There is some problem with the way women are treated by Muslim populations, despite all the claims of honoring them.
Now there are a handful of events that actually directly point finger at the ideology, instead of the individual criminals.
The entire world was shocked when the Nigerian militant Islamist group Boko Haramabducted hundreds of teenage girls from a school. In a video released by the group, the girls were seen in Hijaabs and veils.
Well, if you thought their intentions were any good, they have been reportedly forced to convert to Islam and have a bride price to their names, which is another expression for selling slaves. The Nigerian state is vowing to take action against the perpetrators.
Source: Independent
On the same continent, a Sudanese Muslim woman Meriam Ibrahim who married a Christian was sentenced to death by a court in the state for apostasy. Coincidentally, she was pregnant at the time. So her punishment was suspended till the time she gave birth to a child, which probably the state was interested in “confiscating”.
She has delivered the child and is now awaiting a walk to the death row. The international community is outraged, but the Sudanese government is unmoved.
Source: awamiweb.com
A few days ago, a Pakistani woman Farzana Parveen was stoned to death, right outside the Lahore High Court in an “honor killing”. The attack was carried out by her father, brothers and accomplices for marrying against their will to the man she loved. Her lover, turns out, strangled his first wife to death to marry her and got away with it as well*.
This incident would also reignite the debate on blood money laws in Islam, which allow acquittal on pardon for exchange of monetary compensation. However, it is encouraging that the news was highlighted by the media all over the world.
This was not necessarily a religious, but a cultural punishment. But one that is not necessarily frowned upon by most Pakistanis, and one that is reinforced by the treatment of adulterers recommended by the Islamic Shariah.
However, the Pakistani government has now ordered action against the criminals, most of them already arrested.
But when you ask yourself the question as to why the Punjab Police failed to intervene, while witnessing the incident, there are no simple answers.
Events such as these are just embarrassing for otherwise peaceful and sane Muslims who secretly harbor the same beliefs but choose not to practice them.
Peaceful and responsible citizens who would have a good sense that such beliefs have no place in a civilized society in any century, but choose not to renounce them.
Who would express sorrow at an adulterer being killed. Then present the caveat of four witnesses before finally agreeing that they should be stoned to death, when the question is asked.
Who would otherwise propose strict punishment for murder and encourage proselytizing, but would support death penalty for an apostate Muslim.
It is just an embarrassment. Plain and simple.
Though this little inconvenience is causing a lot of individuals their lives and liberty.
After a hotly contested race in a universe of idiots and after much consideration, the coveted title of Pakistani Idiot of the Year 2013 goes to PTI MP Mujahid Ali Khan, the incumbent National Assembly or federal legislature member for NA-11, Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Mujahid Ali Khan demanded the release of Mumtaz Qadri, the self-confessed and proud assassin of late Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer on the legislature floor. His idiocy was given fierce competition by the Sunni Ulema Board for their passionate support and appreciation of his demand, but all the parties can agree that the honors should go to Khan for his courageous initiative.
Another nominee in contention for the coveted title was the incumbent Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications Anusha Rehman, for floating the idea of blocking Google. Other idiots in the race included former MP Zamurad Khan for his idiocy disguised as half-baked courage against the infamous Islamabad gunman Sikander, which almost resulted in him getting shot and arguably indirectly caused the gunman’s wife getting shot, apart from Sikander himself, PPP Chariman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for his not-so-liberal tweet defending blocking messaging apps during operation against terrorists in Karachi, Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar for evading security questions on Senate floor and blocking cellular signals after vowing not to and Rana Sanaullah for a myriad of hilariously ridiculous statements which are so many, I have lost count.
Even though some of you would be missing Syed Munnawar Hassan and Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman among the nominees pertaining to their statements about who can be “shaheed“ or “martyrs” and who does not qualify, let me clarify that both of them are perfectly intelligent individuals who know what they are talking about, despite their religious ideology. Besides, I assign very low weight to statements about imaginary concepts.
