Pakistanis mourn a once tolerant, relaxed nation

[mehru]

How was Taseer a hero? Granted he was against the blasphemy laws, apart from that, what did he do for Pakistan?

Good question because i think that it is not easy to give up your life for a cause. No matter how bad the person was, you have to admit that he was courageous.

 

[Patriot]

He died like a brave man.Shooting an unarmed man in the street is not courage. It is cowardice.

 

[Bang Galore]

There you go. Now you know the root cause which is poverty. Why not fight poverty then half of your problems are solved.

Why give more money to the rich and make the poor poorer? Why worship corrupt politicians living in mansions and villas while the ordinary Pakistani doesnt have gas to cook a warm meal in their homes in this cold winter?

This is unfortunately what AM would call, a straw man argument. The single most important issue that would go a long way in helping Pakistan deal with poverty is trade with India. That would necessarily have to bring about a certain stability of relations with India which you & the right wing brigade are dead set against. You offer no plan whatsoever for the economic upliftment of your countrymen while simultaneously deriding everyone else. You & the likes of you are what a senior Indian editor called " the equal distribution of poverty brigade". You rant against the rich without offering a single idea of how you propose to achieve economic prosperity. Do you think that becoming more hardline on religious issues will bring about prosperity? You deride every other system without offering up even an iota of proof that your way would achieve anything even remotely comparable.

 

[AstanoshKhan]

my question to these people who are terming pakistan and pakistanis an intolerant nation is that

how will a nation remain tolerant when it will constantly being bombarded by drones daily

if thousands of pakistanis will be killled every time

news of missile strikes will shock them each day after a bad sleep

inflation with knock the doors every day

people like zardaris will be running the affairs of state, and corrupts will live in rich manner while people do suicide from poverty??

while CIA covertly operates in pakistan, blasts keep happening each day

then people in govt will start playing with pakistani sentiments by speaking foolishing just like taseer

people like taseer and dozens of other taseers will eat up fund money for earth quate and flood disasters which is donated by common pakistani??


its just the other side of the coin.. just a common sense

We are being termed as intolerant nation because a liberal extremist has been killed by a religious extremist, and the poor citizen in search of a Roti get killed every now and then without any reason but in order for both these classes - Liberal & Religious to fulfill their lust for liberalism and religiosity. To hell with all of them... Taseer - a liberal extremist provoked a religious extremist through a miscalculated risk and eventually paid the price.

 

[Patriot]

We are being termed as intolerant nation because a liberal extremist has been killed by a religious extremist

Have these 'liberal extremist ' killed anyone? Have they blown up any schools, or exploded in any markets? Have they forced people to do anything at gunpoint?The mind boggles at the false equivalence that is being created here. Suggesting that liberal 'extremists' have the same power, or even voice, as the religious right is simply false. This isn't a balanced equation in which both sides of the divide have equal weight.I can only wish that 'liberal extremist ' had as much power as is being suggested is available to them.

 

[Ignited Mind]

If I was Governor of Punjab, I would use my status, power, and wealth to help improve the lives of my poor Pakistani people.

He did absolutely nothing to help the common Pakistani person. He didn't even help his own people in his own province who were suffering in the worst natural disaster in the history of Punjab.

So why the hell should we consider him a hero?

He did absolutely nothing for Punjab and nothing for Pakistan.

You know what?

He did a great deal for Pakistan the day he backed that poor helpless christian lady, Asia Bibi, of Pakistan.

Allah would grant him jannat for that. He washed away all his sins through this one last act of his life.

That's what he did for Pakistan.

 

[Omar1984]

You know what?

He did a great deal for Pakistan the day he backed that poor helpless christian lady, Asia Bibi, of Pakistan.

Allah would grant him jannat for that. He washed away all his sins through this one last act of his life.

That's what he did for Pakistan.

And how would you not know Allah sent him to hell for supporting a blasphemous Christian lady who insulted our Prophet (SAW).


You cant say where he is. Only Allah knows.

He did not help the common Pakistani person when he had the power to, and that is why he is not my hero.

 

[Ignited Mind]

And how would you not know Allah sent him to hell for supporting a blasphemous Christian lady who insulted our Prophet (SAW).

Will you please answer a simple question of mine?

