The state is unable to bottle this genie
The menace of sectarianism, though old, has of late intensified in Pakistan. The Shi’a-Sunni conflict in the Indo-Pak subcontinent, particularly Lukhnow, is almost as old as the advent of Islam in the subcontinent. This is not unique to Islam because sectarian conflicts, killings and torture between Catholics and Protestants also lasted for nearly 500 years, from the beginning of Protestantism in the 18th century, after Cardinal Martin Luther wrote his 95 Theses in 1715 against the corruption in the Catholics Church and the Pope, who used to allot a piece of Paradise to Catholics who could pay for it. The Buddhists, biggest preachers of non violence, too indulged in mass scale killings of their co-religionists as late as the 20th century as in the killing fields of Kampuchia (old Cambodia) and more recently during the recently ended civil war in Sri Lanka.
The nature of the conflict, mainly between the Catholics and Protestants, became particularly gruesome when Catholics started burning Protestants alive at the stake on charges of heresy and blasphemy. The most famous case of this nature was that of Joan of Arch. However, the menace of sectarianism between the two major sects of Christianity in Europe came to an end when education, enlightenment and liberalism spread in that continent, the Second World War ended in 1945 and the century of the secular Americans began.
The nature of the conflict, mainly between the Catholics and Protestants, became particularly gruesome when Catholics started burning Protestants alive at the stake on charges of heresy and blasphemy
The problem with sectarianism is that each sect relies on the same divine books to justify its atrocities. In any case none of them can prove that it has the sanctity of the divine. And though, the killing of the Shi’a by Sunnis and vice a versa in Pakistan has not assumed the same gruesome nature as among the Catholics and Protestants, it is certainly worse than the “jahilia” (ignorance) of pre-Islamic Arabia, which we Pakistanis do not tire of berating. It is worse because we are living in a scientific age of enlightenment and claim that Islam is a modern religion.
The most pitiable thing is that the Sunnis and Shi’a have learnt no lesson from the past or others and do not even try to stop sectarianism by applying their intelligence and common sense about its futility. They do not understand that if the Nazis could not finish all Jews even though millions of them were killed by the efficient Germans, how could they finish each other off. Unfortunately, common sense is one commodity which is severely lacking among the orthodoxy in Islam. Hardline theologians insist that the Shi’a should also be declared non-Muslim minority like the Quadianis.
But they do not realise that such measures only aggravate the problem of mutual hatred, instability and country-wide terrorism. It seems that Taliban and Wahabis, who claim to be good Muslims, do not seem to know that the Quran strictly forbids killing of one Muslim by another.
But it should be very obvious to all readers of the Quran (in their own languages) that the Quran itself does not define apostates or calls them non Muslims. However, the Orthodox Wahhabis have declared the Shi’a, as well as members of other Muslim sects, like Barelvis, as non-Muslims, who ought to be killed by Muslims. It is perhaps because the Quran does not specifically define Murtads, the Orthodox Muslims do not teach the Quran with translations in their seminaries. Thus, hundreds of Shi’a, Quadianis, Christians, Hindus and members of other minority groups have been killed in Pakistan, but it has made no difference to their numbers.
It is obvious that killings and terrorism of any kind, whether an attempted attack on Malala Yousuf Zai or killing of hundreds of young students of Army Public Schools, only destabilise Pakistan and harm the cause of education which is the most important need of the hour
The killing of minorities in Pakistan not only pains them but harms the vital national interest of Pakistan; national unity and stability. It is obvious that killings and terrorism of any kind, whether an attempted attack on Malala Yousuf Zai or killing of hundreds of young students of Army Public Schools, only destabilise Pakistan and harm the cause of education which is the most important need of the hour. However, the ultra orthodox Sunni sects think that education, particularly of females, is not necessary and only leads to “anti-Islamic” liberalism and promiscuity and therefore should not be allowed.
To mislead simple minded and ignorant Pakistanis the orthodoxy has translated the word secularism as “ladeniat” and therefore anti-Islamic, which is absolutely wrong and damaging. Both in practice and belief in Europe, where the concept first originated, secularism means freedom of thought and belief. Consequently, Muslims, Hindus Jews and others are not only building their places of worship on lands purchased by them but buying churches and converting them into mosques, gurdawaras, etc, and practicing their religion there. However, orthodox Muslims continue to commit violence against educated and liberal people who only want an end to terrorism.
The most ironic thing is that irrational Muslims believe that killing of apostate Muslims and members of other religions like Christians, Hindus etc, is justified. This behaviour has made Islam, from the fastest growing religion in the west at one time, to the most hated in the last 15-20 years. Consequently all Pakistanis, no matter how respectable, are suspected as terrorists and have to undergo tremendous humiliation at the time of applying for visas and subsequently at the airport while entering the country. Since I have been traveling to various countries all over the world on a diplomatic passport I can say without any hesitation that this was not the case until the late ‘80s. Now even Pakistani students are not given admission in foreign universities. Much has changed, very fast, because we are unable to arrest this regressive trend.