I deeply regret if I am missing anyone though covering the entire list of possible nominees is beyond the scope of this post or even the capacity of human endeavor, so feel free to add to it. I am sure I have said a lot of idiotic things myself during the course of this turbulent year.
For a second, PTI minister Amin Ali Gandapur‘s statement about not being happy about not enough policemen getting killed while defending the Dera Ismail Khan prison against a terrorist attack was also considered. However, in retrospect the statement did not seem all that outrageous in its context and its degree of being outrageous is also debatable.
Despite such great company, the clear and obvious winner is HE Mujahid Ali Khan for his absolute audacity to bring up such a taboo demand in such a public and legal forum. Even though the PTI MP was only voicing the opinion of a good majority of pious Pakistanis, since Mr. Qadri is a cult hero, he was clearly calling for a complete acquittal of a self-confessed murderer who would be considered fit for incarceration in most judicial standards around the world, especially for death penalty in Pakistan.
Having said that, I personally strongly oppose death penalty to Mumtaz Qadri, but most probably would equally disapprove of his acquittal in most circumstances. I would also strongly recommend mental health rehabilitation of the passionate murderer to cure his excessive religiosity.
Even though the Pakistani Idiot of the Year title has gone to a politician from the KP province for the second consecutive time, for the sake of political correctness I would like to give a disclaimer that the selection is not based on any prejudice whatsoever, but purely on merits and performance.
The Pakistani Idiot of the Year 2012 title went to ANP Minister Haji Ghulam Bilour.
So how low a government made up of supposedly progressive parties can go just to win cheap voter sympathy and public support?
I can quote analysts like Ayesha Siddiqa that there are hardly any secular forces in Pakistan. She is absolutely right, because those who are secular are virtually non-existent and are overwhelmed by the center and right forces.
But there are political parties like the ANP who claim to believe in non-violence and secular values, apart from the undying support of a number of their members to Peshawar’s (in)famous declaring-Eid-in-advance Masjid Qasim. Hey, I support their right to celebrate Eid the way they want.
I was very disappointed to see ANP’s very own Ghulam Bilour, who by far is the worst performing minister in the cabinet considering the shambles that the Railways is in, offering a bounty of $ 100,000 to anyone who kills the maker of the blasphemous film “Innocence of Muslims“.
I mean, really?
Before we even go into questioning the moral and legal authority of the minister, who maintains that he has offered the bounty in “personal capacity”, the greatest question to ask is this.
How is Mr. Bilour still holding his office and why the Government of Pakistan and the Awami National Party have not taken any action against the statement?
However, I do respect how he has responded to the news of the Taliban removing his name from their hit list. He was largely ambivalent, saying he could also die of a heart attack.
Nevertheless, I can hardly fathom the incalculable damage that he has done to the reputation of the country around the world. Not that it was very good already, but with such leaders at the helm, who needs enemies?
Source: AFP/ET
The government and the ANP should have taken strict action and should have called for the resignation of Bilour, if they could not agree to sack him. But despite all the clarifications, Bilour is still in charge of the Railways, a department which his administration has pulverized quite literally.
The statement was sensibly rejected by the incumbent Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, but let’s not offer him a clean sheet for that.
It was PM Ashraf’s absurd decision to observe the ridiculous holiday of “Yom-e-Ishq-e-Rasool” on Friday, September 21, 2012, which was an open invitation to the extremists of the country to unleash their wrath on the infrastructure and assets of the cities in Pakistan. The day ended with the loss of billions of rupees with more than 15 death and several injuries.
Source: AP/Dawn
It might sound a little harsh for someone who has lost his wife in such a cruel manner, but you really need to start acting like a head of state when you become one. I am really sorry to say but President Zardari looks like a complete idiot each time he places Benazir Bhutto’s portrait on the rostrum at the UN General Assembly. It was not his first appearance there this year. He has been at it before with the same portrait-displaying obnoxious exhibitionism.
