The simultaneous attacks on two churches in Lahore this Sunday were devastating resulting in loss of precious lives while injuring many worshippers. This is not the first time Christian community has been targeted in Punjab; in earlier attacks entire localities were looted and burned to ashes. Soon after the Sunday bombing, angry mob went on rampage to protest government’s reluctance to rein in the terrorist outfits in Punjab. Two suspects were nabbed, beaten to death and burned at site. Mob reaction is deplorable, must be condemned and those involved in this heinous crime shall be punished.
But I was really shocked to see the venomous hatred emitted by a religious party’s daily Urdu newspaper in Karachi. It ignored the bombing of churches as a secondary news item and made the lynching of two suspects by mob as banner headline on front page reading — “Angry Christians burned Muslims to death”. The purpose was to incite violence against Christians in Karachi and elsewhere in the country. Is this journalism? It exposes the real agenda of religious parties — rid the country of all those who don’t share your views or faith.
But what happened to Ch Nisar is equally questionable. While speaking in National Assembly, the federal interior minister was not much worried about church bombing, terming this not unusual as mosques and shrines have also been bombed; his focus was on lynching that has tarnished Pakistan’s image. Then he updated scoreboard by telling assembly members how many Christians or Muslims died during the incident. Why was there a breakdown given on religious basis? Telling someone to balance the score? All those who died were Pakistanis, doesn’t matter which religion or sect they belong to. I doubt anyone will take Ch Nisar seriously who is even unable to arrest Lal Masjid cleric after registration of two FIRs. Instead he lied to world press that the cleric has submitted a written apology, a claim which was vehemently denied by Lal Masjid.
Dear interior minister, we know with a fixed mindset you can’t deliver. For you Lal Masjid cleric is untouchable, dead bodies are Muslims or Christians. You are no different from the yellow journalists who are mouth organs for religious parties.
MASOOD KHAN
Jubail, Saudi Arabia
