social worker from Sanghar (Sindh), one of the members of Youth Parliament, and one of those who died on the ill-fated AirBlue flight 202. His death – like the death of everyone on that flight – was a matter of national tragedy; the treatment of his dead body a matter of national disgrace.
According to news reports in The News and The Express Tribune young Prem Chand’s coffin was marked “Kafir” – a word that literally means ‘infidel’ or ‘non-believer’ but is mostly used as a serious slur in Pakistan. Literally labeling someone’s coffin as “Kafir” and not even giving them the respect to list their religion by its proper name, is a shameful and disgusting way to disrespect the last remains of anyone. All the more so the last remains of a patriotic Pakistani who was on that plane solely to represent Pakistan and to seek to be a better Pakistani – he was on his way to the ‘session’ of the Youth Parliament!
According to The News:
The members of Youth parliament [on the day following the crash] protested against the marking of the coffin of one of their colleague Prem Chand as ‘Kafir.’ “It was shocking. He could have been marked as Hindu or non-Muslim, but using the word ‘Kafir’ is the worst example of intolerance,” said MYP Muneeb Afzal.
The Express Tribune writes:
Ehsan Naveed Irfan is a member of the youth parliament and he is the one who identified Prem Chand’s body. He told me that his coffin was marked as “Kafir” first with black and then outlined with red to make it more prominent. He told me that he and his friends removed it with a marker and wrote “We love you – from the youth parliament” instead.
A friend of Prem Chand made this comment on Syed Ali Abbas Zaidi’s blog:
I am Muneeb Afzal, a Member of Youth parliament of Pakistan and a Colleague and Friend of Late Prem Chand. An extremely hard-working person he was a symbol of tolerance. My last communication with him was on night before the Air Crash, he gave his greetings to me on occasion of 15th of Shabaan.
At PIMS fortunately another friend of ours was there when Prem’s Cousin Nanik Das came to search for his body, he quickly hid the tag ‘kafir’ by putting marker lines on it, so that Prem’s family which is already suffering from great grief does not have to bear more hurt. Although later at a memorial session where media was present I criticized the inhumanity and intolerance of those who did this shameful act. I felt this was my duty to my late friend Prem Chand that I make it clear to the world that we condemn this act of intolerance and narrow mindedness. But a lot of my other colleagues have since objected to my speaking out, believing that my saying this and this news spreading in media would add to hurt of Prem’s family, and in a way they are right too. I would like you all to also keep this in mind as well…
This was probably not an official act or some state sponsored standard procedure. It is much more likely that this was an act of some sick minded individual. But it is still important for the authorities to investigate and punish those responsible, and set an example for future. Intolerance must not be tolerated. To tolerate it, or justify it, is to accept it. The authorities need to take responsibility for this incident and why it happened at all; no matter who did it. After all, it is the state of Pakistan – and we as a society – which creates the conditions in which the persecution of minorities thrives at various levels, directly and indirectly; and that is what gives individuals license to go even further – including such shameful acts.
Author’s Note: My deepest apologies to friends and family members of Prem Chand and my fellow Pakistanis from others faiths (Pakistani Hindus in particular), specially those who may not have heard of this yet and for whom this incident will no doubt be deeply painful. But we must raise our voice and condemn such acts. The one lesson that Pakistan’s history teaches us is that discrimination and intolerance must never be tolerated.
@No Name: How one would even consider you credible while you don’t have guts to share your identity.
Definitely crackpots like you are not even asked to witness whether the Prophet Muhammad(SAW) or even other prophets are best or not while person like Michael H.Hart declares Muhammad on top in his famous book, “The 100″(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_100). Though I and any other Muslim don’t need his witness either. So just don’t share your might ignorance about a topic which you can’t even grasp properly. Definitely its like an attempt of a illiterate farmer arguing about Software methodologies with an engineer.
Throughout the rule of Muslim majorities the world over, non-Muslims were/are treated as dhimmis/third-class people. During the Ottoman rule, non-Muslims could not walk on the same side of the road as Muslims and they also had to pay Jizya (the tax imposed on all non-Muslims). There was no “golden period” of Islamic subjugation for the non-Muslims when they were ruled by Muslim rulers. This was the same in the Mughal empire as well. Why doesn’t the Muslim community in Pakistan write
“Made by Kafirs” on their TV sets, the cars they drive, the mobile phones, the computers they use, the airplanes of the Pakistani (PIA) airlines, on their UK residency permits, on their English-language books, on the printing presses used to print Qurans, on their DVDs, videos, headphones, iPods, Xray and MRI equipment, etc. Hazrat Mohammed’s behaviour was not the best if you read Ibn Ishaq’s account and the Hadith. Definitely not a role model for anyone, women and children included. Half the Muslim world (the Muslimahs) are missing from any decision-making or equal participation, including mosque attendance. Ahmaddiyas and Shia are accused of shirk even though Allah (SWT) says in Surah 23:14, that he one of the best creators (plural, meaning there is more than one creator).
Rana.. I am not sure how his religious belief has been abused. Kafir is an abusive word if used for a muslim but not for a disbeliever. Its a word used by Allah in Quran. Non-muslim, Ghair-Muslim or kafir they all mean same.
Problem yih he kih mullah aur mullah-zadah log apne aap ko nabi aur khuda ki jagah rakh kar logon ke aqeede par judge ban bethte hein haalankih woh yih bhi nahein jaante kih Allah ki nazar nein unka apna aqeeda kia heisiat rakhta he (Dekhie verse 14 of Sura Hujrat 49).
The most cunning and wicked thing is that bigots who don’t get tired of using word “Mullah” in humiliating way to mock a community are complaining about others using same tone. Maybe they consider it an attack on their monopoly?
No wonder this forum always amaze me with the height of ignorance and hypocrisy exhibit here