As the brain drain continues, the lives of minorities settled in this country continue to be riddled with challenges. The newspapers are ablaze with reports about minority communities being ostracised and blackballed by the indigenous population. The late Governor of Punjab Salman Taseer, who was extremely vocal about the blasphemy laws, was assassinated by a bodyguard, who was later deemed a hero by many in the public. In fact, this was so controversial that nobody was even willing to offer his funeral prayers for fear of inciting the wrath of the religious fundamentalists and meeting a gruesome end.
A decade and a half later, the minorities, especially the Christians, continue to be ridiculed and shunned. The blasphemy law has been, time and again, misused for ulterior motives and also used as a weapon to wage a personal vendetta against minorities. Every now and then, there are allegations against a member of the Christian community for allegedly desecrating the pages of the Holy Quran or for vilifying our religion.
There have been numerous incidents where mobs, enraged by what they perceived to be blasphemy have taken the law into their own hands and assaulted the presumed culprits
Without confirming or validating the allegations, which in quite a few cases are fabricated for ulterior motives, that particular individual is subjected to extreme torture, physically assaulted or burnt alive. Religious fundamentalism has permeated the very roots of this society and is slowly eroding the very principles this country was founded on. The father of our nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, was very vocal about respecting the rights of the religious minorities and practicing religious tolerance when this country came into existence.
Islam is also a very pluralistic religion and preaches religious tolerance. Why has this country been turned into a living hell for the minorities, then? Why are they being forced to convert and abandon their religion? Are they children of a lesser God?
There have been numerous incidents where mobs, enraged by what they perceived to be blasphemy have taken the law into their own hands and assaulted the presumed culprits. In a heinous incident over a decade ago, a Christian couple was thrown to the bottom of a furnace and burned alive because it was “believed” that they had been guilty of blasphemy as desecrated pages of the Quran were discovered near their humble abode.
Religious fundamentalism in this country has taken such strong root that political decision making has also been affected by it. Despite talking about the merits of a secular society, political governments have not been able to mitigate or alleviate the impact of religion on political activities. The religious clerics in this country wield so much street power that no government can afford to risk offending them, so they continue to meddle in politics and heavily influence political governance and decision making.
Mob lynching has unfortunately become a common occurrence in this country, where a couple of religious fundamentalists incite a mob of hundreds to assault an individual, believed to be guilty of blasphemy. Witnessing the end which the late Governor of Punjab met after vocalising his thoughts about the blasphemy law, and the way in which his killer was glorified, sent shock waves through the country. If they needed any proof of how deeply the roots of religious fundamentalism had infiltrated the societal fabric, this was the perfect example. In fact, the situation in the Land of the Pure has only deteriorated since, with mob lynching becoming the norm, rather than the exception. The minorities in this country are viewed as soft targets and this blasphemy law provides a convenient excuse for settling personal scores or waging personal vendettas against those too weak or vulnerable to defend themselves.
Will this country ever be able to live up to the principles and ideologies it was founded on? How long will the blasphemy law be used as an excuse to settle personal scores or realise ulterior motives? Formulating laws and regulations is an exercise in futility if they are not implemented effectively or are allowed to be abused and misused. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) never forced or compelled anyone to accept Islam but imbibed and practiced the teachings of the Holy Book in its true letter and spirit – which impelled the non-believers to embrace Islam purely of their own volition. And that is the true essence of our religion.
Religious fundamentalism has taken root across the border also with a fanatic like Modi at the helm of affairs. Muslims in India are being vilified and ostracised by the Hindus, much like the religious minorities here. Calling them bigoted or intolerant would be a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black, as those living in glass houses cannot afford to throw stones at other people.
Laws need to be strictly implemented in this country if we wish to practice the ideologies and principles this country was founded on. Religion and politics should be segregated and political governance should not be influenced by religious inclinations. Religious extremism or fundamentalism should be uprooted and individuals who abuse or misuse laws for their underlying motives or agendas should be dealt with in a befitting manner.
The rights of minorities must be safeguarded and protected in this country – and these communities should not be used as convenient scapegoats or viewed as soft targets on account of being a minority. This country can only progress when the law and order situation improves and the rights of its citizens, especially the minorities, are safeguarded and shielded.