I'm assuming here that Asia Bibi indeed insulted the Prophet (S.A.W.) and hence committed what you call blasphemy.

Now tell me.

Would the Prophet (S.A.W.), merciful and kind as he was, have accepted it that Asia Bibi be killed or punished for insulting him? I believe the prophet (S.A.W.) would forgive her or at least ignore her blasphemous comments.

After all he was so merciful and kind.

So then does it make sense to kill or punish someone whom the prophet (S.A.W.) himself would have forgiven?

 

[AstanoshKhan]

Have these 'liberal extremist ' killed anyone? Have they blown up any schools, or exploded in any markets? Have they forced people to do anything at gunpoint?The mind boggles at the false equivalence that is being created here. Suggesting that liberal 'extremists' have the same power, or even voice, as the religious right is simply false. This isn't a balanced equation in which both sides of the divide have equal weight.I can only wish that 'liberal extremist ' had as much power as is being suggested is available to them.

The fateful demise of Salman Taseer indicates two very important aspects of our society. First, the absence of law, or attempts to prevent an existing law to take its own course, raises the possibility of people taking the law into their own hands by trying to act against the perceived offenders. It is, therefore, really important to have a law that deals with the cases like that of Asia Bibi and other minorities. Imagine what would have happened to her had she not been taken into judicial protection. It is indeed the responsibility only of the courts of law to examine the evidence against any accused and decide on the punishment if needed at all.

Second, Taseer’s persistent indulgence in derogatory remarks, against religious elements, on a matter that was still under the judicial proceedings (i.e. Asia Bibi’s trial) brought tragic consequences. Asia Bibi was sentenced (primarily based on her own confession) only by a lower court. She hasn’t yet exhausted all her legal options (by means of appealing in High Court and then Supreme Court of Pakistan, if needed) against the lower court’s decision. Salman Taseer clearly ventured out of all limits by interfering in to the legal process by making absurd claims and using venomous and insulting language against the religious scholars. Being a member (and a symbol) of so-called liberal elite class in Pakistan, he wanted to impose his viewpoint without waiting for the judicial process to get complete in Asia’s case. That behavior by itself is tantamount to obstruction of justice. His behavior was actually a testimony of the fact that our liberal fascists think themselves above the law and treat the legal process as their mistress. The game that he was playing on a very sensitive issue was certainly equivalent to playing with fire. His fate, even though sad, was not unexpected.

It is high time for the lawyers, legislatures, religious scholars, and political leaders of Pakistan to sit together and really ponder on the issue comprehensively. While the existence of blasphemy law is indeed required, we need to make sure that all the loopholes are plugged in order to avoid the misuse or abuse of the law. Another important aspect is the fact that some times the accused is indeed exploited, insulted, and physically abused that result in the infuriated person indulging in blasphemy. Such abusers are equally guilty of the offense and should be punished. The judicial process, therefore, must look into the circumstances that lead a person in committing the act blasphemy and punish the abusers who forced the accused into committing the offense.

Finally the killing of Taseer by his own security guard is an indication of a general trend that is slowly taking its root in Pakistan. People of Pakistan feel surrounded and abused by internal and external enemies. Our leaders need to realize the misery and understand the real situation that the people of Pakistan are going through. It is indeed disappointing that silly leaders of PPP are trying to give a political twist to Taseer’s killing. It seems that these leaders (such as disgraced crook Babar Awan, Zardari and company, etc.) have started seeing their own fate in a similar manner. It is really not desirable that disgruntled people start acting against these abusive political leaders, people really see no hope of getting rid of these crooks. Common person is dying of hunger while these thugs are plundering national wealth, visiting foreign countries on weekly basis, staying in expensive hotels, having huge shopping of foreign stuff, and bringing that stuff back home without going through customs and paying duties. All that is done by using national wealth. Hundreds of billions of rupees are pocketed by corrupt every year in Pakistan instead of spending that money on the welfare and development of common Pakistani. The situation is certainly inching towards a revolution in Pakistan when people will start targeting the political thugs, all these beaurocrats of grade 21 and above (living in 8 kanal bungalows with multiple luxury cars, all coming from national exchequer), exploitive mafia (ata mafia, suger mafia, gas mafia, petrol mafia, land mafia are only a few blood suckers in Pakistan). It is indeed a time of test for our collective wisdom.

