Adil Najam
For the fifth time in as many days, a bomb ravaged through Pakistan killing innocent Pakistanis. Muslims killing other Muslims they considered less Muslim than themselves. This time the target was the shrine of 13th century Sufi saint Sakhi Sarwar in District Dera Ghazi Khan. This time more than 40 were killed. That number is likely to rise.
This was, once again, a target killing of a Sufi shrine. As so many times before, this time the victims of this heinous murder were devotees at a Sufi Shrine. As so many times before, this time the murder was committed by a mere child (reportedly 15-16 year old and reportedly now in custody amongst the wounded). A child who is himself a victim in so many ways. A child who grew up in displacement and got the idea instilled and cemented into his mind that the short-cut to heaven was to blow other Muslims up!
The tragedy at Sakhi Sarwar was the logical culmination of another tragedy – the indoctrination of hate. Hate kills. Hate killed again today.
Murder was committed at Sakhi Sarwar today not merely by a boy-murderer dreaming of an easy ticket into heaven. Murder was committed at Sakhi Sarwar today by the purveyors of hate who have sanction from society – sanction given by our tacit silence. Hate kills. Yes. But so does silence. Silence killed again today.
laanat hai taliban murdood par