Q. What are the causes and Losses of "sectarian differences" in Pakistan and how this problem can be solved in light of Islamic teachings?

INTRODUCTION:

Sectarian strife has seen a major up tick in Pakistan. Many explain the bloodshed as the work of conspiracies by outsiders the forces of hegemony and Zionism which aim to weaken Islam. According to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
"These are unspecified enemies."
Others lay the blame for the strife at a very different source, the unintended effects of the Islamic revival. According to scholar Vali Nasr,
"As the Muslim world was de-colonialised and Arab nationalism lost its appeal, fundamentalism blossomed and reasserted the differences and conflicts between various sects"


Nevertheless, it is an anathema which has adversely affected Pakistan and the worst fought of these battles is the Shi'a-Sunni divide. Sectarianism is as the former Malaysian Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir, had said:


"Ummah's curse"

And

"The fragmentation of a single, simple and forthright religion" resulting in Muslims becoming "backward, weak and unable to deal with the multitude of challenges they now face".


CAUSES:


1. Islamization in Pakistan:

The origins of sectarian conflicts lie in the eighties. Under the patronage of the Zia-ul-Haq regime the process of Islamization was introduced in Pakistan. The "Islamization" of General Zia ul-Haq was resisted by Shia who saw it as "Sunnification" as the laws and regulations were based on Sunni Fiqh, or Islamic Jurisprudence.

In July 1980, 25,000 Shia protested the Islamization laws in the capital Islamabad. The process eventually came upon issues in which Sunni and Shia viewpoints differed. In such instances the Sunni interpretation of Islam was preferred by the government over the Shia one, causing a rift between the two sects.

According to Qazi Faez Isa:

"A ruler who divides his people into sects is a mufsidun i.e. one who commits great sins and crimes, an oppressor, a tyrant." Verily, Firaun (Pharaoh) exalted himself in the land and made its people sects ... Verily, he was of the Mufsidun" (28:4)."

2. Fanaticism

Islam being one of the major religions in the world today is said and believed to be extremist in its very nature. Sectarian tension and conflict is one of the features of this extremist approach. Extremist outfits and clergymen have instilled misconstrued meanings of Jihad in the minds of their people. There has been a sense of fanaticism associated with country and has exacerbated the situation.

Another major reason for this fanaticism is the immature educational system of religious schools, functioning in most rural areas and hinterlands of country, which intends to divert the individual’s interest from their life into next immortal life without making him realize the true purpose of his existence. This feeling also accelerates extremism in order to expedite early proceeding to next world i.e. immortal world (Akhirat) or Paradise as Muslims believe it to be the real purpose of life.

3. Extremist militias

Many political parties have developed along these lines in Pakistan such as Tehrik-e-Jafria Pakistan (TJP), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Sahabah Pakistan etc All of them having their militant wings. These extremist militias have wreaked havoc and have further caused the sectarian differences to exacerbate. Furthermore, many student bodies have been formed which have corrupted students from their focus upon education.

4. Foreign intervention

The Iranian Revolution (1979) and the Afghan conflict (1979-88) gave fillip to this trend and spawned a new generation of sectarian activists. Although Pakistan is an independent state, her national policies have always been under the influence of foreign interventions. International communities adversely exploit this weakness. The emergence of sectarian conflict is an immediate outcome of this international exploitation among nation states cannot be bothered. Most of the militant groups are funded, trained and brainwashed by the foreign countries in order to protect their vested interests across continents. Semi literate clergies with support of some unknown state agencies get utilized by foreign countries in this context without noticing who plays the game.


5. Stereo type curriculum and Mushroom growth of Madrassahs

Our national curriculum lacks intellectual potential to instill the sense of harmony and introduce students with emerging social issues. Secondly there are no checks and monitoring procedures on the curriculum of our religious institutions (Madrassahs) that whether they are compatible with the challenges of the modern age or not. Rather the outdated philosophy of ideological state is brought forward on every forum while discussing alarming issues such as of sectarian tension between masses. Madressahs have been granted the power to award BA and MA degrees in Islamic Studies. Each sect and sub-sect (maslak) is permitted to teach its own curriculum. Degrees are obtained without acquiring knowledge of all aspects of the discipline. The students in these Madrassahs are indoctrinated with the idea that unity with the sect, and not the faith, is important. In this bleak scenario there is a plantation of religious schools in all parts of the country particularly rural areas where poverty prevails with a threatening face.

6. Negative role of media:

Another major reason is also the burden of operationally unregulated electronic media that exaggerates information, which in turn creates pressure and contributes to intensify the density of issue of sectarian conflict/tension between different sects.


