Pak Tea House » minorities, Pakistan, Religion » Attack on Christians: The Real Tragedy is Even More Horrifying

Attack on Christians: The Real Tragedy is Even More Horrifying

March 9th, 2013 | 111 Comments

Raza Habib Raja

What happened in Lahore yesterday has again put our heads to shame. A Christian was accused of insulting Holy Prophet and soon after the mob attacked the Christian colony forcing its inhabitants to flee. Under pressure from the mob, Police had to file charges against the accused man.

The communal violence is not new to Pakistan and for that matter South Asia as the history of this entire region is full of incidents. However, what makes Pakistan unique (in fact this is becoming an increasing pattern now) is the strange and in fact criminal silence and utter lack of condemnation. We do not see, major political parties organizing rallies for the condemnation of such incidences. Our “brilliant’ media does not organize talk shows on this issue and nor do the masses come on the street. The condemnation coming out is sporadic and on the political and administrative front it is merely lip serving. Instead of genuinely feeling the heat from the masses, the political government seems to be more under pressure from the negative international media spotlight.

Right now, once again a large number of populace is simply in a state of denial and even those who admit that our “brave” Muslim fellows were the culprits have an apologetic tone and keep on referring to infamous barbarism in Gujarat riots to draw parallels. The similar pattern of making use of others (whether in terms of assigning blames or making excuses) is the order of the day.

We refer to Gujrat, hold rallies to show solidarity with Indian Muslims and those in Palestine and yet are either silent or knitting non sense conspiracy theories when a similar incidence involving minorities on our soil occurs.

What happened in Gujrat was terrible but cannot be used for this apologetic defense of barbarity such as Lahore incidence or what happened in Gojra a few years ago. . Moreover, after Gujrat, BJP felt a lot of heat. I know that Modi won the elections but outside Gujrat the political star of the party took a real hit. Moreover, the issue allowed the opposition to take full advantage. Even now due to Congress blunders, Modi’s star is on the ascent but he is still put on the defensive when asked about the Gujrat riots.
This unfortunately is the difference between India and Pakistan. In Pakistan, no opposition can take political advantage of this massacre because frankly it won’t even register as an issue with the populace. This primarily is the most dangerous thing about Pakistan. The populace cannot be divided into two polar camps but merely compartmentalized into three broadly similar categories: those who support the killings; those who think it’s a grand conspiracy to defame Pakistan; and those who think that such killings though objectionable nevertheless are a common occurrence in South Asia and therefore do not merit much condemnation.

This is not a political failure alone. It is national shame and depicts weakness at every level of our society’s moral fabric.

In some quarters the anti blasphemy law is under criticism. However, the problem at least in blasphemy cases, unlike those falling under Hudood, is that the situation seldom reaches the legal stage. People often implement their own version of “justice”. One particular case which flashes in my mind is that of Hafiz Sajjad Tariq who was killed in Gujaranwala by a mob literally consisting of thousands. Hafiz Sajjad was a traditional devout Muslim and while reciting Quran accidently dropped it on the stove. Although it was pure accident but someone reported it to the nearby mosque as a deliberate act. Needless to say, the Imam did not even bother to ascertain the facts and started to agitate the nearby community to take action. Thousands turned up and fulfilled their “duty” by dragging the poor guy through the streets of the city and finally burning him alive. It was after two days that the facts of the case became fully known. Although it was shocking but the reaction to all that barbarism was even more tragic. There was hardly any agitation or debate and no political party raised that issue effectively.

Much more than the law, it is the mindset. I really don’t think that merely repealing the law will change anything. In fact law can only be repealed if there is a sufficient majority in the assembly. And that majority will only repeal it, if majority of the electorate wants it to be repealed. I really don’t think that any party has the political courage to even present the possible repealing as an agenda point in its political manifesto.

In countries like Pakistan, it is the reverence of religion ( which at times does not even have neat correspondence with actual adherence to its rituals) which is the main culprit. A law implemented in the name of religion is often impossible to repeal. People may not be following religion in their personal capacities, but fully understand its power in collective settings. All mobs who burn after a stimulus such as alleged blasphemy collectively understands that no one will be able to stop them. It is that venting out of gutter instincts by otherwise ordinary people under the guise of “respect” of religion. These sorts of mob actions cannot be lumped into the same kind as of suicide bombings as the latter is a of different kind. A suicide bomber acts out of some twisted conviction whereas such mobs act much more consciously than is often assumed. Each individual knows that religious reverence is giving his gutter like actions a cover. That is why even Police becomes a silent spectator.

Religion has been elevated to such level and in a way that any debate on it has become impossible. Consequently, as a society we are completely impotent to even condemn those who misuse religion for committing horrifying acts. This impotence is the real tragedy and is even more horrifying than the actual act.

