The attack on the shrine of Baba Fariduddin Ganjshakar, one of the most revered saints and poets of Punjab, could only have been conceived and carried out by terrorists having no sense of values, culture or history. The terrorists ascribe to an interpretation on Islam that is rejected by most Pakistanis. Their ideology is based on hatred while the teachings of the Sufi poets are imbued with love for man irrespective of his religion, race or ethnicity. This is what leads the extremists to target the shrines. Last year they tried to blow up the mausoleum of Rahman Baba in Peshawar. In July this year they targeted the shrine of Data Ganjbakhsh and early this month they carried out an attack on Abdulah Shah Ghazis shrine in Karachi.
Farids poetry has inspired the people of the five rivers and neighbouring Sindh for over eight centuries. The message conveyed in his poetry is that all religions have a common message which transcends their particular practices. His poetry has an across-the-board appeal for people belonging to different religion, races and ethnicities. Most of Farids poetry has been incorporated in Garanth Sahib, the holiest of Sikh scriptures, as it was seen as inspired writing. What irks the extremist most is the hold of the Sufi poets over the common man, especially in the rural areas.
With an operation in North Waziristan in the offing, terrorists fleeing from the area are bound to target more shrines, mosques, imambargahs and public places in the country. There is a need on the part of the provincial governments, particularly the Punjab administration, to get their act together. Punjab is not only the largest province but also has the largest number of shrines where devotees come in thousands, often dancing and singing, practices considered by the extremists as un-Islamic. The ease with which the attackers carry out their missions indicates that the administration is not yet fully prepared to meet the threat.