Source: Wall Street Journal
His idiocy was also matched well by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holding up a ridiculous chart which was supposed to tell the world why they have been all a bunch of idiots for not bombing Iran already. The bomb chart was brutally mocked by Israelis and non-Israelis alike shortly afterwards.
Both these props would have worked perfectly for both these gentlemen nevertheless.
What I personally found disgraceful about President Zardari’s speech was calling for an international blasphemy law or some kind of rules allowing UN to take action against alleged blasphemers. While this would sound perfectly sensible to Muslims around the world, I find it to be just another effort to extend censorship measures and to curtail freedom of speech. The Pakistani government, one which claims to uphold democratic and progressive values, has itself banned youtube over the film controversy and should keep its censorship advice for the world to itself.
I have been wondering why not start declaring the Pakistani idiot of the year from now on. We have our winner for the year 2012 already.
His Excellency Ghulam Bilour of ANP.
I can safely put my money on no one surpassing him in the last quarter.
There is a certain type of Muslims. I call them Blasphemy Scanners. They are pretty fervent and though they are educated and may appear to be pretty peaceful, they are as fanatic as your average uneducated mullah.
These are zealots absolutely infatuated with the fear of someone in some remote corner of some country in the Western World insulting the good name of Prophet Muhammad in one way or another. While you would find youtube to be absolutely clogged with verbal insults to the Prophet, you cannot possibly take real action against just about every bigoted individual, can you?
Therefore, the only possible instances on which you could possibly invite and incite fellow believers to take meaningful action is published blasphemy. Even then, not all published perceived blasphemies are graced by the attention of these blasphemy hunters. Nevertheless, they try not to miss the chance whenever they do get to learn about one. Because just like honorably righteous people who like to catch people having encounters of a sexual nature in these countries, they like to hunt for reasonable blasphemies to outrage about.
If not all, then most of you would be familiar with the Muslim belief that anyone insulting Prophet Muhammad should be put to death. This view may not necessarily be very fervently shared by all sects who claim to be Muslims, but I believe that mainstream Sunnis and Shias would agree on it, especially the former. This is why the awareness of almost all the perceived blasphemies involve rage and more often than not direct incitement to violence, depending on the anger experienced by the particular blasphemy scanner at the moment.
The recent controversy over the film Innocence of Muslims, which has disappointed many over its appalling artistic quality and concerns over misleading actors about its subject, has sparked violent riots all over Pakistan as expected. In a wave of violence that swept Pakistan from Peshawar to Islamabad and from Lahore to Karachi, 4 cinemas, at least 3 bank branches, the Karachi Chamber of Commerce building and outlets of a US food chain were set fire. At least 100 people were reported injured and 19 were killed. 1 policeman was also killed among countless injured, while several ATMs were plundered.
All this occurred on the “Yom-e-Ishq-e-Rasool Day” or the “Love for the Prophet Day”, a meaningless holiday declared by the Pakistani Government on Friday, September 21, 2012. Let us not for a minute go into the ridiculous idea of the holiday, which was of course meant to invite “peaceful protest” over the offensive film, but let’s talk about what really happened at the end of the day. The violence of the protesters all over Pakistan clearly demonstrated to the world how tolerant Muslims are and and how ridiculous their reaction is. But then again, as I have mentioned in an earlier post, it has all happened before.
The interesting fact is that most of the people have criticized and condemned the violent protests resulting in the loss of billions of rupees and priceless and precious human lives. What is even more interesting is that a lot of people, who have been reproaching other Muslims for not taking enough action over the insult to Prophet Muhammad, are now left with no choice but to condemn the violence too, because they apparently had some other ideas about how the protesters would demonstrate their wounded faith. These primarily include hypocritical religious scholars pretending to be peaceful on TV.
