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.
@Meengla,
The Military Dictator did not conjure up the blasphemy law out of thin air, it had a solid history deeply rooted in Islamic traditions and religious text. Take a look at any Islamic country that tries to implement Shariat. Or else try to preach a different version of Islam (let alone other religions) in a country that implements Shariat law the way Zakir Nayak preaches Islam live on Indian television in front of thousands of ‘kafir’ audience clapping at his sermons. I suspect you will not find it that easy.
But then again closing one’s eyes on the root cause of this problem is comforting and convenient, so why not..
Wow… we are not only intolerant but judgmental as well. I am totally horrified by the fact after reading very enlightening comments of some people that so many people with criminal mentalities are living among us.
God help us all as we are not ready to help ourselves.
@Adil Najam:
“And it is all of us who tolerate them and their intolerance. It is this tolerance of intolerance that kills.”
WELL SAID. BUT ONLY 36 YEARS AND 4 MONTHS LATE.
I WISH WHAT YOU SAID HAD BEEN SAID ON SPETEMBER 7, 1974.
THE FLOWING BLOOD IN STREETS OF PAKISTAN IS COMING FROM THE WELL THAT WAS DUG IN FORM OF 2ND CONSTITUTIONAL AMMENDMENT IN 1974.
IF ALCOHOL CONSUMER, WOMENIZER, SHAVEN ZULFIQAR ALI BHUTTO CAN DECIDE WHAT IS RIGHT AND WRONG IN MATTERS OF FAITH, THEN WHAT CAN STOP A MULLAH-MAFIA HIT-MAN WHO HAS BEARD AND PRAYS 5 TIMES A DAY????
@Idealist
(4) However…, at present , we all have our religious & national duty to behave in a way not threatening the integrity of Pakistan.
Pakistan can go to hell if my basic human rights can be trampled upon by lunatics without any accountability.
@Shobha,
Blasphemy Law was introduced by a RUTHLESS military dictator who did not shy away from publicly hanging ‘deviants’ and political prisoners. This Law is not some some word of God. It was man-made. Passed by a semi-elected Parliament under duress of a background Martial Law of GENERAL Zia ul Haq. It is a different story that no genuine Parliament has the courage to repeal this Law because of the threats involved–as Taseer’s death shows. This does not make the Law the voice of the people. Indeed, when Nawaz Sharif, who was actually an elected PM, tried to introduce the Shariat Law he was unsuccessful.
And to answer some of your questions: Blasphemy Law can be mis-used against ANYONE in Pakistan. Even against ‘mainstream’ Sunni Muslims. I should know. My own brother in Karachi was implicated and escaped the nooze barely a year ago. I have an account of that in this blogspace. You can search and find it.