Abandoned in life; forgotten in death: Shia minority of Pakistan!

[PAKjunoon]

Well they have been killed Unjustly. just been shea is their guilt.

bhutto was Hanged because he was a political opponent,not because he was shia.

 

[Sine Nomine]

why cant ?

Guess why so much security was after that day,curfew in that area and no media coverage at all even media was no stopped while TTP attacked GHQ,Mehran and Kamra media was not stopped...

 

[Zarvan]

The writer is a Lahore-based lawyer. The views expressed by the author are his own saroop.ijaz@tribune.com.pk

‘Pakistan’s 9/11’, ‘Never again’, ‘united we stand’ and similar expressions of resolve and the severity of the situation post-APS, Peshawar were all natural, and perhaps justified in that moment of grief, and above all, horror. The All Parties Conference, the National Action Plan, the moving to tear tribute songs; it was ‘the’ moment. Except, it wasn’t. We perhaps, have spent all our outrage post-APS, Peshawar. Shikarpur happened weeks later, and the Media could not cover it because of the hysterics and silly frolics of two of our National leaders were keeping us busy. Sixty people died in Shikarpur. They were Shia. Peshawar has happened again, it is murder again this time, and those dead are Shia. It is a pity that they had to die just before the World Cup; nobody has the time for remorse, grief or horror. The Nation is bleeding green, while the Shias simply bleed.

Language gives much away. Many on the Media were conflicted between using ‘Shaheed’ (Martyr) and ‘Jaan Bahaq’ (dead) for those who died in the imambargah in Peshawar. Bewildered, they ask, why were namazis killed? Who can do such a heinous act? One would have thought them to be hopelessly naive, if one didn’t know better. Let us still break it down for them: they were killed because they were Shia, by extremists who believe themselves to be devout Muslims and further believe that the Shias are ‘kafir’ (infidels) and ‘wajibul qatl’ (liable to be murdered). Elevated talk of proxy wars, ‘sectarian violence’ and global politics does not obscure the fact that there are people, seemingly reasonable and formally educated, who believe that Shias are infidels and practice unsavoury rituals and are part of some secret conspiracy; you and I know these people and have heard many of them on national television and read them in mainstream Urdu papers.

They do not openly advocate murder, yet are expert proponents of the second worst thing: demonising and ‘otherising’. To mention the sect of those killed is to create ‘sectarian strife’, sometimes, it seems is worse than the killing itself. Since the killers are part of a global conspiracy to destabilise Pakistan and fuel ‘sectarian violence’.

Shias in Pakistan are not mainstream, the State does not own them, and the Shias who make it to the top do it in spite of being Shia and in most cases, change the topic when personal beliefs are brought up.

The entire point of ‘defining moments’ and tribute songs is to humanise the conflict and the loss. We managed to do it admirably post-APS, Peshawar. Yet, with the systematic killing of the Shia, we are unwilling to humanise them, and insist upon a language that makes them victims of some (partly imagined) global conflict. The dead are mere statistics. ‘innocent citizens’, ‘Pakistanis’ and many other terms are used to refer to those killed in imambargahs by all of our National leaders except the obvious: ‘Shias were killed for being Shias.’

An essay of Jean-Paul Sartre, “Reflexions sur la question juive” or “Anti-Semite and Jew” that I have previously relied upon in this context is worth repeating to our democratic leaders and their condemnations of the murder of Shias. Sartre writes about the democrat being a “feeble protector” of the Jews being persecuted, “The democrat says, ‘There are no Jews’, and he says, ‘there is no Jewish question’. This means that he wants to separate the Jew from his religion, from his family, from his ethnic community, in order to plunge him into the democratic crucible whence he will emerge naked and alone, an individual and solitary particle like all the other particles.”

To dehumanise the victim is to abandon her. The Shias are dehumanised in life by the ASWJ and LeJ affiliates, for whom they are nothing but embodiment of ‘kuffar’ and then dehumanised in death by well-meaning, ‘patriotic democrats’ by lumping them in a large pool of the entire citizenry, obscuring the reason for their murder and their identities.

In a real National Action Plan, the prime minister will first admit to the mass killing of the Shias, and then assert that nobody will be allowed to brand anyone else a ‘kafir’ or give any pronouncements on the faith of anyone else; anyone who tries this will have to face the might of the State. The prime minister cannot do that. Punjab has to be kept safe. The ASWJ and the SSP might not bring a lot of seats; however, they do bring votes. The prime minister cannot do that because the State can’t. The State has practised ‘takfir’, most notably while declaring the Ahmadis ‘kafirs’. If and when the real National Action Plan finally comes, it will start with the State apologising and giving the solemn guarantee that giving proclamations on personal faith is none of the State’s business. Sounds despairingly naive and idealistic at this point, right? It is, and so is the situation in our fight against the enemy.