Granted that any calls for peaceful protests over any alleged blasphemy is a perfectly reasonable thing to do. But when they reprimand them for “not enough action” and “lack of honor and faith”, what exactly do they want people to do but to act like a mob and try burning the American embassy or worse local civilian and police property down to ashes. It is apparently the most convenient thing in the world to dismiss any onus of violence when you are actually calling for it, but the truth is that these blasphemy scanners are very much responsible for directly inciting violence as a reaction to these perceived offenses. I would like to hear that some of them are guilty about it.
As a matter of fact, I would go as far as deducing that these blasphemy scanners are more responsible for inciting violence than the original alleged blasphemers, if the latter are at all. The reason for that is quite simple and straightforward. The blasphemy scanners are directly inciting a reaction, which is more often than not violent in case of extremist Muslims, especially knowing that the accepted reaction to mainstream Islam for the offense is one of violence. We have witnessed the same reaction against the alleged blasphemers in the case of the blasphemous films or the satirical cartoons about Prophet Muhammad to be sure about that.
You could doubt my point about violent incitement against perceived blasphemies, but it is very much part of the faith of most Muslims and it is widely accepted by the community around the world. A few protest text specimens calling for the death of those who have been involved in insulting Prophet Muhammad.
Source: Arif Ali (AFP)/Al-Akhbar
Source: The Daily Nation
Source: IndexonCensorship.org – A Protest from London
Source: DNA Photo
The last two photographs would be really shocking for some. The first one, for those who believe that Muslims living in the West are moderates and the second one for those who consider eunuchs and transgenders to be the most peaceful and the weakest members of the Pakistani society. In the last photo, they are calling for the beheading of the perceived blasphemers too. I don’t really blame them as violent individuals by nature and oppose doing so. It is their unreasonable faith which pushes them to call for such mindless violence. As a matter of fact, a businessman refusing to participate in the violent protests was accused of blasphemy as well.
Here are a few clips of some of the mainstream ulema or the scholars of Islam openly calling for the death of anyone who insults Prophet Muhammad. This includes Sunni scholars including the Deobandi and Barelvi schools and also a Shia scholar, which covers pretty much everything. Just in case you thought your particular brand of Islam was any better. You may want to skip the videos, if you are already convinced.
You could argue that these perceived blasphemies, particularly the film Innocence of Muslims, were meant to provoke a violent reaction, but it can easily be disproved because as far as I understand those works do not involve any direct call to violence. As for the latest controversy, it is just a very poorly made motion picture that takes an alternative and derogatory look at what would or could have been the history of the origins of Islam, I don’t know.
But certainly there is absolutely no excuse or justification for inciting violence and carrying out those violent acts, even if we suppose for a minute that the blasphemous film did really call for violence against Muslims, still there would be no justification for such hateful statements and violent protests harming people who have nothing to do with the controversy. And many so-called peaceful Muslim scholars, who bear the prime responsibility of inciting all the violence then try getting away with a clean image by condemning it once the act is committed.
While this post may seem contradictory to the notion offered in my earlier post that most peaceful Muslims do not take part in violent protests, it actually is not the case. Peaceful Muslims do not take part in violent protests indeed, and yes there do exist peaceful Muslims contrary to what they would like you to believe.
But yes, most of them are infected with the inability to challenge the barbaric, violent and completely unreasonable beliefs that are a part of their faith, so they play silent and willfully ignorant witnesses to this madness. Maybe they are not religious enough to be violent or maybe they are choosing to remain silent out of love of their own dear lives, but that’s the way it is.
The reason why the attitude of the moderate Muslims, who have many critics who call them no better than the extremists, is dangerous because such violent beliefs are extended to persecute minorities such as the Ahmedis. It is a well known fact that Ahmedis are considered offenders of the concept of the Finality of Prophet Muhammad by Sunni Muslims and many of them believe that it is a duty to murder them. So there is absolutely no doubt that the faith is violent but the followers have a choice to follow the incitement to violence or not.
Even if the film was meant to spark violence, the ignorant and tactless extremist Muslims have surely helped its makers and financiers achieve their objectives.
