In a recent column, prominent Pakistani columnist Irfan Husain highlights the persecution of Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan, especially the role of militant religious groups and police officials' failure to prosecute the perpetrators of violence against religious minorities. The column was written following seven Christians being burned alive and dozens of Christian homes being destroyed by angry Muslim protesters over the alleged desecration of the Holy Koran in the town of Gojra in the Toba Tek Singh district of Pakistan’s Punjab province. [1]
Following are some excerpts from the column, as published originally in English by the leading Pakistani daily Dawn: [2]
"Had [The Authorities] Shown Such Alacrity In Forestalling The Incident, Many People Would Be Alive Today"
"Over the last few days, the Pakistani media has been full of reports about the mob violence that took seven innocent Christian lives in [the town of] Gojra. Given the revulsion all decent people have felt, the government has been forced to act: Provincial and federal ministers have visited the area; compensation of five lakhs [500,000] for each life lost has been announced; and the district police chief has been transferred.
"In short, we have gone through all the familiar motions. With practiced ease, the bureaucracy swung into action after the murders and arson were long over. Had they shown such alacrity in forestalling the incident, many people would be alive today."
Fr. Mendes: "Seven Died... The Sad Part Is That The Police Were Warned - And Allowed This To Happen"
"While I have read several newspaper reports about the killings, the following email from Father Bonnie Mendes [a Christian leader based in Toba Tek Singh district] made particularly poignant reading. [He wrote]: 'Dear Irfan, Somebody sent me your email [address]. Working as I was in villages, I hardly read newspapers... You must have heard of all that has happened in Gojra... At a Christian village in Korian Chak 362 JB, Gojra tehsil, district Toba Tek Singh (places I have worked for a long time), kids got hold of some social studies and Urdu textbooks and cut up pages to throw in welcome to the groom coming to the village. News spread that an Arabic text was also cut up. Talib Masih, the father of one of the boys, was called before the baraderi [community leaders]. He explained everything and how illiterate children had done it to welcome the party. He apologized. The matter ended there.
"'Rumors still were spreading and some armed groups came and attacked the two chapels in the village, torched them, and burned the Christian homes. That was bad enough. Federal and provincial ministers came. Only one Muslim officer came to assess the damage. That was all. He too did not offer condolences for the loss. Instead, he asked others who came to leave for security risks. They answered: We will die with our people.
"'Two or three days later, a mob came and attacked the Christians in the town of Gojra. Seven died. They used whatever they had to defend themselves, including hunting rifles. They ran out of ammunition. Houses were gutted.
"'The police would not register the FIR [First Information Report necessary to launch a legal prosecution]. Funerals could not be held. People said to first register the FIR; the police wanted to dilute the case and then register the FIR, without the names of those identified by the Christians.
"'The funerals could not be held. Pressure kept growing. The people took the coffins and kept them on the rail track. Rail tracks were blocked. People sat on the railway lines. In the end, the FIR was registered. The funeral was conducted by Bishop Joseph Coutts at 9:30 pm on Sunday [August 2, 2009].
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"'People wanted Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to come. He was busy giving awards to students. They each received Rs 300,000 - the victims received only Rs 500,000 each. Life is cheap, it seems.
"'The sad part is that the police were warned and allowed this to happen.
"'Thank you for your continual support.
"'Fr Bonnie Mendes'
"Reading these details, I could imagine the anguished screams of the people being burned alive and the helpless fury of families unable to help sons, brothers and fathers."
"Since the Blasphemy Laws... Our Country Has Become an Increasingly Dangerous Place for Non-Muslims"; "If Muslims in the West Were Treated as We Treat Non-Muslim Citizens of Pakistan - There Would Be Loud Accusations"
"I am often sent emails by readers claiming to be 'proud Pakistanis.' How can one be proud to be a Pakistani when incidents like the one at Gojra occur with such sickening regularity?
"Recently, several homes belonging to Christians were torched in [the town of] Kasur. I have little doubt that soon another tragedy involving one minority community or another will play itself out on the national stage. Politicians will wring their hands; some official will be made the scapegoat, and so on till the next tragedy.
"Ever since the blasphemy laws were imposed on Pakistan by General Zia-ul-Haq nearly three decades ago, our country has become an increasingly dangerous place for non-Muslims. Hundreds of cases have been registered against hapless Christians and Hindus. Ahmadis have not only been declared non-Muslims, they have been actively persecuted for their beliefs."
"If Muslims in the West were treated as we treat non-Muslim citizens of Pakistan, there would be loud accusations of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim discrimination. And despite this widespread and rampant discrimination against our minorities, we have the gall to lecture the world about our peaceful values.
"One recurring theme in the media commentary about the Gojra tragedy is how Zia’s blasphemy laws have encouraged the persecution of the minorities. Anybody with a grudge to settle or some property [he wants] to grab can swear he saw a non-Muslim desecrate the Koran. Inflaming a mob of bigots is an easy matter for the local mullah [cleric], who is often in on the scam."
"This Pattern Has Continued Unchecked Because Nobody is Ever Punished For These Crimes"
"What most commentators have not said is that this pattern has continued unchecked because nobody is ever punished for these crimes. I, for one, am unaware of any mullah or a member of a lynch mob who has been successfully prosecuted for his role in barbaric acts like the ones at Gojra. Often, as now, the police do register a case, but once the media spotlight has been turned elsewhere, life returns to its grim norm for the minorities.
"While the dilatory tactics employed by the law and order agencies as well as our lower courts are par for the course, civil society has not played its role either. Although the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan [a non-governmental organization] maintains a record of anti-minority crimes as well as other violations, the fact is that the media’s and the public’s attention span and memory are very limited."
Musharraf's Failure to Repeal the Blasphemy Laws "Is Sad Commentary on Religious Right's Grip on Our Jugular"
"If we are serious about protecting our minorities, we will need to get serious about prosecuting those responsible for incidents like Gojra. But both our politicians and our Bonapartes fear religious parties and militias too much to actually throw their leaders in jail.
"The fact that [former Army Chief and ex-President General Pervez] Musharraf as well as his civilian predecessors and successors have lacked the will and the courage to undo the blasphemy laws is sad commentary on the religious right's grip on our jugular."
Endnotes:
[1] Daily Times, Pakistan, August 2, 2009.
[2] Dawn, Pakistan, August 8, 2009. The article has been slightly edited for clarity.