Just my 2C about the existing state of we Pakistanis are in.

 

[iPhone]

The root cause for not just this problem but every problem in Pakistan is people not paying taxes, more so in rich and elite class than in middle and poor class.

The article talks about govt not providing people a well education, healthcare etc system and Islamic origanizations stepping in to fill the void. Well, of course, people aren't paying taxes wheres the govt gonna get money to spend on it's people?

You think this is bad? Watch what happens in a few more years when intolerant mentality bearing folks start getting elected as mainstream political parties. They have to come up with a tax reform like no other, make people pay taxes through their teeth, if you want to survive, otherwise we're on a perfect path to destruction.

 

[mehru]

It is high time for the lawyers, legislatures, religious scholars, and political leaders of Pakistan to sit together and really ponder on the issue comprehensively. While the existence of blasphemy law is indeed required, we need to make sure that all the loopholes are plugged in order to avoid the misuse or abuse of the law. Another important aspect is the fact that some times the accused is indeed exploited, insulted, and physically abused that result in the infuriated person indulging in blasphemy. Such abusers are equally guilty of the offense and should be punished. The judicial process, therefore, must look into the circumstances that lead a person in committing the act blasphemy and punish the abusers who forced the accused into committing the offense.

First of all give me the link where Asia has confessed her crime. She is pleading her innocence to this date.

Salman only tried to get a presidential pardon as in his opinion the law is flawed. Even you agree that there is chance of misuse exists. So that's why he interfered but after the court intervention, they all backed off. So no breakage of law occurred.

Please don't justify his murder by saying that the guard killed him because he represents the frustration of nation with the ruling elite. No doubt the nation is frustrated with the Govt including myself but that doesn't mean that i will take a gun and will start killing them all.

You say that the law should be discussed. How is that possible when the right wing is only involved in demonstrations and are not willing to discuss it in the parliament.

Moreover the problem is not limited to Taseer. They have even spoken against Sherry Rehman. Now tell me what did she do?

ISLAMABAD: The assassination of Salman Taseer is seemingly not enough with Pakistani religious scholars now targeting Sherry Rehman, the country’s former minister of information and a member of the National Assembly.

Prayer leaders across Pakistan, during Friday sermons, gave vent to their anger against Rehman who had deposited a private members’ bill before the National Assembly seeking an amendment to the blasphemy law.

http://arabnews.com/world/article231004.ece

Event tomorrow: Clerics on the march

“According to a joint decision taken in a meeting in Islamabad among different schools of thought, groups of madrassas and religious and political parties, a protest march and congregation will be held on January 9.

The Peoples Party, who through its member Sherry Rehman has submitted a bill proposing amendments to the blasphemy law, and has constituted a committee headed by the federal minister for minorities to achieve this impure aim, has invoked the religious honour of Pakistan’s Muslims.

Come! We will achieve the requirements of loving the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) by participating in this protest march and congregation and will obliterate the government’s impure intentions of abolishing and amending the blasphemy law.

Insha Allah, the main leaders of religious and political parties will address the Tehrik-e-Namoos-e-Risalat event.

Read this pamphlet, make others read it, and do not throw this on the ground.”

Event tomorrow: Clerics on the march – The Express Tribune

 

[ajpirzada]

”The majority are enablers.”

very interesting statement

 

[Meengla]

LOL what a loony.

When did I say 90% of Pakistanis support blasphemy law?

All I am saying is that the man was f!lthy rich and was the governor of Punjab and had the power and fortune to help the common Pakistani man which he didnt. Now why should I mourn over him that so many of you secularist mohajirs are doing

You may not have said it yourself explicitly but here:
http://www.defence.pk/forums/nation...-governor-punjab-salman-taseer-killed-24.html
one some says that 90% of Pakistanis support Blasphemy Law you Reply and say that 'Obviously majority of Pakistanis support...'.
That makes you concurring with the statement. But quibble all you want to.