What is the defence of violence?
What we can probably safely say is that the film surely was meant to spark hatred for Muslims but that too in an indirect manner and it is not the first film in the world made for propaganda purpose. But does that justify banning it? Because if you were to advocate banning it for those reasons, then I would also recommend banning scripture, another form of propaganda, by using the same rationale.
Of course that would not be acceptable to any religious person so it always hurts when they get a treatment of their own medicine.
The world seems to be exploding all over the place. There simply seems to be no rest, there always is news about something terrible from one remote corner of the globe and there is always something horrible happening in the other. Manmade bad news, I mean, to be precise.
But it was a different world altogether that you were told about, wasn’t it?
It was a different society that you were about to become a part of. It was a different set of values that your parents taught you and it was a completely different code of ethics and morality that you were supposed to follow at the end of the day.
However, what you find happening is completely different. As if there are different worlds existing within the only one that we know of holding life. As if there are different moral standards existing in them.
But that’s true. There are different worlds existing within the only one that we know of.
There are different, several moral standards existing in all of them. With serious consequences.
It all becomes a shock, incomprehensible, wickedness, evil, war, violence, crime, sin, murder, rape, genocide.
Everything seems to fall apart. It seems as if all that you have ever been told was a lie. And that is a fact. A fact of our world.
A world in which several different worlds exist, with several different moral standards.
A lot of things that are told to us about this world, and about this life, are nothing but blatant lies. All things you read in elementary school, all the imaginary ideals, all the myths of the ages and why you should try replicating their clearly senseless, idiotic and pointless impossible heroics, and how you are expected to behave when the other person clearly does not.
It has all been an effort to make human beings a civilized being out of what they really are and will always remain. Animals with destructive instincts and intellect to worsen the destruction and complicate their evolution. Tamed less unsuccessfully by some than others.
Well, even if it sounds most outrageous and ridiculous to you, try doing that. Take morality out of the equation for a moment and you will find that everything would seem to fit in place. You know, the missing piece of the puzzle.
There is no need to care for your neighbor. There is no need to care for people in the remote corners of the world, or even on the streets of your city.
No need to be bothered about genocide and mass murder of a different race, or even your own, as long as you are safe, surviving and thriving. Do not blink an eye on lust-starved men raping a defenseless woman, turn after turn, waiting. There is even no need to cry about the starving children of Africa. Let them starve. It will shorten their misery.
Besides, this explains a lot of other things. Explains why there is so much war, killing and violence around the world. Explains why there is rape, abuse and torture.
Explains why there are religion and politics, which are supposedly there to bring moral justice to the society and actually end up worsening everything.
Why not? They are but merely evolutionary tools. Why not?
Just take morality out for a moment and everything falls into place.
Everything becomes simple, that man is an intelligent animal which would get just about anything it wants by using just about any way possible. It’s just plain and simple.
If there is only one loaf of bread left in the whole world, what do you expect a hungry animal would do to react to it? And how would you expect it to respond to its fellow creatures or to any other creature which is about to pounce on the solitary produce of grain?
How would you react?
Well, probably you would have shared. Probably not.
I took morality out and a lot of things were better to understand.
A lot of things started making perfectly good sense.
Don’t listen to the lies your parents and schools tell you… too closely.
Well, let’s not restrain and offer respites when something so atrocious occurs in the name of faith and religious fervor that it defies all standards of cruelty, barbarism and inhumanity. Islam has proudly maintained a very consistent record in this regard, at least in the recent years, along with other great faiths of the world, particularly at the heart of its very own Islamic Republic of Pakistan. A state where the most fervent and the truest of Muslims in the whole wide world live.
Fervent Muslims are pretty interesting as far as their keenness in inquiring about others’ faith is concerned. Especially when it concerns their own faith and are yet said to believe in the scripture with the “to each his own” kind of verse, as far as faith is concerned. However, they still seem very much concerned about what people around them seem to believe or not believe in, particularly when it has anything remotely to do with their faith. Poor Ahmedis. They should have chosen connection with some other faith.
