SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
Christian community in Pakistan is already marginalized and alienated. After Church attacks and lynching of two Muslim fellows following attacks, has further worsen the situation for the Christian community. Interior minister has clearly said that Government will take stern action against the perpetrators of lynching. There can be no two opinions regarding the barbarity of the murder of the two innocent men and the accompanying violent protests, and these deserve severe condemnation. However, it is important to recognise that the violent reaction of some belonging to the Christian community represented its deep frustrations following decades of discrimination and violence that it has been subjected to. Just as many Muslims exhort the West to look at the root causes of terrorism instead of blindly blaming all Muslims for violent acts committed in the name of their religion, it is also necessary that we recognise that there are reasons for the kind of violent reaction that followed the church bombings. The acts of a few must not be used to demonise an entire community or ignore the injustices it has long faced. The kind of mob mentality that was on display has unfortunately become characteristic of the Pakistani psyche of late.
There have been numerous instances of robbers being lynched in a similar manner by enraged crowds. And how can one forget the horrific lynching of the two brothers from Sialkot? Such violent reaction has become a Pakistani phenomenon, not limited to any single community, and points to the brutalisation of our society as a whole. But It was really shocking 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.Chaudhry Nisar also stated that there is no violent retaliation when mosques and imambargahs are attacked. One must note that those attacks are perpetrated by the co-religionists of the victims themselves so the question of a violent reaction here does not arise. Who exactly will those affected by these attacks target? Chaudhry Nisar’s less-than-nuanced response to the events in Lahore is highly unfortunate. It is indeed a sorry spectacle when the country’s interior minister shows more vehemence and passion in condemning the killing of Hakimullah Mehsud — which he referred to as the “murder of peace” — than the bombings of places of worship.
Pakistan government and society should condemn all the acts of barbarity whether they are conducted by Muslims or any other religious minority. There should be no discrimination, when it comes to humanity.
pakistan.shafaqna.com
