Daily Times

I am regular to Friday prayers but less seen in mosque otherwise. Like doing charity and have a sound profile when it comes to Ramadan’s fasts. I try to halt myself from obscenities and illegal substances hence adhering to cultural and religious bounding. Koran is my guidance towards harmony. I am not a saint and label myself as a sinner but as a Muslim I feel the responsibility to do much better for whole mankind.

My above résumé is an average reflection of more than 1.5 billion Muslims across the world. We don’t hear these attributes of Muslims in western media and neither do Islamophobia-struck critics take these into consideration while judging Islam as a violent faith. What has gone so wrong that Islamophobia from being just a word is now a vast mindset? Has Pakistan, a country founded in name of Islam, also credited to its heaving?

9/11

Right after 9/11, a wave of loath against Islam and inevitably Pakistan hit with a substantiating damage. Four words i.e. Pakistan, Islam, Jihad and Terrorists became synonyms. World powers started to see the once Asian tiger with raging eyes. George Bush on one hand famously advocated Islam by saying “Islam is peace”, while on other started gearing up to drop bombs on Afghanistan and Iraq, whilst in search of bombs. The repercussions even after 13 years are immense economically, culturally and dare I say geographically. Anti-Islam believe it is Pakistan who has been overtly hiding and financing terrorists due to its robust Islamic association.

Point to ponder: Since the start of war on terror after 9/11 attacks, Pakistan has lost more than 60 billion dollars and 37,000+ lives.

Blasphemy law and killings

As an independent Islamic state it’s not a privy that *Shariat* courts are a part of Pakistan’s judicial system. Since 2001, more than 10 prominent cases have been referred to *Shariat* courts. Decisions range from imprisonment, fine and death penalty. However, there have been non-judicial killings in the name of ‘blasphemy’ by natives. Notable victims are Punjab’s governor Salmaan Taseer, Christian couple in Kot Radha Kishan and a 70-year-old British in Lahore’s jail. Blasphemy laws in Pakistan are under a lot of debate internationally and are blamed for the above stated killings.

Point to ponder: Not a single beheading has taken place under blasphemy charge by government itself.

Suicide Bombings

According to a survey, since year 1995, 432 suicide bombers have killed more than 23,000 people in Pakistan. 107 suicide bombings have been conducted by different known militant groups and 325 by unknown entities. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, author and ex-Muslim said, “Violence is inherent in Islam — it’s a destructive, nihilistic cult of death. It legitimates murder.”

A petition was filed against her and she lost her honorary degree from Brandeis due to this account.

Point to ponder: To counter this large turnout of suicide bombings, not only in Pakistan, many clerics have issued fatwa against the hideous act. Including the 600 paged fatwa by luminary cleric Dr Tahirul Qadri. PEW also reported a survey in which 89% Pakistanis believed that ‘suicide bombing is never justified’

Sectarian violence

Sectarian violence in Pakistan has been on a steep incline since 2000. In alone 2006, 41 sectarian natured attacks took place. These ranged from bombings to target killings. Mostly against Shia and Ahmedis, these assaults were, and still are, always execrated by state and civil society. Foreign funding and Islamisation by Zia regime are the consistent blames opted by all governments to get off the hook of controversies.

Point to Ponder: Veteran atheist, Late Professor Hitchens, while debating Tariq Ramadan, Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at Oxford University, proposed Islamic countries to have “Godless constitution like USA” to nullify sectarian violence. Ramadan poised the argument in start by reminding “the problem is not the book. The problem is the reader.”

Female rights and Veil

Secularists and especially European voices are very critical about Pakistani women rights. After Mukhatara Mai and Malala Yusafzai’s struggle was appreciated, media and activists became more bothered about Pakistan’s gender equality gap (ranked second to last in world) and questioned the ‘conservative’ treatment. Accusing that female Muslims are forced to take veil in rural areas, male dominance doesn’t allow them to get educated and family pressure results in their early marriage.

Point to ponder: Pakistan has elected a female prime minister twice since independence and has allocated 60 reserved seats for females in National Assembly.

Islam teaches tolerance through Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) robust commitment towards peace even after Quraish’s adventurism, forgiveness by Win of Mecca, leadership skills from exemplary caliphates and faith in Allah, among many, while remembering Karbala. This is exactly what Pakistani Muslims of 21st century also strive to learn from and combat the above stated challenges.