Daily Times

Having read Mehr Tarar’s
passionate article (Daily Times, Pakistan, August 23, 2012) about Rimsha Masih, I was moved to pen an article on the latest hate story in what is fast becoming ‘Hateistan’ and not Pakistan. Rimsha’s alleged acts were in the same August in which we celebrated August 14 with glee whilst August 11 and its message was ignored as per usual.

Indeed every August 11 is marked tragically and aptly by a minority of Pakistanis and ignored by the rest in an increasingly intolerant Pakistan. However, Pakistan Minorities Day should be a national day to celebrate the talents of the minority communities of Pakistan and above all a day to salute the white in the green and the white of our beloved Sabz-e-Hilali. Sadly, August 11 is reduced to empty sloganeering and the token championing of Pakistan’s minorities when the harsh reality made blatantly clear vis-à-vis Rimsha’s case is that Pakistan’s minority communities remain second-class, even under-class citizens in Pakistan.

Before Rimsha Masih’s alleged blasphemy, the recent mob killing of an alleged Muslim blasphemer in Bahawalpur who was mentally ill, a ‘malang’, and before it the assassinations of Shahbaz Bhatti and Salmaan Taseer all point to rising intolerance. Such is our perilous state that the following words are gathering currency: ‘May Allah Save Islam from Pakistan.’

I will refrain from issuing a defence of Rimsha Masih for it is not needed; however, it is worth stating the fact that this poor Christian rubbish collector girl has Down’s syndrome, is illiterate and thus could never commit any form of blasphemy. Such facts are not missing from the daily discourse and are readily available; however, it seems too many Pakistanis are itching for what is a fake fight to protect their faith and are forever ready to prove their Muslim credentials in the form of persecuting minorities.

Thus, Rimsha Masih’s case tells us more about the majority Muslim population of Pakistan than about her or our minority communities. As a Muslim majority community, we remain apathetic and silent in allowing self-appointed Muslim machismos to hijack Islam day and night, turning it into a vehicle of hatred and bloodshed. The heinous deed of one Mumtaz Qadri is an example of how some Pakistani Muslims are willing to die to ‘protect’ Islam but are unwilling to live by its rules on blasphemy, for the deity in Pakistan are the Muslims who follow Islam and not Allah. I say this for if you are a Muslim of any sect, you believe that the final judgement is Allah’s and thus our deity will reward all who committed good and punish all blasphemers; end of story.

Fahd Husain’s excellent article on Rimsha Masih shows a mirror to the present Pakistan and it shows an ugly face that is demonic. As the majority Muslim community who believe in Allah, it is incumbent on us all to reclaim the faith of Islam in its truest sense. We must stop playing with religion in Pakistan and bow our heads in shame before Allah for our evil deeds that are committed in His name and place complete trust in His judgement, infinite wisdom and mercy.

A solution to our intolerance ills must be found if Pakistan is to progress. The silent majority continues to allow extremism and intolerance to flourish and so by our silence and indifference we feed the monster of intolerance a daily diet of hate, which unless confronted, promises to devour us all. Meanwhile, for Rimsha, Adiala Jail is her new home. Such truths shame me and you the reader too I hope. Thus this article seeks to go some way in righting this wrong. Rimsha and the minorities of Pakistan can be protected, even celebrated, suggests this scribe with a solution that lies within the Islamic faith and tradition and it is that Pakistan must protect all our minorities, especially Christians under the Charter of Privileges.

In 628 C.E. the Exalted Messenger and Mercy to the Universe, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) granted a Charter of Privileges to the monks of St Catherine Monastery in Mount Sinai. It consisted of several clauses covering all aspects of human rights including such topics as the protection of Christians and freedom of worship. As Pakistani Muslims, we are bound by the covenant of the Exalted Messenger, and it is suggested that the Charter of Privileges should serve as our covenant with the Christians and all minorities of Pakistan, and for all time. An English translation of that document as translated by Dr A Zahoor and Dr Z Haq reads as follows:

This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them. Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them. No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims’ houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God’s covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.

No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world).

The Holy Prophet has bound us all to protecting Rimsha Masih under the Charter of Privileges and it is the Charter of Privileges that promises to be Rimsha’s and our national saviour. Thus I appeal to the President of Pakistan to issue a Presidential Ordinance urgently introducing the Charter of Privileges forthwith as it will go a long way to protecting Pakistan’s minorities.

The writer is a freelance columnist who blogs at www.otherpakistan.org, and can be contacted at wasim@otherpakistan.org