Daily Times

The wave of confusion surrounding a reported attack on a temple in Kashmore is yet another reminder of the perils of the Damoclean sword of misinformation hanging over our heads. Between police authorities maintaining the details making rounds on social media were “totally baseless” and the human rights activists imploring the authorities to take action against the nefarious designs of organised criminal gangs, there is a lot that still needs to be ascertained.

However, the fragility of the rights of minorities living in a land they were “free to go to their places of worship” cannot be denied. Even the slightest hint of any such act of violence sends a ripple of fear through the religious minorities prompting a sense of insecurity. With some making a dash for the front row to rubberstamp their loyalty to the state and some dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s on their emigration plans, the multicultural, heterogeneous fabric of Pakistani society stands to lose the most.

If the adoption of a UN resolution that “impede(s) the prevention and prosecution of acts and advocacy of religious hatred” is celebrated as a phenomenal victory, the fact that the Sindh government needs to deploy as many as 400 policemen to ensure the constitutionally-mandated right to worship should have been enough reason for us to hang our heads in shame.

While Pakistan should commit all its energies to leading the fight for its Muslim brethren around the globe, a closer look is also required at issues simmering in its backyard. Why is it that now and then, a group of incensed ruffians decide to wreak havoc upon the lives and livelihoods of those trying to keep a low profile? The Pakistani government’s interest in projecting a “progressive” image will remain a futile cause until and unless the general mindset is revolutionised.

Gone are the days when we could revel in the glories of warriors ransacking temples. The nationalistic tinted glasses need to be done with altogether. At the end of the day, we are all Pakistanis living under this green and white flag. *