Written by razaraja

Filed under: minorities, Pakistan, Religion · Tags: Christians, Pakistan, political, Raza Habib Raja

111 Responses to "Attack on Christians: The Real Tragedy is Even More Horrifying"

Rex Minor says:

March 17, 2013 at 2:18 am

Y,

India needs a god, whose commandments are followed religiously. This is what Voltaire said and this is what Kant said, there can be no morality or ethics without a God!! India is destined to start hanging those who commit rapes and in high streets. And even this will not change. In G8 it is the worst in treating women and even behind Saudi Arabia. Indian Govt cannot control his plague with 1871 police laws. Every Indian asked about the Delhi rape on the city to airport motorway, put the blame on the dress which women wear and their appearing ater eight PM, being the cause of rapes.How does one control the sexism when a village political figure walks into a house for sex with a woman in the presence of her husband? The village women come to the rescue and beat the man outside and this what we are being shown in evening News by the German TV repoter.

Rex Minor
yazid says:

March 17, 2013 at 2:27 am

R
Do not bring religion here please. India has the second largest population of Islam abiding people. Hinduism does not promote rapes…I have in earlier posts mentioned about the Saudi guy who got away with the rape of a minor. I am not defending rapes, it is a mindset of male supremacy. Please I request you not to drag religion here because the same thing happens in nations who are in a developing mode too..
tajender says:

March 17, 2013 at 3:32 am

Do not bring religion here please. India has the second largest population of Islam abiding people. Hinduism does not promote rapes

we dont know true situatrion.how much hindu love rape is daily available on zee news
yazid says:

March 17, 2013 at 3:53 am

Taj

I was waiting for it

http://tribune.com.pk/story/486966/pakistans-shame-rape-cases-in-2012-timeline/

http://www.examiner.com/article/saudi-arabia-islamic-cleric-rapes-tortures-kills-daughter-pays-fine

and look at the statistics, and another humble submission donot engage in this as Mohan suggested. rest it is a public forum
yazid says:

March 17, 2013 at 3:55 am

@ RHR

Please do not post the above if you feel it is unnecessary and anyways there is no point glorifying such incidents.

regards

Y
hari says:

March 17, 2013 at 4:31 am

to rex

Blasphemy laws in Pakistan are the legacy of colonialism – but which colonialism (imperialism)?
British one, or the arab/turkish one?

Pakistan of today is the product of arab/turkish imperialism and racism and ethnofascism.

You blame the british wrongly here.
–

The present-day blasphemy laws in Pakistan are a result of islamization and arabization and an islamofascist shariah. don’t try to deflect attention from that real culprit by blaming the british!!!
–

You have a tendency to glorify islam and arabs with the help of lies.
hari says:

March 17, 2013 at 4:52 am

This article is about the situation of suffering christians in the islamic paradise of Pakistan.

Rape of women in India is a different topic.

The PTH is a pure male-dominated forum.
Are female voices being raped away from this forum?

What does a woman say about women and their behavior?
Are there any women who try to find out and understand why some men become rapists?

–
In The Delhi rape-torture case of December 2012:
Ram Singh the rapist (bus driver) committed suicide in Tihar jail.
Another rapist said he had committed a heinous crime and deserves to be hanged.
-
The most brutal rapist in this gang is a muslim (name withheld), but he is being shielded by the pro-muslim indian govt.
The girl who was raped is not a muslim although Drona (a muslim blogger on the PTH) was constantly saying she was a muslim and the rapists were all brahmins.

–

The man who tried to protect the girl (a non-brahmin hindu) in the bus was a brahmin named Awindra Pandey.
Rex Minor says:

March 17, 2013 at 7:29 pm

Tajender,

Y has a good point. The five who have admitted raping swiss woman should submit in the court the Express Tribune account of rapes in Pakistan and rapes committed by muslims in the UK as quoted by Dr Mishra, in defence to justify the rape of the swiss woman. What I am saying is not a cynical comment , but the position of ‘Y’ and Hari, and most Indians on several blogs, including the Indian blogs. Ofcourse, they have expanded their justification by quoting rapes incidents in several countries of the world, including USA and Canada. The pakistanis could use similar arguments of mistreatments of muslims around the world to justify the rampage on christian houses in Lahore, without having caused any bodily harm to christians. Is the media in Pakistan being hypercritical and the Indian media exercises restraint so not to inflame Indian multirace public?

How does one confront such a logic? I sure would like to know how Dr Singh defends Indian position in G8 meetings with regard to the status of a woman in the society?

Rex Minor
Rex Minor says:

March 17, 2013 at 8:01 pm

Hari,
Are you a dumb individual or pretending to be one with your blinkers, because of your prejudice against muslims is causing your loud thinking. Can’t you see the road map of your history, from Sati to Rape, the denegrading of women in the Indian society. A woman after woman is appearing on the western TV net work from India, claiming that the Indian Govt. is turning a blindeye in this matter, while the growing protests of the women is now being accompanied by the growing youth including Sikhs and they want Govt. to act and act now to annul the 1871 BRITISH colonial law for the police and on BBC” have your say program” it is te young Indian married women who are complaining about the Bharat culture, stating that they cannot take(tolerate) it any more.

I am not stating anything out of malice against Hinduism or those who practice it but will oppose Evil which is not acceptable under any circumstance whether by the muslims, jews, christians or others. Human violence against humans cannot be defended in my faith.

The Rape of a woman by a man is an extreme violence and signifies Hate against humanity.

Rex Minor
Rex Minor says:

March 17, 2013 at 8:03 pm

PS
Stop relativising crimes.
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May 11, 2013 at 12:20 pm

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