Adil Najam
Salman Taseer – Governor Punjab, businessman, media mogul, PPP leader – was gunned down outside a restaurant in Kohsar Market, Islamabad, by one of his own guards. The guard – reportedly, a Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri – was part of the security Elite Force depute assigned to keep Salman Taseer safe gunned down the Punjab Governor with as many as 27 bullets. Later the guard handed himself to the police and said that he had killed Salman Taseer because of his vocal opposition to the Blasphemy Law.
Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri may have pulled the trigger but let us all hang our head in shame today because Salman Taseer was killed by the intolerance, the hatred, the extremism, the vigilantism, the violence and the jahalat that now defines our society. He was killed by the unchecked abundance of false sanctimony where custodians of morality have been breathing fire and instigating violence. Each one of us, including his own party, should be ashamed today for having tolerated the pall of intolerance that has eventually gunned down this man. Today’s Pakistan is defined by Mumtaz Hussain Qadris. They exist all around us. And it is all of us who tolerate them and their intolerance. It is this tolerance of intolerance that kills.
Today, it claimed yet one more victim.
Just as one example of many that we should have been paying heed to already, it was less than a month ago that a dispicable man in Peshawar was publicly offering money to anyone who would murder in the name of the blasphemy law. The news flashed on the media. Was highlighted in disgust by those like us. Yet, no action was taken; indeed, not even note was taken by those in power. It was ignored as mere ‘josh i khitaabat’ and emotionalism. It was obviously more. The tragedy is that there are too many like this man. Are people like him not responsible for spreading hatred and the results of that hatred? People instigating violence. People celebrating violence. People supporting violence. All of these people are responsible for Salman Taseer’s death. As are all of those who have stood silent and let these merchants of violence sell their wares. (Full story here).
At one level the details of what exactly happened in Islamabad today are less important than what we have allowed to happen in our societies for all the years that have led to this day, but for those who may not have seen the (still developing) details, here is an update from Dawn:
Gunmen killed the governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province, a senior member of the ruling party, in Islamabad on Tuesday, his spokesman said. “Yes, he has died,” said the spokesman for Salman Taseer. Police official Mohammad Iftikhar said Taseer was gunned down by one of his elite security force protectors. Five other people were wounded as other security personnel responded to the attack. Police said earlier Taseer had been shot nine times and wounded near his Islamabad home in the F6 sector and close to Kohsar market, a popular shopping and cafe spot frequented by wealthy Pakistanis and expatriates.
Another police official, Hasan Iqbal, said a pair of witnesses told the police that as the governor was leaving his vehicle, a man from his security squad fired at him. Taseer then fell, while other police officials fired on the attacker. In recent days, as the People’s Party has faced the loss of its coalition partners, the 56-year-old Taseer has insisted that the government will survive. But it was his stance against the blasphemy laws that apparently led to his killing.
Interior Minister Rahman Malik told reporters that the suspect in the case had surrendered to police and told them he killed Taseer because “the governor described the blasphemy laws as a black law.” Taseer was believed to be meeting someone for a meal, Malik said. Other members of his security detail were being questioned, Malik said. The security for Taseer was provided by the Punjab government. “We will see whether it was an individual act or someone had asked him” to do it, Malik said of the attacker.
Sonali,
Thank you for enlightening us. Using your logic Mumbai attacks were justified because of what Indians have done to Dalits for 5000 years, 9/11 was justified because of what Americans have done the natives and London attacks were justified …
Very well said, sir, and proved by the comments on this post:
“let us all hang our head in shame today because Salman Taseer was killed by the intolerance, the hatred, the extremism, the vigilantism, the violence and the jahalat that now defines our society”
The blood of Taseer has drawn a hard line between a moderate and an intolerant society in Pakistan. It is up to each one of us either to confront or to retreat. Lets confront this!
Some more comments from the ATP Facebook Page:
– “People like … are complicit in intolerance that breeds hatred and killings like that of Taseer. They are incapable of shedding their political garb and see beyond their self and determine what is good for all in Pakistan. If you hate one person you hate entire humanity.”
– “Taseer saab n his family are currupt and a big no no for Pakistan n pakistans future… His being a governer was as disgrace to Pakistan as zardari is as a president. I am against all currupt people who have looted and disrespected a honoral position in ruling pakistan… Whether it be from any Political party…”
– “I strongly condemn intolerance in society to the extent that one kills a person for a difference of opinion…At the same time a position like the costitutional head of the biggest province of Pakistan one has to be mature enough to guage the sensitivities of the situation and the fall out of his politically motivated statements on the society at large…..It was a crude attempt on the part of late Salman Taseer to win support of Christian cummunity,perhaps, for some nearby elections.”
– “Religious intolerence at its worst indeed…. Salman Taseer was in favor of repealing the blasphemy law… a debatable point – yes, but a reason for killing – no way. How are we going to move forward as a society if we do not let an open discussion happen? or do we want to go back to stone age?”
– “His personal secretary said that Governor told me that I do not want to dismiss the law but I want that first interrogate the case ( not just on public personal opinions) and than sentence her. But Mullas have wrongly presented it. No Suuni No shia Only Muslim.”
– “Momin k 2 asool
Khhof e Khuda
aur Ishaq e Rasool (PBUH)..
and when there is ishaq no so called AQAL ever works…..
tell me anyone why tha Asia Released? why this issue is so emerge on media?
@Ashfaq
do you remember the war of IMAM HUSSAIN and Yazid ? both are muslims both parties give Azaans… Both Parties pray Namaz,….both Parties Recite Holy Quran? what you say then? noooo..
Every Azaan is not Azaan , Every Prayer is Not Prayer”
– “The Holy Prophet [صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم] said: “There will come a time for people that: they will not respect their scholars except for their
good clothing; they will not hearken to the Qur’an except for the pleasant voice; & they will not worship Allah
except for during the fasting month; there will be no shyness in their women, no patience in their poor ones;
& no prosperity for their rich ones, they will not be contented with a small (portion), & they will not be
satiated with abundance. They will strive (only) for their stomach; their religion is their money
(wealth); their women are their Qiblah (direction of worship); & their homes are their
mosques; theyrun away from their scholars just as lambs run away from wolves.
Then, when they become like that, the Lord will afflict them with three
conditions. At first, He takes the prosperity from their
properties. The second is that a cruel ruler will dominate them. The third is that they will
pass away from this world without having (true) Faith.” (Waqayi’-ul-‘Ayyam, p. 439)”
– “Jahalat ki inteha !!! Jahil qoum ! Nomatter what he was doin ALlAh didnt give anybody right to go take his life away yeh allah ki marzi hai and now by killing him is he gobba go to jannat? Killing one human being equals to murder of whole humanity ! Nowfight ob this stuff and kill each other!”
@Saleha
Yours is an idiot argument.
I will feel angry if someone insults my loved ones. Also angry.
But NO I will not MURDER them. That woudl make me a criminal, a thug, a murderer. I am not that.
Are you are murderer?
Did your mother raise you to murder people?
Why are you then supporting a murderer?
Also, Salman Taseer never insulted anyone, certainly not the Prophet. He only called an Unislamic law a black law. Which it is.