What about General Musharraf’s recent tell-all? Admitting that the Pakistani security establishment “cultivated” the Taliban in his tenure. Why has hell not broken loose and heavens not crumbled? Because firstly, we already knew that, and secondly, as a former army chief, he has impunity and the gallant media warriors cannot brand him as a foreign traitor, agent, etc. Who will apologise for this? No one will. The harvest of this and past cultivation are the namazisin imambargahs in Rawalpindi, Shikarpur and Peshawar.

Shias are not the only groups under attack in Pakistan. Everyone is under attack, to a varying degree though. Yet, some are more vulnerable for now than others. To be dishonest to one victim of murder will and does lead to dishonesty about all victims of the same murderer. It is the job of the politician to play petty politics over dead bodies and it is sickening to see the circus of provincial versus federal government responsibility to protect. In times of war, leaders rise above petty point-scoring or they don’t; and nations do sink and states fail. As long as the ASWJ and LEJ leaders have government protocol and societal deference, this battle is a losing one; and not just for one group of the killed but for all.

Fortunately, we do have the distraction of the World Cup, so prepare for the ‘War’ on Sunday and bleed green, and try not to remember that the Shias in Peshawar simply bleed.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2015.
Abandoned in life; forgotten in death – The Express Tribune

A very well-written masterpiece! All applause for the author!

@Daneshmand @Didact @rahi2357 @Judge @SALMAN AL-FARSI @Echo_419 @pursuit of happiness @SrNair @SOHEIL @kollang @Razia Sultana @ExtraOdinary @BDforever @Aarush @Keel @Dr. Stranglove @volatile @shontumontu @PurpleButcher @Alphacharlie @kaku1 @itachiii @Serpentine @mike2000 @HRK @syedali73 @Dominance @Major Shaitan Singh @graphican @halupridol @TejasMk3 @Kiarash @Shahryar Hedayati @Cheetah786 @Avtar @Gaber @DESERT FIGHTER @Takaavar @ShowGun @mohsen @SN320 @seiko @MehrotraPrince @Malik Alashter @sandesh kumar @ArsalanKhan21 @tahir195 @Arminkh @Hindustani78 @thesolar65 @raptor22 @Aamna Ali @levina @Nilesh Singh @Syrian Lion @Basel @Hakan @khujliwal @TWINBLADE @Not Sure @Hasbara Buster @Roybot @Gunsnroses @pkuser2k12 @The SiLent crY @TOPGUN @mb444 @vostok @AUz @Srinivas @Stealth @jack 86000 @Mike_Brando @wolfschanzze @kbd-raaf @Jaggu @my2cents @indiatester @Brahmos_2 @bhangi bava @volcano @ya hosein @VelocuR @mister @Lord Zen @hacsan @TankMan @Etilla @Srinivas @desert warrior @pumkinduke @wolfpack @rubyjackass @Derolo @Archdemon @Natan @500 @MarkovChain @Solomon2 @F-15I @A.Rafay @Ahmad1996 @Armstrong @arushbhai @AstanoshKhan @AZADPAKISTAN2009 @balixd @batmannow @Bilal. @chauvunist @Crypto @Dr. Stranglove @Evil Flare @EyanKhan @Fahad Khan 2 @GIANTsasquatch @graphican @Green Arrow @Guleen Ahmed @HRK @Jazzbot @Junaid B @Jzaib @Khalidr @khawaja07 @Leader @Luftwaffe @mr42O @Muhammad Omar @nomi007 @Pak123 @Pakistanisage @Peaceful Civilian @pkuser2k12 @PWFI @raazh @Rafael @Rashid Mahmood @RescueRanger @Saifkhan12 @SHAMK9 @Stealth @Strike X @SUPARCO @syedali73 @Tameem @Tayyab1796 @Zarvan @AdeelFaheem @Rajput_Pakistani @Men in Green @IceCold @LoveIcon @razahassan1997 @Cheetah786 @Dil Pakistan @asq @junaid hamza @Pukhtoon @jamahir @Strigon @Rafi @Ulla @420canada @sathya @HughSlaman @slapshot @raza_888 @SBD-3 @cb4 @AsianUnion @Aether @Proudpakistaniguy @WishLivePak @Waffen SS @Fracker @Ranches @ghoul @Jf Thunder @GreenFalcon @genmirajborgza786 @orangzaib @Pakistani Exile @KURUMAYA @Irfan Baloch @ali_raza @Syed.Ali.Haider @Patriots @muslim_pakistani @W.11 @Meengla @zaid butt @ajpirzada @Shoaib Rathore @CHARGER @yesboss @TheNoob @Bratva @Viny @StormShadow @suresh1773 @SOHEIL @Force-India @faisal6309 @S.U.R.B. @vsdave2302 @jarves @WAJsal @Winchester @janon @pak-marine @Donatello @Darth Vader @wolfschanzze @TheFlyingPretzel @DRAY @narcon @FaujHistorian @1000 @FNFAL @gau8av @abhi21 @naveen mishra @Kunwar Anurag Rathore @AgNoStiC MuSliM @LeveragedBuyout @MastanKhan @Agent Smith @shuntmaster @Slav Defence @sur @XenoEnsi-14 @DESERT FIGHTER @p100 @BDforever @hunter_hunted @Mav3rick @rockstar08 @asad71 @Major Sam @Faizan Memon @Spy Master @ozzy22 @Manticore @war khan @Afridistan @Razia Sultana @madmusti @ghazaliy2k @Khalid Newazi @Ammyy @bloo @Marxist @karan.1970 @thesolar65 @Not Sure @Arav_Rana @Avik274 @SamantK @Major Shaitan Singh @Omega007 @farhan_9909 @haviZsultan @Sidak @ranjeet @Yogijaat @ravi Nair @WAR-rior @he-man @Indrani @Mike_Brando @SarthakGanguly @sreekumar @Pakistani shaheens @ChennaiDude @Akheilos @Hyperion @Soumitra @TimeTraveller @pursuit of happiness @TankMan @T-123456 @madooxno9 @scorpionx @Capt.Popeye @Tridibans @christian warrior @GR!FF!N @SpArK @utraash @Falcon29 @levina @Jf Thunder @Metanoia @halupridol @Krate M @dexter @jbgt90 @Pride @Star Wars @ROCKING @waleed3601 @ShowGun @danish_vij @manojb @Wolfhound @Koovie @KingMamba @venu309 @Pak_Sher @OrionHunter @Dr. NooB NinjA

