By: Mishail Imran | March 11, 2013 . 14

Pakistan, ‘the land of the pure’, is no longer a consecrated piece of land but a desecrated one. With every passing day, the country is drifting into chaos and violence. The frequency of target killings has accelerated. The recent tragedies in Quetta and Karachi are a dreary manifestation of our monstrous behaviour. The world now looks at us with anxiety and concern. We are now seen as the most dangerous nation on earth. The scenario is indeed scary and tragic. My generation is worried and feeling insecure.

I have always been an optimistic person, but now I am beginning to be sceptical, and losing confidence in my country’s future. What led me to this utmost pessimistic outlook is not my deteriorating love for my homeland but my shattered faith in its people. I have lost faith because of those who have turned our country into a killing ground and a battlefield, instead of fostering harmony amongst its people. We are killing ourselves. We have become a suicidal nation.

Islam is a religion of peace and demands that we maintain civil and harmonious relations, not just with our fellow Muslim brethren but also with every human being and every living creation. But the misinterpretation of this faith has resulted in fellow Muslims raising swords against each other. There may be differences of opinion or difference in rituals between sects. However, no one, absolutely no one, has the right to judge whether someone is a ‘proper’ Muslim or not. The power to judge solely rests with Allah alone. Only He has the authority to judge Muslims and peoples of other faiths.

Hence, on the basis of this reality, what we need is to read and comprehend the Quran in a logical, coherent manner, trying to understand its true essence, instead of blindly following the dictates of ‘Mullahs.’ In this way alone, shall we be able to identify the flaws within us and focus on improving our own character rather than blatantly blaming others for being ‘less Muslim’ than us. Pakistan was not created for a single ethnic community. It was created for the welfare and freedom of every individual who wished to reside in it. It was meant to be home to every Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Parsi and Muslim. This was the Pakistan that Quaid-e-Azam envisioned and struggled to create with the hope of ending racial, ethnic and communal differences once and forever.

According to the Quaid, the foremost duty of a government was "to maintain law and order and to protect the life, property and religious beliefs of its subjects.” Our rulers have failed in their duty. There is no law and order in the country. Violence is endemic. Crime and corruption are rampant. Poor governance is at the root of all our problems. Unfortunately, there is no light at the end of the dark tunnel. We see no tidings of a bright future. Ours is no longer the country that Quaid-e-Azam had once aspired it to be: “one of the greatest nations of the world.”

The Quaid believed in religious freedom and communal harmony. He urged the nation to shun sectarianism. But we seem to be doing just the opposite. We opted for intolerance and fanaticism that has led us to violence with no parallel anywhere in the world. Pakistan has become the hotbed of religious extremism and obscurantism. Sectarian violence has ripped our society apart. Communal clashes have become a frequent routine in our country, most notably targeting the Ahmedi and Shiite communities. Both communities, now being targeted frequently, are looking for refuge in foreign countries. How painful it would have been for the Quaid to see his Pakistan burning from within.

The Ahmedi community has been harassed and most of its members were left with no choice but to leave Pakistan. It is a shame that our leaders could not take a corrective step for fear of the extremist backlash and, sadly, it is their fear that has deprived these communities of their right to a safe and peaceful living in the state, leaving them with no option but to find sanctuary in other countries.

Our people seem to have set aside the Islamic values. They have become money-minded, and are running after money, purely for self-interest. Believing in distorted ideologies, they kill mercilessly on the basis of religious discrimination. There are countless examples of diverse evils in our society, but the one that really unhinges me the most is sectarian killings which are rampant these days. Lately, the Shiite community in Pakistan has been the target of an atrocity of unprecedented proportions. Quetta and Karachi have become battlegrounds where not a single day passes without violence being perpetrated against the Shias.

Lahore too was shrouded in misery when two innocent souls, a father and his teenage son, were assassinated on February 20, 2013, just because they belonged to the Shiite sect. How can anyone benefit by taking the life of a skilled doctor and a young innocent boy who was yet to discover the world? This horrendous incident not only struck me with grief but also destroyed my faith in humanity. It made me realize that we, as individuals, are not even capable of calling ourselves human beings, let alone calling ourselves Muslims. Like the Ahmedis, the Shiite community is also now being targeted repeatedly.
It is time that people of our ‘Islamic Republic of Pakistan’ look into their hearts and souls, if they have any, to assess for themselves how “faithfully” they have been able to live up to the ideals of our great faith and the vision that inspired the creation of Pakistan. We also need to asses for ourselves whether we are actually living up to the reputation of good, noble Muslims or merely wearing a façade of noble beings. It is high time that extremist religious groups also realized that their false perception of Islam and endless manslaughter in the name of Jihad is a complete negation of their religion.
Unfortunately, today, not only have we forgotten the tireless efforts of this great leader but have left no stones unturned in shattering his dreams and his vision of a prosperous, united Pakistan. Now indeed is the time for every Pakistani to wake up and respond to the call of human degradation around him. We are living in ‘desperate times’ which call for ‘desperate measures’. If there is any hope left, then that hope lies within the people who need to understand their moral responsibility as human beings and as upholders of justice and peace. I would like to end with a verse that is highly thought-provoking and apt for those who go about desecrating my homeland in such a merciless manner.

Iss Khaak Ko Hadaayat Day Maula
Uss Khaak May Milnay Say Pehlay

The writer is a university student. Email: mishailimran94@gmail.com

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