An essential part of the Islamic faith, with some schools more enthusiastic about it than others, is to scan their environment for blasphemies and to eliminate the guilty party or at least start babbling about it. While the very act can argued to be potentially intellectual and beneficial from an evolutionary viewpoint, it nevertheless contradicts the high claims of the adherents of this faith of its transcendental code of ethics and humanity, and probably of those who have falsely popularized the misnomer of “Religion of Peace”.
Speaking of that, it is important to clarify here that calling Islam the “Religion of Peace” on the basis of the fact that the Arabic word “Islam” means “Peace” is wrong. It is so because in the context of the religion, the word “Islam” means “Submission”, which could also extend into the functional meaning of oppression. But that’s detail. So why are we talking about the “Religion of Peace” again?
It seems that the Muslims in Pakistan, which apparently are the truest in the world, have no better pastime, apart from oppressing women in the most creative ways, than scanning their immediate and not-so-immediate environment for blasphemies. Another such event occurred in the Chanighot part of the great city of the Princely State of Bahawalpur. A wild, angry and extremely pious mob set a man on fire on a public square on the charges that the person had desecrated the Holy Koran.
Well, there is no point recreating the scene, as you can read the story at this link yourself. Apparently, the pious were not happy, that the man, a malang, a Sufi ascetic holy man who is usually not in control of his senses due to his perpetually intoxicated state of mind, was arrested by the police on the charge of blasphemy. The clerics of the area made inflammatory speeches that enough justice was not done, which inspired the locals to set the police station on fire, as well as the culprit, who was burned alive in a public square, as the police stood there, witnessing the historic and spectacular punishment.
Undoubtedly the punishment for the apparently mentally challenged person, who most probably even would not be aware of what the Koran actually was anymore, could not be more appropriate and fitting. After all, how can anyone dare not respect the truest of all the scriptures. Especially when it is believed by the truest of all the Muslims. The punishment of such a blasphemer should be worse than death. They should be tortured to death, burned at stake.
While you could argue that the miscreants in this case do not represent the vast majority of Muslims, it is better that you save yourself the trouble. I won’t stereotype here but I have pretty systematically and personally found even the most educated of Muslims acting in the same spirit and principle as the violent and blood-thristy mob in Bahawalpur more or less did, whenever it comes to blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad or the desecration of the Koran. Even though there is no body to account for the way Muslims sometimes treat the Koran themselves, but let’s not enter the realm of raising doubts about the doubtless faithfuls.
The greatest evidence of that came right after the murder of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer in the January of 2011, when right winger extremists, particularly Barelvi Sunnis, who claim to be a peaceful sect, and even lawyers, the defenders of the bigoted constitution of Pakistan, were dancing in jubilation and showering praises and rose petals on the criminal murder Malik Mumtaz Qadri, which they proudly deem the “Ghazi” or the “surviving hero”. This is evidence enough of what this religion has become in Pakistan, if it ever was not like this once.
However, apologists would say that the act of this tiny mob in Bahawalpur or that of a fanatically fervent security guard should not be blamed on the entire Muslim community and the great faith of Islam. While that is true that the entire community must not be blamed for these “remote” acts, but there is no doubt about the fact that the community is not fulfilling its duties to discourage such events, which actually occur on regular basis. Thankfully, we always conveniently forget cases like Aasia Bibi. What is worse, such brutalities and discriminating murder have been institutionalized by the Pakistani state in the blasphemy law.
This is where these actions exit the domain of mobs and individuals and enter the supervision of the mosque, the state, the law and the clerics and the religion of Islam itself. This is where all the possible defense of the faith of Islam is destroyed in my books. Certainly such a faith deserves no respect or immunity from criticism at all. Also saying that there is nothing in the Koran that even alludes to the punishment for blasphemy is a meaningless argument because the Hadith-abiding Sunnis of Pakistan, who believe in murdering for blasphemy as an article of faith, don’t give any weight to it.