A very well written bullshit and funnily came the day when main Murderer of Hazaras was killed by our forces

 

[pak-marine]

Guess why so much security was after that day,curfew in that area and no media coverage at all even media was no stopped while TTP attacked GHQ,Mehran and Kamra media was not stopped...

i dont know .. why dont you tell me

 

[haviZsultan]

bhutto was Hanged because he was a political opponent,not because he was shia.

i agree. But abdul nishapuri and gang hold otherwise. He shouldn't have been killed as his killing is seen by some shia as a subjugation of their faith

 

[PAKjunoon]

i agree. But abdul nishapuri and gang hold otherwise. He shouldn't have been killed as his killing is seen by some shia as a subjugation of their faith

I have talked with many shias on politics and not even once has anyone said that bhutto was killed because he was shia.
And,Islam is the Faith of every Muslim.

 

[My-Analogous]

Hi,

First of all---this term of SHAHEED has bee used very loosely----nobody should be termed a shaheed until and unless they are fighting a war for the defence of their nation.

To the dead either a sunni mosque or a shia mosque or a suicide attack---those whose lives got sacrificed for the ideology of the nation.

Mastan Bhai in Hadhith Prophet Mohammed define the definition of Shaheed i.e

First: the martyr of this life and the hereafter.
Second: the martyr of this life.
Third: the martyr of the Hereafter.

First: the martyr of this life and the hereafter: It is he who is killed in a battle against the disbelievers whilst facing the enemy and not retreating from the battlefield. Whose only objective was to make the Word of Allaah supreme and not for any worldly gain (must have a sincere intention).
Abu Moosaa Al-Ash`ari, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, was asked about who fights in the battlefield out of valor, or out of zeal, or out of showing off, which of this is considered as fighting in the cause of Allaah? He sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam said: “He who fights in order that the Word of Allaah remains the supreme, is considered as fighting in the cause of Allaah”. [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim].

