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.
who is this mechanical engineer moron. get of here and go back to the mechanical department you belong to!
this place is restricted to people who can think logically and argue with some sense!
Some comments from the ATP Facebook Page:
– “Is Saudi Arabian government going to help mr qadri. Since all the corrupt politicians were given safe Hyde outs in that precious land.him and his entire family deserve this protection. Peace”
– “pro-Taliban cleric Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi condemned the killing of Taseer, saying the law was man-made and not divine.(Those are not my quote).”
– “SHAME on those supporting this vile actof murder. Allah knows who are within their limits and those who are not.If you disagree with someone you argue not murder there is no compulsion in religion.”
– “Irshad e nabvi Sallhao Aleh Wasallam hy ” Tum mai say koi us wakt tak momin nhe ho sakta jab tak kay mai usay uskay Maa baap aur her cheez say barh ker naa hojaon”
Kia hum mai say koi tolerate ker sakta hy k uskay maa baap ki shaan mai ghustaakhi ki jaay,,koi hamaray samny ye keray tou what would be our reaction….if we cant tolerate any disrespect against our parents n beloved,how can we have soft corner for those who did it against our BELOVED PROPHET……for the kind information of Iftikhaar sahab n other people SALMAN TASEER considered Touheen Risalat Kanoon as a KAala KAnoon..what does it sence??koi Nabi KAreem ko kch kahen ap usky saath sympothy show kero n send them to foreign country..while for ur parents u can shoot the person,,Iftikar n sadaf open ur eyes and sirf dunyaa ki fika nhe akhirat ki bhe fikar kerain.thnx”
– “The Kaffar of Mecca regularily insul;ted the prophet but after fatah of Mecca he forgave them. Also I guess we all know the story of the woman who used to strew thorns in the prohpets(saw ) way when he went to prayer etc…. well what did our beloved Prophet do..? He missed her one day and went to visit her because she was sick. You people who claim to defend the prophet’s honour know nothing of him, he did not react in anger but specifically discouraged angery reactions. If we Muslims were REALLy to follow our beloved Prophet(saw) what a change that would be!In truth we follow illitrate preachers and our own Nafs.”
– “very good that he is murdered…great act of bravery by the guard”
– “Let me spread the rumour abt you that you said something disrespectful about prophet. Then let one mullah put a death money for your head. Then before you can explain that I lied about you let someone like qadri murder you. Then let these mullah’s order that noone says your jinaza to fulfill ishq-rasool. Please then come and support these heinous traditions. I hope and i wish this happens to you. may some talabanee mullah order a hitman to shoot you. may these laws that you are promoting bite you in yr ***.
By the way Zainab, if someone says something to my parents I am not gonna shoot them cause I am a civilized person. A barbarian would shoot someone on such things. Stop bringing these overly sentimental and criminal bukwaas about “parents ko galee daina”. In what kind of society this kind of behavior is ok. To kill someone if they offended you. This is called crime of “honor killing.” And why your blasphemy laws are applicable to non muslims
Should chrstians in USA start killing muslim cause we are doing blasphemy by not calling jesus son of god and saying muhammad is the prophet. Kis qadar criminal mentality hai tum logoon ki. lanaat ho tum per.”
– “These blasphemy laws are nothing less than an insult to Islam. What they say is that our religion is so weak and so lacking in principles and so insecure in the faith of the Ummah that it needs laws that threaten murder and commit murder in order to safeguard it. How pathetic is the faith of these mullah morons that this is how they protect their faith.”
– “what s happening to us????”
… The great historian, Arnold Toynbee observed that “civilisations die from suicide, not by murder”. Toynbee argues that the breakdown of civilisations is not caused by loss of control over the environment, over the human environment, or attacks from the outside. Rather, civilisations commit slow painful suicides. …
Blood on our hands —Saroop Ijaz
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011 16\story_6-1-2011_pg3_3
Amen Aamir Ali…you are right …absolutely right
Sounds like some folks have gone on a anti-Shiaism tangent here as well, Shia don’t follow some twisted version of Islam, its the same prayers and beliefs as their fellow Sunnis. Shia structure of prayer and focus on Ali (AS) as leader after the Prophet (PBUH) are the main differences, alongwith more strident rememberance in Muharram.
It is no surprise to me that those who celebrate Salman Taseer murder are also ready to denounce and kill Shias and anyone else for the matter. The demon has truly taken hold of the radical right in Pakistan.