Ideally the threat of pandemic should have brought us together regardless of creed or ethnicity. That has clearly not happened in Pakistan, where our worst has come out at a trying time: religious bigotry and intolerance.
There were initially complaints of certain welfare trusts not distributing food rations to Hindus. After a nationwide outcry that seems to have mercifully changed and some of the bigots are now even seen spraying Hindu temples with disinfectants and as if to make a point filming themselves feeding stray dogs- a strange juxtaposition as if to say that if we can feed stray dogs (who we otherwise hate), we can help Hindus (who we also hate) as well. This essential component of this clever messaging as usual completely evaded our chattering “liberals”.
Then there is our favourite national pastime. When in doubt abuse those “Qadianis” (proper name: Ahmadis)! An aid truck by an NGO was attacked in Karachi because someone claimed that “Qadianis” ran the NGO. Police had to intervene to save the NGO workers. Posters were put up against Ahmadis amidst Covid-19 madness, claiming that Ahmadis were trying to convert people by providing aid and that true Muslims should rather die than accept such aid. Advisory notices were sent to relief workers telling them not to put “Qadiani” products in Food rations and relief packages because this would endanger the spiritual reward of their work. The AalmiMajlis-e-Tahafuz-e-Khatme-Nabuwat has asked the Government of Pakistan to immediately cancel the registration of those members of Tiger Force who are “Munkireen-e-Khatme-Nabuwat” because they are trying to apostatize Muslims under the garb of social work. This and the insistence on keeping mosques open is the sum total of the Mullah response to Covid-19. It is not enough for them that Ahmadis have been declared Non-Muslim and then unconscionable restrictions have been placed on their religious freedom. The Mullahs want to completely isolate them from the national mainstream, so as to take away their right to even live as Pakistani citizens and contribute to their country’s welfare. Interestingly if they are the deniers of the finality of prophet hood, what about those who do not even believe in the Prophet? Are we to say that no Christian, Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist can be allowed to be part of the so-called Tiger Force of the government? We obviously have not forgotten what happened to Atif Mian on the Economic Advisory Committee, but that gentleman continues to give valuable advice publicly.
Instead of having a clear state policy to inculcate the idea of Pakistan’s secular national identity, this weak state has always knelt down in front of religious and ethnic groups
Those who commemorated Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s death anniversary on 5th April and Pakistan’s Constitution Day on 10th April with great verve should remember what happens when you allow such questions to creep into state’s realm. It is analogous to the story of old man of the sea and Sindbad the sailor. It is in Sindbad’s fifth voyage where an old man rides on Sindbad’s shoulders and refuses to get off. Sindbad ultimately manages to rid himself of the old man but earlier victims are not so lucky. You may want to revisit that story because it is a precise parable for what has happened to Pakistan since 1974 or arguably since 1973 when the state religion was first introduced into Pakistan’s constitution. Will we be lucky like Sindbad or be like Shaikh-ul-Bahar’s other victims, only time will tell.
Last Friday a brave policewoman was attacked outside a mosque in Karachi which was illegally holding Jumma prayers, against clear government orders. The brave lady stood her ground and kept insisting on their dispersal. Police force came to the rescue and order was brought to a mob of illiterate fanatics soon enough. However soon enough a leader of ANP Sindh took to twitter to claim that the lady policewoman had insulted all Pushtuns. What a time to raise the spectre of Pushtun Nationalism in Karachi. The irony is that the policewoman herself is a Pushtun and yet she was painted as the enemy of all Pushtuns everywhere. Thankfully the ANP central leadership was clearheaded enough to condemn this attempt to give the incident an ethnic colour but not before enough damage was done. Many zealous Pushtun activists have taken to twitter to paint the incident as state’s perfidy against the Pushtuns.
Pakistan is a priest ridden, caste ridden and ethnically divided society. Instead of having a clear state policy to inculcate the idea of Pakistan’s secular national identity, this weak state has always knelt down in front of religious and ethnic groups. Instead of being Pakistani first second and last, we are divided in groups that discriminate on the basis of religion, ethnicity and even gender. All this has become even clearer in this crisis and the responsibility lies squarely at the door of the state, which is either unable or unwilling to rein in these fissiparous tendencies which undermine the state’s own ability to formulate cohesive public policy. Such a state and society is incapable of acting like a modern democratic republic and is likely to spiral into constant conflict and unnecessary controversy. This has precisely what has happened at every corner of our national history and at every corner we have taken the wrong turn. What is needed is true national unity and that cannot be unless the state stops discriminating between citizen and citizen. It would be tall order because history tells us that these religious and ethnic wars go on for centuries before they are resolved.
The writer is an Advocate of the High Courts of Pakistan