Second: the martyr of this life: It is he who is killed in a battle against the disbelievers but stole from the booties of war, or fought out of valor, or out of zeal or out of racism, or for any other worldly purpose and not for the sake of making the Word of Allaah supreme. Such a person, even though all the rulings of a martyr are applied to him in this life, such as burying him with his clothes and not washing him, yet he will not have any share in the reward of the Hereafter. On the other hand, we as Muslims are commanded to treat people with what appears from their action and leave the judgment of their hearts and intentions and their recompense (whether good or bad) to Allaah.

Third: the martyr of the Hereafter: It is the one who will get the reward of a martyr in the Hereafter, but the rulings of a regular dead person is applied to him in this life when burying him. Examples for this type is the person who is killed oppressively but not during a battle, or death due to certain diseases.

you can read complete details in this link for your easy reference

The Types of Martyrs/Shaheed

 

[MastanKhan]

i agree. But abdul nishapuri and gang hold otherwise. He shouldn't have been killed as his killing is seen by some shia as a subjugation of their faith

Hi,

The reason Bhutto was hanged was that none of his party members stood up for him---those yellow belly cowards hid their faces and did not speak up for his release---. Nobody took out rallies to set him free.

 

[PAKjunoon]

You declared ahmediyas as kafirs by amending the constitution during Zia regime.
That was during the peak of Cold war and you imported Wahabi ideology from Saudi arabia to train Mujahideens to fight Soviet Union.That is also the time you started hating Shias,Christians,Hindus,Ahmediyas,hazaras as kafirs.
Your journey to becoming a Arab Nation and importing their way of life,grudges,politics,sectarian violence started from that point,when you started using Wahabi ideology as a state policy be changing textbooks and training Mujahideens.
Now you are neck deep into that ideology and there is no way you can escape that.

No,we did not declared ahmediyas as kafir.We only defined who is a muslim.the Mujahideens that fought against soviet union were from many different school of thoughts.Many of the mujahideens were from sufisim-related school of thought.The violence started at that point because USSR knew that it was the combination of Pakistan and mujahideen that was kicking its *** in Afghanistan,so USSR retaliated by bombings,assassinations and other violence acts to weaken the state of Pakistan and create civil and sectarian war in Pakistan.At which they failed.

And show me the prove that Wahabi ideology is the state policy of Pakistan?

You declared ahmediyas as kafirs by amending the constitution during Zia regime.

And the change in constitution regarding ahmediyas was done by Bhutto,not by Zia-ul-Haq.

 

[Lord ZeN]

@Norwegian
Nice & Balanced article. But there is little i can contribute here.

 

[Hiptullha]

Ahmedis don't consider Muhammad(P.B.U.H)last prophet so they are out of Islam there is no wahabism or anything like that in it.

I share the same opinion. But does this belong in our constitution? Does the declaration that Ahmedis are not Muslims belong in the application for Pakistani passport? Of course not.

Bro my best answer to you is go and read history.
Their teaching from the childhood is that Shea if not kuffar they are astray. just read about how man Shea got killed by these people.

They simply despise us. They think they are the chosen people while Shea are astray they revile the Sahabah!.

In Pakistan, I don't think we had this much of a sectarian divide, with Shias hating Sunnis and Sunnis hating Shias. There were never Shias conspiring against Sunnis or Sunnis conspiring against Shias as far as I know. These beliefs are not native, most likely imported from both Iran and Gulf and don't belong in Pakistan.

 

[Sliver]

@Norwegian
That was one of the best written articles in recent times. First things first, its a losing battle as of now - people from the extreme right like @Zarvan will probably never accept that there is sectarian violence going on and that too at an alarming level.
Then you have pacifists and apologetic who cannot find the strength in them to stand against the extremists.
The other side is people like you - far and few in number and mostly moved to other countries.

If APS, Peshawar does not move this country into a deep introspection, I do not know what else will.

Frankly, there has to be a debate on why people can be branded as muslim or not by the state. Its not the state's duty to indulge in religion.
Here is a case of the extremists of the majority religion claiming lives of the minority and the moderates of the majority religion doing nothing about it.

 

[Syrian Lion]

For those who "attacked" me I suggest you guys read what I said again... I didn't blame only the west, I blamed the countries that allowed the west to intervene, I just didn't state directly...

 

[Kompromat]

LeJ has strong ties to the ruling PLMN.

That's all i have to say.

 

[Cheetah786]

LeJ has strong ties to the ruling PLMN.

That's all i have to say.

With petro dollars drying up fast and a threat of funding cut from US congress, LEJ is no longer a useful tool for PML-N or the military. pawns are going to be killed to keep them quite.