Brave and timely words
January 13th, 2011
Breaking from the more cautious line adopted by his party at home, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has spoken of battling extremists and defending minority communities. Some have said that these are the words of an impressionable young mind and that perhaps were he older or in Pakistan he would have said something different. However, we cannot base our assessment on what Mr Bhutto has said on clairvoyance and would in fact applaud him since such remarks are much-needed in the current climate of extreme intolerance. They are also necessary because following former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer’s assassination, the government seems to have all but abdicated its writ and authority and the result has been that the extremist sections have become even more emboldened. In effect, these people are telling the rest of the country that even to express any opinion in support of Mr Taseer or to the effect that the blasphemy laws should be modified so as to minimise their misuse is enough for one to be labelled an apostate.
Bilawal Bhutto needs to consider certain things: we certainly need people who are willing to take on the fanatics. But they must do so from home. As a person in a position that demands considerable responsibility, it is also important that he act to strengthen his party so that it can take the decisions which should be taken, if his words are to be taken at face value. The key issue is to create harmony. The chasm between the factions in society is growing wider and wider. The party needs to sit down and devise a tactic that can help improve the worsening situation on the ground. Some process of educating people is needed. This is not just a minority issue. Majority of the people in jail on blasphemy charges are Muslim. No law should be misused as this one has been. Religious scholars, some of whom have been speaking out against the frenzied campaign that has been launched, need to be brought forward to speak of their interpretation of blasphemy. Other institutions of the state also need to rise to the challenge of taking the extremists head on.
Another blasphemy case
January 13th, 2011
The depths of absurdity to which some people will sink in abusing the blasphemy law appear to know no bounds. The case of a father and son being convicted by a court in Dera Ghazi Khan for the simple act of removing a poster from their private property illustrates the point made by the critics of the law: That as it stands now, the law is open to abuse and does an injustice to the legacy of the Holy Prophet (pbuh).
In this particular case, however, it appears that there may have been a miscarriage of justice even under the existing law. One of the men who stands accused of blasphemy is a mosque imam. The prosecution alleges that after removing a poster advertising a celebration of the Holy Prophet’s (pbuh) birthday, he trampled on it. This seems highly questionable, especially when taking into account the fact that the accusers are Barelvi and the imam is of the rival Deobandi school of thought. Might this be another case of somebody exploiting religion to settle personal differences? We think so and we are glad that, at least in this case, the defence attorney has put up a spirited argument and plans to appeal the lower court’s verdict.
This case is about as absurd as that of the doctor in Hyderabad against whom a blasphemy case was filed because he threw away a card of a pharmaceutical sales representative whose first name was Muhammad. The arrogance of the religious right in prosecuting these and other cases, and their assumption that they somehow have the right to punish others for a perceived lack of piety, is quite astounding. It would be laughable, were it not quite so tragic in its consequences. The events of the past few weeks have only further strengthened the case that the blasphemy law needs to be amended. If the religious right feels otherwise, they would do well to make their arguments in the hall of parliament, not the streets.
Murder mystery
January 13th, 2011
Is the killing of the parents of Justice Javed Iqbal a criminal act no different to those that occur on an almost daily basis in times of growing lawlessness, or is the purpose to send out a message of some kind? Either motive is possible in times when the force of fear is used frequently to silence those who dare to speak on controversial issues or to disturb a hornet’s nest that has been left untouched for years. As a result, it has grown larger and larger, threatening anyone who veers too close. Could the angry buzzing have turned into a deadly sting?
The fact that the strangulated bodies of Malik Abdul Hameed, ironically enough a former deputy inspector general of police, and his wife Amna Bibi were found in their living room — a day after Justice Iqbal had made some tough comments while hearing the missing person’s case as part of the three-member Supreme Court bench — has raised suspicion. This doubt is in itself testimony to the times we live in, when people can be targeted simply for doing the right thing. Investigation will focus on this sinister possibility too.
It is also worrying that the killing took place in a high security zone, with cameras installed along many streets in the Cavalry Grounds area where many army officers reside. Contradictory versions from police officers, with suggestions made that robbers may have shot the couple, add to the confusion. Other accounts say they were smothered using pillows. It is unclear if there were any signs of robbery. The murder has sinister connotations. A thorough investigation is needed. The fact that we are even discussing the possibility that it may have been carried out to influence the verdict in a case that has repeatedly created waves is a frightening thought. It indicates the fact that law no longer has any meaning in our land and that the state is increasingly incapable of guaranteeing security of life.