Sir: The recent attack on the Ahmadi mosque in Sialkot is the latest one of the many acts of aggression against a besieged community which has suffered a lot already. Are the state-sponsored sanctions and draconian laws against Ahmadis not enough to satiate the hardliners? Must they express their fervour for Ramadan by attacking a place of worship?
What’s alarming is the ease with which the masses are ignited for mob attacks. This is reflective of the morally bankrupt state of a nation which has unconditionally acquiesced to zealots.
As I have mentioned above, the Ahmadi community has been attacked before. Like always, they will soldier forward with an unwavering spirit. What’s at stake is the survival of Pakistan as a state — its constant acquiescence to the hardliners has debilitated it beyond repair. Since inception, political leaders have dealt with the ‘Ahmadi issue’ thoughtlessly in order to appease the zealots. Their political expediency has inflicted such irreparable damage that a recourse to normalcy appears distant.
None of the current political leaders have the moral courage or a viable solution to confront the genie of extremism. It’s inconceivable that anyone of them can muster the courage to repeal the Second Amendment and reinstate basic human rights for the Ahmadi citizens of Pakistan. It’s unlikely as it’s a non-issue in their grand scheme of political manoeuvres. Only if they bothered to learn from history, they would realize that rulers who deny justice to their citizens risk losing it all.
MANSURA BASHIR MINHAS
USA
Published in Daily Times, May 25th 2018.