An intolerant nation

[Aslan]

And also mind you it was and is the oil that is coming from Saudi and different arab countries at a mcuh cheaper rate then what the rest of the world pays for it is what is helping us. And what ever help one has rendered towards Pakistan we should appreciate it. It is not their national duty to help us out with and in every thing. Neither US's nor any other countries and not Chinas either. Its us who have to up the anti, play our game right and fix our mess.

 

[Awesome]

Wow, Dawn is pretty self-loathing aren't they?

I fully agree with the fact that Pakistanis are intolerant (not comparing with anybody here - as I don't care about others). Which is one of the reasons we fight tooth n nail for the right of opposing points of views to be published here despite regular opposition. Some we like, some we don't, but everyone gets a say.

There are many in Pakistan that are mini-dictators. Anyone who can, they will impose their will and that often includes being intolerant of opposing point of views.

 

[Awesome]

And also mind you it was and is the oil that is coming from Saudi and different arab countries at a mcuh cheaper rate then what the rest of the world pays for it is what is helping us. And what ever help one has rendered towards Pakistan we should appreciate it. It is not their national duty to help us out with and in every thing. Neither US's nor any other countries and not Chinas either. Its us who have to up the anti, play our game right and fix our mess.

Nothing is free, if you drill down the balance sheets and the political costs, you'll see we've given an arm and a leg for that "cheap" oil.

As a rule of thumb, Everything Pakistan gets Free or cheap - We're the biggest losers of that deal.

 

[Aslan]

Nothing is free, if you drill down the balance sheets and the political costs, you'll see we've given an arm and a leg for that "cheap" oil.

As a rule of thumb, Everything Pakistan gets Free or cheap - We're the biggest losers of that deal.

That is true, and I have not denied that fact at all. But as it stands that we are responsible more then any one else for what ever happens in our country. It has not been the case of the Arabs, our dealings with them have not been such a loss when you compared to what we have got from the US. But I mentioned this before and I will say this again, we are very quick in pointing the finger at any one else but what about the other 3 that are pointed towards us.

 

[sparklingway]

Sparklingway :

Brother i am gonna need your suggesion on how we can deal with these banned groups ?

Well, I am naive, young and inexperienced but certainly what we can do is crack down on their off shoots as well. We banned JuD, LeT, LeJ, JM etc. just because of international pressure. Do you think we would have banned these so called "jihadi tanzeemen" ourselves had there been no external pressure?

Certainly not. The state has halfheartedly handled these organizations. The best example of when the state had the will to tackle such issues is the way it handled rising sectarianism in the mid '90s. It was a time when the Federal and Provincial governments in Punjab had resolved to once and for all handle these sectarian organizations (much like how we are resolute in handling TTP today). When there was a political and social will to tackle the bull by the horns, the most notorious department the Punjab Police performed admirably and although it would be wrong to state that they performed all acts within the bounds of law and human rights, they tackled the issue and we were gaining control over these sectarian organizations.

Since then, when SSP got banned, it gave rise to the off shoot called Ahl-i-Sunnat Waljamaat which has been harassing and torturing minorities and sects across Central Punjab. Shia sectarianism hasn't risen much but these Ahl-i-Sunnat Waljamaat guys have been on a crazy run. It would be difficult to focus both on domestic terrorism and sectarian violence but it cannot be neglected.

The Punjab Police CID should set up a separate wing to tackle these people like in the '90s and hunt down these bastards. Nonetheless, this is not the only solution for it will inevitably rise again. The only solution is imparting a tolerant, liberal (does not mean secular and/or socially liberal) and creative message through education. However we try to deny it, southern Punjab is in the grip of religious schools and unlike the ones across the country where only a few represented militant wings, these ones are mostly breeding grounds and hardly impart any religious training.

 

[frodo]

DAWN.COM | Editorial | An intolerant nation

We are reaping the harvest of the seeds of hatred sown in the seventies and eighties. Pakistan is becoming an increasingly intolerant nation where religious and sectarian minorities live in fear and are awarded little or no protection by the state. Difference is unacceptable to the obscurantists who want everyone to toe their line. And if that takes intimidation, torture or even murder, then so be it, for no option is unavailable to the self-righteous who believe that they alone have seen the light.

This mindset is not limited to the Taliban who kill in the name of religion. There is no shortage in Pakistan of sectarian and other militant outfits that feel justified in murdering Shias, Christians and Ahmadis — or indeed anyone who doesn’t share their views. Most of these organisations have their genesis in the Zia era, a dark chapter in the country’s history which is responsible for rending our social fabric and fanning the flames of intolerance.

Take the case of Friday’s bloody events in Quetta. First the son of a prominent Shia leader was shot dead outside a bank. And when his body was taken to hospital, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the emergency ward. Responsibility for the deadly attack was taken by the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, an offshoot of the Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan.

It is even more extreme in its views than the outlawed SSP (now called the Ahl-i-Sunnat Waljamaat) and has a history of killing Shias and destroying their property in various parts of Punjab. The Lashkar-i-Jhangvi is active elsewhere in the country as well, as evidenced by Friday’s killings in Quetta. Consider also the plight of Ahmadis living in Faisalabad. As this paper reported on Saturday, the government is looking the other way even as they are robbed, threatened and killed. This terror spree is attributed to the defunct SSP which became emboldened when some Ahmadi students were expelled from a medical college after being falsely accused of blasphemy.

Instead of taking the accusers to task, the authorities punished the victims. Meanwhile a shadowy cleric has apparently decreed that robbing and killing Ahmadis is permissible.

The Punjab government needs to act, and act now, to protect Faisalabad’s Ahmadi community and other minorities in the province. But that is perhaps asking too much of an administration whose law minister consorts openly with known extremists. Organisations such as the SSP and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi are proscribed only in name. Their strength remains undiminished and the leader of the Ahl-i-Sunnat Waljamaat is granted audiences with provincial chief ministers and at least one governor. This double-game must end if extremism is to be curbed.

Apologise for my silly question, I am a newbie here......Why a muslim wants to kill another muslim? Is this just because one is Shia and the other is Sunni? Is there any enemity between them?

 

[Meesna]

BBC World's poll on global views on influence of different countries in the world

Germany is the most favourably viewed nation (an average of 59% positive), followed by Japan (53%), the United Kingdom (52%), Canada (51%), and France (49%). The European Union is viewed positively by 53 per cent. In contrast, Iran is the least favourably viewed nation (15%), followed by Pakistan (16%), North Korea (17%), Israel (19%), and Russia (30%).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/160410bbcwspoll.pdf