However, if there is any trace of humanity left in this gang of brutal and heartless murderers, then they should at least condemn the most painful torture and the most horrific murder of a man who was not even in his senses or for a crime that he probably didn’t even commit, or even if he did, did not commit it consciously. I think the elated founders of the religion or of the belief that death should be the penalty for blasphemy themselves might have exercised caution in this case, if I may wishfully assume that.
A lot of people in the West criticizing Islam are accused of “Islamophobia”, and while the prejudice against Muslims do exist, there is no doubt that there is a lot of reasonable criticism on Islam which Muslims conveniently dodge in the name of religious freedom. Unfortunately, there are quite a few parts of their faith which leave the realm of religious freedom and fall under the definition of crime and human rights violation. That is where religious freedom ends, sadly for them.
Therefore, it is the duty of progressive, educated and pragmatic Muslims to take a stand and start criticizing Islam in order to make the necessary and required improvements that it needs. It is so because any non-Muslim will be conveniently labelled an Islamophobe, just like anyone criticizing Israeli atrocities is conveniently labelled an Antisemitic. Therefore, people who really want the world to respect Islam and count it as a peaceful and non-violent religion, must have to take the initiative to bringing about the necessary changes.
I am usually not too eager to quote secular Pakistani journalist Nadeem F. Paracha but he wrote a really pinching piece on this event and the growing extremism of terrorist proportions in Pakistan. It’s a real reality check. Something that every Pakistani child should try reading to free themselves of the inhumane faith that they are conditioned to believe in.
Or the critics of Islam would keep on saying from time to time, again and again, as I read somewhere in an online discussion.
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.
– Voltaire
Source: AllVoices.com
A year ago, on this very day, the Governor of Punjab Salmaan Taseer was assassinated by one of his guards. Allegedly, the guard killed Taseer for calling the Blasphemy Law in Pakistan a Draconian law and for advocating Aasia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian who is still under arrest on charge of blasphemy.
What have we learned from this shocking event so far?
Although nothing can make up for the loss of the person of Salmaan Taseer and his role in the Pakistani society as an entrepreneur and a leader but on the bright side it made a rift in the Pakistani society. Many among Pakistani people realized for the first time that the monster of religious fanaticism was getting out of hand, despite several incidents of violence against minorities over the years.
Why is Salmaan Taseer important? He was just another politician who was probably more hated than admired, so why his death should cause such an outcry?
The reason why Salmaan Taseer mattered, and still matters, is because as funny as he was in his witty speech, he ended up touching some of the most serious and sensitive issues in Pakistan. He was the only politician, apart from Sherry Rehman, who challenged the authority of the Blasphemy Law.
Furthermore, his actions and especially his death has strengthened the beliefs of many that the remedy to Pakistan’s rapidly multiplying religious fanaticism is nothing but a secular constitution and brutal state action against hate preaching, something which most Pakistani politicians would give anything to block, even the so-called Pakistani secular parties.
There are people who would tell you that we should carry on the mission of Salmaan Taseer so that his blood does not go wasted. I would just say that Salmaan Taseer is not among us any more to care a little bit about what we think or do about what he stood for in the months before his assassination.
It is a matter of survival and progress of the Pakistani nation if it chooses or not to adopt the values that Taseer advocated pertaining to the Blasphemy law and Asia Bibi. As long as Pakistanis keep discriminating on the basis of religion and persecute its minorities, they will continue to build their society on the foundation of hatred, discrimination and inhuman values and further threatening the lives of its very own citizens, regardless of their community.
What we learn from the Taseer Assassination is that we have a long way to go as far as attaining civil rights is concerned. We have also learned that none of that would have happened if Pakistan had a secular constitution. We can prevent many more assassinations of brave persons like Taseer who would stand up against religious fanaticism if only we make a few adjustments in our textbook ruling the state, so that at least the state would offer protection to the persecuted.