My point is that you have a shifty position on this from the get-go. Anything to justify Taseer's Killing. It is not hard to trace how you are justifying Taseer's killing:
1)' Majority' Support Blasphemy Law. But no prooof. And so Taseer had it coming.
2) Taseer and his family lived in an immoral life. Show the people 'half naked' photos of Taseer's daughters in the same thread where people are discussing Taseer's death. Make a connection there and appeal to some 'Ghairat Brigade'. That too is an implicit endorsement of murder.
3) Call Taseer 'corrupt' repeatedly in the same thread where his death is being discussed. No proof. Nothing whatsoever. Fact is that Taseer is not being widely accused of corruption even by his opponents. But you make a false connection and hence justify the murder.
4) Accusing 'Rich' Taseer of not doing anything for the poor while discussing his death, thus making a connection again. You should know that Taseer's wealth is his PERSONAL money and that the Governor of Punjab is a constitutional head of the state without any real powers or real funding. The governor is dependent upon the approval of the Punjab Chief Minister for anything more than the personal expenses and 'discretionary' funds. But you had to make a connection that the 'rich' Taseer did nothing for the 'poor' while being the governor of Punjab for barely two years.

Further, to a fundo like you, it does not matter that Taseer contributed a lot to Pakistan's economy by paying fat taxes, hiring thousands, generating hope and economic activity.

Guys:
Read all these points. This @Omar1984 is hiding behind appeal to Pakistan's nationalism by saying that 'lets not kill each other' for America's war while he is also persistently justifying a murder by using one or the other false claims.

He may call me a 'secular' Mohajir and ask me to go back to Uttar Pradesh because he thinks he is the 'real' Pakistani. Well, I have a word for him: Pakistan is my homeland. Born and raised there. And I consider people like him to be Pakistan's real enemies because these are the violent, 'educated', closet-jihadis Pakistanis should be careful about.

 

[Last Hope]

Thanks brother for this very informative post. All Pakistanis should read this.

...and get the message out of it too.
We can be the same nation again, if we unite aginst the cheaters.

We are the youth, we are the future generation, we can make a change and we will make the change!!!

 

[mautkimaut]

You may not have said it yourself explicitly but here:
http://www.defence.pk/forums/nation...-governor-punjab-salman-taseer-killed-24.html
one some says that 90% of Pakistanis support Blasphemy Law you Reply and say that 'Obviously majority of Pakistanis support...'.
That makes you concurring with the statement. But quibble all you want to.

My point is that you have a shifty position on this from the get-go. Anything to justify Taseer's Killing. It is not hard to trace how you are justifying Taseer's killing:
1)' Majority' Support Blasphemy Law. But no prooof. And so Taseer had it coming.
2) Taseer and his family lived in an immoral life. Show the people 'half naked' photos of Taseer's daughters in the same thread where people are discussing Taseer's death. Make a connection there and appeal to some 'Ghairat Brigade'. That too is an implicit endorsement of murder.
3) Call Taseer 'corrupt' repeatedly in the same thread where his death is being discussed. No proof. Nothing whatsoever. Fact is that Taseer is not being widely accused of corruption even by his opponents. But you make a false connection and hence justify the murder.
4) Accusing 'Rich' Taseer of not doing anything for the poor while discussing his death, thus making a connection again. You should know that Taseer's wealth is his PERSONAL money and that the Governor of Punjab is a constitutional head of the state without any real powers or real funding. The governor is dependent upon the approval of the Punjab Chief Minister for anything more than the personal expenses and 'discretionary' funds. But you had to make a connection that the 'rich' Taseer did nothing for the 'poor' while being the governor of Punjab for barely two years.

Further, to a fundo like you, it does not matter that Taseer contributed a lot to Pakistan's economy by paying fat taxes, hiring thousands, generating hope and economic activity.

Guys:
Read all these points. This @Omar1984 is hiding behind appeal to Pakistan's nationalism by saying that 'lets not kill each other' for America's war while he is also persistently justifying a murder by using one or the other false claims.

He may call me a 'secular' Mohajir and ask me to go back to Uttar Pradesh because he thinks he is the 'real' Pakistani. Well, I have a word for him: Pakistan is my homeland. Born and raised there. And I consider people like him to be Pakistan's real enemies because these are the violent, 'educated', closet-jihadis Pakistanis should be careful about.

Bravo Sir!!! Bravo....Really nice words inspiring and Good to show that you consider Pakistani first .Sad to see someone in Pakistan still calling Mohajir