7. Poverty and unemployment:

An empty belly can make you do anything including suicide bombing and target killing. The ever-increasing ratio of poverty contributes towards exploitation of poor for the protection of the interest of various groups. Mass poverty only facilitates involvement of people into anti-social activities including lawlessness, suicide bombing and issues of sectarian conflicts in Pakistan. Dissatisfaction as a result of not having access to sustained income leads to promote ethnic/sectarian identity and in its extreme cases provokes armed reaction towards the social norm and peaceful environment.


SECTARIAN CONFLICTS IN LIGHT OF ISLAMIC LAW:

The question of sect (shiah), division (firqa), dissension (fitnah) and groups (hizb) has been considered in the Holy Quran.

"...Do not be divided (tafarraqu) in religion" (42:13).

"...And be not of al-mushrikun (hypocrites, dividers, polytheists).
Of those who split up (farqawa) their religion and become sects, each sect rejoicing in that which is with it" (30:31- 32).

The Jews divided themselves into 72 factions and at this time Allah (SWT) revealed the following Ayat:

"And be not as those who divided (tafraqu) and differed (ikhtalafu) among themselves..." (3:105).

Sectarianism destroys life and from the puddles of blood, gains further strength. The Sunni-Shia divide brings us to the brink of a pit of fire.

“...And be not divided among yourselves, and remember Allah’s Favor on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His Grace, you became brethren, and you were on the brink of a pit of fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes His Ayat (signs) clear to you, that you may be guided” (3:1.03)

The Quran castigates the Jews for dividing into sects (10:93), a curse which our Prophet, (peace and blessings be upon him) tried to prevent within his Ummah. He abhorred dissensions. When two Muslims were loudly arguing in disagreement about the meaning of a Quranic verse he said:

“People before you perished only because of their disagreement about the Scripture”.

In his famous sermon delivered at Arafat he said that
“Every Muslim is a Muslim’s brother, and that Muslims are brethren"

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Government must ensure that state mechanisms are efficient and effective. Police, law enforcement agencies and judicial systems need revamping. In the first instance, terrorists get away from clutches of the law, and if few are wedged, judicial procedures take too long to punish them. These terrorist can only pull off from their nefarious activities if they see their fellow colleagues behind bars or in death cells.

2. Government should make micro and macro economic policies that help reduce poverty and unemployment. Benefit from improved economy should trickle down to poorest of the poor and not merely change hands among those who are already well off. Despite high growth rate in recent years, inflation has gone out of hands and exorbitant cost of everyday commodities has made living out of reach from many.

3. Religion itself prescribes 'Ijtihad' as a tool to tackle emerging issues that Ummah faces. Dialogue and discussions among our selves is a way forward to take advantage from this provision. Imposing one’s opinion and believes on others through brutal forces is an unacceptable act. Islam explicitly rejects spreading of religion through force and held a human life sacred to above any other thing.

4. Religious political parties should denounce sectarian violence and cut off allied militant wings. They have the responsibility to propagate religious harmony. After all, among different sects there are more commonalities than the differences. Because most of the sectarian organizations are religious based, their negation from mainstream religious political parties would be a blow to their operations. If at one end all literature that ridicule core believes of other sects should be strictly banned, then on the other end, people should be educated to not pay heed to that material. In religious congregations religious scholars and ‘khateebs’ should promote tolerance, love to humanity, and right of minorities as promised in a true Muslim society to people.

5. Our education system is outdated and needs revisions. It should teach basic human rights, respect of other religions, tolerance and love to humanity to students. Still majority of people are illiterate and mass scale initiatives should be taken to catch up ever increasing lot of illiterates.

6. People of different sects are killing each other. They are brainwashed against the other sects. A suicide bomber though knows that he is also loosing his life, still he is committed for the action. Charm of heaven is in his sight. These are miracles of teaching. Using the same technique and promise, we can teach masses how and why to scarify our life to protect lives of other human beings. Print and electronic media must take responsibility to spread this message. They must report what is true and not necessary what they are told by other organizations.

7. Government should cancel all weapons licenses issued so far and impose ban of display of weapons. A harsh punishment should be determined against those found breaking the laws and, most importantly, this ban should be implemented in true spirit.

CONCLUSION:

If we have to move forward as a nation, we should put the sectarian genie back into the bottle or else face its adverse consequences. There is no doubt that past incidents have complicated the issue but yet we must stand forthwith to meet the challenge. Forward looking nations do not carry transgression accounts into the future.

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"MAST TAUKALI ae DUA"