But what has changed since Taseer’s assassination? Nothing. Actually, his assassin was garlanded. Asia Bibi is still in prison and perhaps it is better this way unless she finds asylum in a safe place where her life is not threatened. The Pakistani state seems least bothered about the Blasphemy Law, the persecution of the minorities and religious fanaticism. It is up to the Pakistani youth and teachers to take on this challenge and to propagate humanitarian values in the society.
The actual motive behind Taseer’s assassination can be debated but not most people’s insensitivity. Actually why be shocked if the assassin of Salman Taseer is showered with petals and hailed as a hero. That is all what we have taught our people and expecting them to act otherwise would be just like expecting a field of wheat when you have sown the seeds of poppy. When religious beliefs begin to overshadow humanitarian values, far worse things can happen. So what have we learned?
Maybe said a thousand times before.
The answer lies in humanitarian education and a bit of courage to question the absurdities of religion.
The answer lies not in despising people, but connecting to them.
Opposition leader Khurshid Shah condemned Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's absence during the Senate Elections, as reported by ET. Good. 20 hours ago
For the first time, willing to back off from my stance that PM Nawaz Sharif is the best man to lead the country due to this Azaan regulation 20 hours ago
Boko Haram, Women and the Embarrassing Face of Islam
Source: abc
There is some problem with the way women are treated by Muslim populations, despite all the claims of honoring them.
Now there are a handful of events that actually directly point finger at the ideology, instead of the individual criminals.
The entire world was shocked when the Nigerian militant Islamist group Boko Haram abducted hundreds of teenage girls from a school. In a video released by the group, the girls were seen in Hijaabs and veils.
Well, if you thought their intentions were any good, they have been reportedly forced to convert to Islam and have a bride price to their names, which is another expression for selling slaves. The Nigerian state is vowing to take action against the perpetrators.
Source: Independent
On the same continent, a Sudanese Muslim woman Meriam Ibrahim who married a Christian was sentenced to death by a court in the state for apostasy. Coincidentally, she was pregnant at the time. So her punishment was suspended till the time she gave birth to a child, which probably the state was interested in “confiscating”.
She has delivered the child and is now awaiting a walk to the death row. The international community is outraged, but the Sudanese government is unmoved.
Source: awamiweb.com
A few days ago, a Pakistani woman Farzana Parveen was stoned to death, right outside the Lahore High Court in an “honor killing”. The attack was carried out by her father, brothers and accomplices for marrying against their will to the man she loved. Her lover, turns out, strangled his first wife to death to marry her and got away with it as well*.
This incident would also reignite the debate on blood money laws in Islam, which allow acquittal on pardon for exchange of monetary compensation. However, it is encouraging that the news was highlighted by the media all over the world.
This was not necessarily a religious, but a cultural punishment. But one that is not necessarily frowned upon by most Pakistanis, and one that is reinforced by the treatment of adulterers recommended by the Islamic Shariah.
However, the Pakistani government has now ordered action against the criminals, most of them already arrested.
But when you ask yourself the question as to why the Punjab Police failed to intervene, while witnessing the incident, there are no simple answers.
Events such as these are just embarrassing for otherwise peaceful and sane Muslims who secretly harbor the same beliefs but choose not to practice them.
Peaceful and responsible citizens who would have a good sense that such beliefs have no place in a civilized society in any century, but choose not to renounce them.
Who would express sorrow at an adulterer being killed. Then present the caveat of four witnesses before finally agreeing that they should be stoned to death, when the question is asked.
Who would otherwise propose strict punishment for murder and encourage proselytizing, but would support death penalty for an apostate Muslim.
It is just an embarrassment. Plain and simple.
Though this little inconvenience is causing a lot of individuals their lives and liberty.
*EDIT: June 2, 2014 0226 HRS
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