Thursday 29 May 2014

'The inevitable consequence of declaring Pakistan as an Islamic State'


Is Pakistan rapidly degenerating into a Jurassic Park? Consider the following events :

On 7.5.2014 an eminent lawyer and human rights activist, Rashid Rehman Khan, was shot dead by some assailants while he was sitting in his lawyer's office. He was evidently killed because he was representing a University teacher, Junaid Hafeez, in a blasphemy case. During the trial proceedings he was threatened in open court by some lawyers that unless he withdraws from the case he will be killed.

In Pakistan lawyers and witnesses for the defence in blasphemy cases are almost invariably threatened that if they do not withdraw they will be assassinated. Many judges are scared to hear such cases or to acquit the accused even if there is no credible evidence against him.

Rashid Rehman Khan was a very active human rights worker in Pakistan, and was a coordinator of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.. Whenever a person died in custody he would take up his case. If a woman's face was burnt with acid, he would rush to get her medical help. He fought against 'honour killing' of young girls. He trekked the most backward area of Dera Ghazi Khan, a tribal area, and documented the misery of people living there. He went to that part of Rahim Yar Khan where low caste Hindus live without any rights, and reported their plight.. He was the first to take up Mukhtaran Mai's case. He fought Sherry Rehman's persecutors upto the High Court level. He had special interest in the welfare of peasants, and demanded land reforms and tenants' rights ( in much of Pakistan landlordism still prevails).

Despite all this, consider what followed his murder :
1. Journalists in his home town Multan did not dare to write about his murder.
2. Judges in Lahore High Court are avoiding hearing Aisa Bibi's appeal
3. Multan police is not seriously investigating the murder.
4. There have been no serious protests against this dastardly crime, and most Pakistanis remain mum, obviously out of fear.

 Also, Consider the following:

On 12.05.2014 Dr. Faisal Manzoor, a prominent Shia medical practitioner, was gunned down outside his hospital in Hasanabdad. Dr. Faizal, after getting his medical degree, could have gone to America or England, like many other doctors and earned a lot of money there, but instead he chose to go to his small home town to serve the people there, where he built a modern hospital. When an earthquake struck North Pakistan he loaded a truck with medicines, food, blankets and tents, and headed north, where he camped and distributed help to the needy. Why was he killed? because he was a prominent Shia.

Similarly Dr. Ali Haider, an eye surgeon, along with his son were shot dead in Lahore. Dr. Babar, Dr. Faizal's cousin, was also shot dead. What were their cimes? That they were Shias. Many other such examples can be given.

On 28.5.2014 a pregnant woman, Farzana Parveen, was stoned to death in midday outside the Lahore High Court in a busy thoroughfare as an 'honour killing' for marrying a man against the wishes of her parents. Her father, brothers, and cousins were among the assailants. One family member tied her neck with a cloth, while others smashed her skull with bricks. All this was done in the public gaze. Her father later said he killed his daughter because she had dishonoured the family, and he had no regrets.

According to reports, about 1000 girls are victims of 'honour killings' every year. 83% Pakistanis support stoning to death for adultery. One couple killed their daughter for 'dishonoring' them by throwing acid on her face.

On 26.5.2014 Dr. Mehdi Ali Qamar, a Canadian citizen since the early 90s, was gunned down in front of his wife and child in the town of Chenab Nagar in Pakistan. He had travelled from Canada to Pakistan to train local doctors at Tahir Heart Institute for 3 weeks. He was shot dead by fanatics because he belonged to the Ahmedi sect. Two men on motorbikes shot him in the back, and when he turned, fired 10 more rounds into his chest. He was the youngest of 7 brothers and sisters, all of whom had migrated to North America out of fear of religious persecution.

Minorities in Pakistan (Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Ahmedis, and Shias) live in a state of fear, and are particularly vulnerable .

This is the inevitable consequence of declaring Pakistan as an Islamic state.



6 comments:

  1. Justice Katuju, first Paksitan people do not follow Islam properly. Look at Gulf- Dubai, Saudi, Kuwait, Singapore, Malaysia, Turkey, Albenia and to certain extent Egypt. They have adopted modern version of Islam or integrated Islam into modern way of living.

    Problem with Pakistan and Afghanistan is that, they tell the world they are following strict Islam, but in reality they bring bad name to the religion and community following their own mixed version of Islam. Some of the things are prohibited strictly in Islam which is happening in Pakistan, if you bring Islam in the way of dirty people of Pakistan, then you are devolving the path.

    1) Islam do not allow killing of women, children and elder even in war. Suicide Taliban bombers do that in avenge.
    2) Factories of drugs, hafeem, grows in tribal part of Pak and Afghanistan. Strictly no no in Islam as it destroys families
    3) Stopping girl child in education, marrying their own choice. doing work is laid down properly when women have right to choose husband, that's why she say kabool hai, doing work and earning money is not prohibited
    4) Mafia gang, proxy war, corruption, terrorism, extorting money from traders, lying is this part of Islam? Its rampant in Pakistan
    5) Where does Islam mention honor killings? Its sin of highest level even female foeticide.
    6) Islam speaks almighty will not spare rulers who have not done justice, in Pakistan there is no rule of law. They hide Dawood Ibrahim, 26/11 perpetrators go unpunished who killed innocents, supports terrorist groups to achieve means?

    NO SIR, Pakistan is a country where its people and their rulers not only have shamed itself inside, but to world community. They are dark spot to world. They need serious introspect to bring their nation back to humanity. They are human form of devils

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. For the betterment of India,Pakistan must stabilize itself.They can divert all their energies in educating their young ones and women properly.They can follow their religion but should also respect other religion.The thought that islam is the supreme religion itself is very destructive.

      Delete
  2. Two things nothing wrong in declaring a country an Islamic state rule under Sharia law. Take an example of Saudi, Gulf where laws are so strict, corruption and crime punishable and people live in luxury and prosperous life. Look at crime rate in Saudi, lowest in world. Look in Dubai, Malaysia there's a proper way of doing it

    Compare to Pakistan, it is banana republic where laws are for rich people, justice is delayed and many times unjustice lead to

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sameer sahab, lets not compare Saudi Arab as an Islamic state which is doing good. They are prosperous because of their oil, otherwise they are involved in sectarian crimes at a much larger level as I can deduce it. (Ref: Iran, Syria etc)
      The fact is, the religion is defined by Qur'an and its just a way of life.
      Sharia etc are derived from Qur'anic teachings, but they are not the holy books sent by Allah.
      Qur'an, whose interpretation is tough, the holy book itself notes that, then how can we conform to a uniform law deriving from that?

      Bottom Line, any country shouldn't be based on any religious lines, be it Islam or Hinduism or Christianity etc.
      Nations should be based on humane values, that's all.

      Sadly since almost all of the world, including the muslims who would be in ruling elite, deduce the same kind of Islam, declaring Pakistan as an Islamic state WILL be a problem.

      I agree with Katju sahab.
      He's not meaning that Islam as a religion is bad, but that the idea of a religion's ideology deciding a nation's fate.

      Gustakhi muaaf farmayen

      Delete