Culture of vigilante violence targets a minority yet again
It was the holiest of holy days for the entire Muslim world: the birthday of the Prophet (PBUH) with its message of humanity and peace towards all. But, as has been said, ‘men will murder on holy days’. And even as the prime minister was urging the country’s ulema to preach the message of peace and understanding at the Islamabad Seerat Conference, fanatical elements were ironically attacking a place of worship in Chakwal. The small police force only reacted after the charged up mob had gone through its unthinking tableau of throwing stones, firing, storming the premises, burning articles within, and washing the place to cleanse it of its alleged defilement. The real purpose was to intimidate the community and wrest control of the building, opened in 1860.
The gap between the government’s actions and words is growing by an ever-widening margin, when measured against the ground realities of the minorities. Instead of taking prompt, exemplary action, the provincial government’s official tweet glossed over the incident as a mere fracas between two groups! This despite the fact that the dangers had been conveyed to the DCO in a letter on December 5 sent by the Jamaat Committee, asking for adequate security measures as it feared violence and forcible occupation of the property.
But such an ostrich’s head-in-the-sand attitude and obvious doublespeak will not work for ever in the modern world of close global contact. The outside world is not unaware of the real facts and the tough condition of our minorities. This was politely but pointedly highlighted by the German and European Union Ambassadors to Pakistan at the recent ‘Towards Human Rights Compliance: Pakistan’s GSP+ Status and Universal Periodic Review 2017’ conference, who urged Pakistan to meet its Constitutional and international obligation on Human Rights, including freedom of religion or belief, as desired by civil society and other responsible elements within the country. Or, we will feel the world’s displeasure where it hurts the most, the economy, by the withholding or reduction of Pakistan’s GSP+ Status Review of 1918.