Daily Times

Mubarak Abad, a small settlement of Christian community in Toba Tek Sing, opted to celebrate Christmas in a way the faith never taught, but equally Christian clerics, priests and Church leaders never preached the social sides of spirituality to check these celebrations. Sadly, in countries like Pakistan, religions are more theoretical than practical. Religious taboos, unethical festivities, and misleading theologies have confused believers what to do and what not to do. There is no clear division between do’s and don’ts. Along with religious heads of the community, the government has utterly failed to implement rules framed for the good of the general public. In this sad incident, 44 people have lost their lives by using toxic liquor, the clue of which is in oblivion. It frequently happens when responsible institutions are themselves involved in any dirty business. The police officers of the concerned area are trying to shift the burden on a ‘Christian Sweeper’, apparently, an easy stratagem to close the file or deflection.

The police’s narrative of the ‘theft of liquor’ from the police station looks an infantile joke. According to the police record, alongside official entries, the illegal liquor recovered from certain criminals was in the protective care of the police. By connecting discernible clues and dots, it is not difficult to gauge the bleeding of liquor cans from the police station. Inquiries have been ordered; the Excise and Taxation Department have been made active to find out how the liquor could reach to the forlorn Christian community crediting 44 innocent lives. On this Christmas, Christians in the country were praying for the safety and security of their worship places for they could not forget the Easter massacre at Iqbal Park Lahore in March of the dying year. Though not through extremism, once again Christian community had to see this loss.

This is not the first incident. Several times this has happened, but no parameters were taken to curb such illegal practices. Drinking liquor among minorities is always a controversial issue, some denominations allow the use of alcohol, however, Gospel is very clear on this matter.The Old and the New Testament have clear teachings: Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise. (Proverbs 20:1)Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you. (Ephesians 5:18) Religious leaders, intellectuals, and reformists are responsible for creating awareness among masses.

It has been observed that particularly Church leadership in Pakistan has completely failed to rescue the Christian community involved in such social and religious taboos which actually have nothing to do with their spirituality. During sermons, Gospel is preached, but stress is not given to the implementation of the Christian doctrines for better Christian lives. It is the easiest task to criticise the government and other institutions, albeit they are responsible?

Pakistan is predominantly a religious country. Atheism cannot claim any space in the larger society. Religious festivities are the part of day to day life of commoners. In this kind of societies, it becomes very easy to identify the role of religious forces relating to different religions and denominations. If the Church had played its part in the Christian social framework, this incident could have been stopped. People in the country are becoming nominal Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs. The preaching of genuine and moderate teaching is not the modus operandi. Instead, self-imposed superficial denominational approaches are being transferred to young generations triggering extremism, fundamentalism and misunderstood socio-religious taboos. Since inception, Pakistan remained under the oppression of extremism which was not the real dream of the founding father. His ideology of equality, social justice, and brotherhood was named as ‘secular’ and complete deviation of the Islamic fundamentals.

The religious forces remained so strong that till today no government could stand and survive without their blessings. The reflection of religious shades in the country helped Christian clergy a lot to play freely. The known history does not provide with any evidence where Christian clergy was advised by any government for a framework that could support community developments. Rather, the concept remained dominant that Christian clergy is as strong as Muslim clerics. Indeed, religious leaders always occupy an important position in country’s infrastructure, but they are bound to follow and support legal institutions. Dozens of Christians have died after using noxious liquor, but Church is silent. For the balanced social, religious, moral and spiritual growth of the poor Christian community, the Church leadership has to revisit their role.

There is another important factor that might not be overlooked. In the country, the Prohibition Order 1979 gives ‘minorities’ the right to use liquor, the constitutional order says, “The Provincial Government or, subject to the Provincial Government, the Collector, may issue licenses to any person in respect of any institution, whether under the management of Government or not for the manufacture, import, transport, sale or possession of any intoxicant or Article containing intoxicant liquor on the ground that such intoxicant or Article is required by such person in respect of such institution for a bona fide medicinal, scientific, industrial or similar other purposes or consumption by non-Muslim citizen of Pakistan as a part of a religious ceremony or by a non-Muslim foreigner.” Further, the law says, “Whoever being an adult Muslim takes intoxicating liquor by mouth is guilty of drinking, liable to hadd and shall be punished with whipping numbering 80 stripes.”

Now obviously, Muslim are not using liquor because of the strict ruling and Islamic jurisprudence. Ultimately, minorities are consuming the large quantity of liquor produced in the country. According to an official statement from one of the Directors of Murree Brewery, “Far from bowed, it flourishes as one of Pakistan’s most successful companies, with an annual growth of between 15 to 20 percent, a rarity in a country regularly wracked by militancy. It is in the interest of everybody that the Murree Brewery as a legal business should flourish and continue.”

In Toba Tek Sing, the Christian community did not use any factory labelled liquor but merely a homemade tincture which shows the increasing need for the production of alcohol because people’s need is not being fulfilled and they are compelled to drink toxic material to fulfil their religious fervour of celebrating Christmas. Interestingly, Christians and other minorities are shouting to close down liquor shops, and one of the honourable Judges of the Sindh High Court asks a terrible question that who is consuming alcohol if minorities are refusing its use. In this sad incident, dozens have lost their lives and loved ones. There are many questions, answers of which everyone knows, but still, we are holding inquiries that who was responsible for bringing liquor cans, who sold and who provided and facilitated. Soon people will forget this incident; inquiry committee will present its report for face-saving; some boilable arrests will be made, and in the course of time, files will be closed. But people who lost their loved ones definitely will remember the doleful episode of Christmas celebrations.

The writer is a freelance columnist. He can be contacted at kaleem.dean@mail.com