The brutal assassination of the Federal Minister for Minority Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti, the only non-Muslim member of the cabinet, is another indelible stigma on the face of a country that appears rapidly degenerating into a quagmire of blood and hatred. The fact that this happened in the federal capital in broad daylight is reflective of the impotence of the government to stem the fundamentalist tide. The silence of the religious parties adds to the humiliation of the country.
Christians and other non-Muslims, even Muslims daring to disagree with the grossly obscurantist views of this lot of hate-mongers who have effectively hijacked Islam to serve their myopic vested interests, have been systematically targeted with impunity. Conveniently accused of blasphemous conduct, the execution of punishment is quick and clinical. The murderers are either never arrested, or they manage to get away from the clutches of law because of the lack of effort and will of the government and its security agencies in either arresting them, or building credible and maintainable prosecution cases against them.
There is also the fear factor. Look at the degrading manner in which another heinous murder, that of Salmaan Taseer, was celebrated throughout the country. His crime was that he had vowed to secure justice for a Christian woman accused of blasphemy by visiting her in jail. His killer, one from his own security staff, is a declared hero of the religious zealots who, utterly disdainful of the legal system in the country, are openly demanding his acquittal. Ever since the promulgation of the Blasphemy Law, no one has been convicted under it, but more than thirty accused have been killed by the lynch mobs. The entire society has become a victim of this pervading fear syndrome.
The division of the society along religious, ethnic, cultural, social and economic lines has been consciously and assiduously cultivated by the forces of the status quo. There is neither an effort to comprehend the damaging consequences of this festering reality, nor an urge to devise a viable mechanism to combat it. Instead, various alibis are cited for the spread of this destructive malaise. The continuing fighting in Afghanistan and our border regions, Pakistans role in the US-sponsored war-on-terror, the infiltration of saboteurs from across the borders and the internal divisive trends are some of the most-cited reasons provoking instances of strife and hatred that have infested the society over the last many years.
Cheryl Benard in a paper on Civil, Democratic Islam states: There is no question that contemporary Islam is in a volatile state, engaged in an internal and external struggle over its values, its identity, and its place in the world. Rival versions are contending for spiritual and political dominance. This conflict has serious costs and economic, social, political and security implications for the rest of the world. He goes on to say that Islams current crisis has two main components: a failure to thrive and a loss of connection to the global mainstream. While there is little denying the fact that Islam is going through a stage to re-define and assert its identity and relevance, what is worrying is that the destructive elements within its mainstream have begun to hold sway not through an exercise of logic and reason, but by the audacity of their appeal to mob rule, invariably resulting in a display of crude and destructive street power. This manifestation goes unchallenged because of the collapse of the traditional state apparatus reflected in unprecedented levels of corruption, nepotism, intolerance, incompetence and a virtual abdication of governance. Even more controversial is the willingness of the ruling elite to compromise state interests for ensuring personal survival. This was done during the rule of the dictators as well as the so-called democratic governments. Pakistan has even witnessed the coming together of the two vide the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) that catapulted the current corrupt coterie into power to carry on the agenda of the former dictator. The whole country has been leased out for a charge as a playing field for the likes of Raymond Davis and their alleged (but not so hidden) sponsors.
If the curse of fundamentalism is to be controlled, the nurseries that sprout it have to be regulated, preferably eliminated. According to a report, Pakistan had less than 200 madrassahs in 1947. By 2002, the number had spiralled to an estimated 10,000 to 13,000 while a 2008 appraisal put the number at over 40,000. An estimated 1.7 to 1.9 million students graduate from these nurseries preaching violence and hatred. They dont conform to any order and refuse to bow before the writ of the state. The traditional forces of the status quo have compromised their position through a policy of abject surrender primarily aimed at ensuring their personal survival. This has come about at a cost that is being borne by the state and its people.
The ascendancy of the forces inimical to the virtues of tolerance and interfaith harmony carries contagious germs that can irretrievably damage the fabric of the state, even its survival. It is, therefore, imperative that enlightened and pragmatic forces acquire a greater and proactive leverage in the affairs of the state. That is the only way to contain and control the factors that have helped the sprouting of these fundamentalist nurseries. Continuing silence on their part would propel the country out of the orbit of the civilised world.
The writer is a media consultant to the Chief Minister, Punjab.