MERCHANTS OF HATE
Growing up in Pakistan, I vividly remember September 7 as a remarkable day when the nation united to celebrate and salute its Air Force. Mullahs who have messed up every aspect of normalcy in Pakistan didn’t spare that glorious day. Lately they have termed the day as ‘Khatam-e-Nabuwwat’ day to celebrate their infamous victory , the Second Amendment to the Constitution – the blemish on Pakistan’s existence – that declared Ahmadis non-Muslims.
In any humane and civilized society, efforts to repeal the Second Amendment must have geared up in its aftermath, as it is in stark violation of the vision of Pakistan. It seems that no one was left after Muhammad Ali Jinnah to strengthen the Pakistan that he aspired for. Pakistan’s reins were left in the hands of the very same forces that had opposed its creation. Shortsighted political leaders succumbed to the pressure tactics of the hardliners and unified to declare Ahmadis non-Muslims, notwithstanding that a prominent Ahmadi Sir Zafrullah Khan was a close ally of Quaid-e-Azam and that Ahmadiyya Muslim Community had played a pivotal, constructive role in Pakistan’s independence.
Persecution of Ahmadis never subsides in Pakistan but in early September, hate campaigns against Ahmadis gain momentum. The last decade has witnessed a surge in such campaigns around September. The ordinary public is incited through the media, hate material is propagated and published. Muslims are promised an Eternal reward for killing Ahmadis, who are only worthy of death. Here is a sample hate SMS that was being circulated in Pakistan earlier this month: “If you see a snake, leave it alone but if you see a Qadiani (derogatory term for Ahmadis) anywhere, crush his head”.
These poisonous words are not a prank, they are a part of a well-crafted hate campaign that is ever-expanding and remains unchecked. Only if these were mere words, they could be ignored as hate speech. Alas, these words are reflective of the deep animosity that has been cultivated against Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan by radical Muslim groups. For the merchants of hate this is not enough. They deem Ahmadis worse than snakes that must be crushed.
Yesterday, Mubashir Ahmad Khosa, a medical practitioner was shot dead by two gunmen in Mirpur Khas. This is not a random murder. Dr Khosa lost his life because of the apathy of the nation, the ineptitude of the law enforcement and above all the government of Pakistan’s callousness towards its Ahmadi citizens. Why would anyone give a hoot to the plight of Ahmadis when the State itself has legislated their persecution?
In September 2008, a prominent Ahmadi physician, Dr Abdul Manan Siddiqui was also shot in similar fashion in the same city. He was murdered after televangelist Amir Liaquat openly called for the killing of Ahmadis on his talk show on GEO, the biggest TV channel. Six years later, his murderers still roam free and the so-called guardians of faith have another victory under their belt. Their celebrations continue to call out for the blood of Ahmadis.
In May 2014, Dr Mehdi Ali Qamar, a prominent Interventional Cardiologist from the US was also gunned down in Rabwah, where he regularly volunteered at the Tahir Heart Institute, a state-of-the-art hospital operated by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, that is providing free medical care to impoverished Pakistanis.
Pakistan is a relatively young nation and it has already seen the worse of times. It is a hotbed of terrorism, its institutions are failing, sectarianism is rife and people often wonder what’s plaguing this nation. If we are still failing to comprehend what ails Pakistan, woe to us! Pakistan took an immediate U-turn after Independence. It was supposed to be a country that would provide a right to self-determination and freedoms to Muslims that were denied to them in United India. Instead of marching forward and learning from history and their own bitter experience, this once-upon-a-time minority, adorned the mantle of the aggressor. It sealed its perilous course when it embraced a theocratic model and left pluralism at the door.
A nation where healers are killed with impunity in broad daylight and the killers are never reprimanded is destined for worse times unless concrete measures are undertaken to curtail the activities of those who incite passions in the name of religion. This can only happen when leaders demonstrate a serious will to tackle this menace. Until then, the merchants of hate are holding Pakistan hostage.
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