Source: ET
ARACHI:
Shabana Khan* speaks from behind a screen put up to protect her identity at a recent women’s assembly. I cannot see her. I do not know what her age is. I have no way of observing her non-verbal communication. But what I do know is that this is a person in pain. Intense pain has resulted in eloquence as well as a defiant, almost rebellious fearlessness. She is a young woman from the Shia Hazara community and lives in Quetta. This is an excerpt of the story she tells of herself and her community:
“Death is waiting around the corner. Before that, I must share what it means to be a Shia Hazara. Today, I am going to share a bit of my story – the story of me and my people. When one of us comes in front of you, you mostly label us Chinese or Korean. Our complexions are not like yours, neither is our race or genetic composition. We are the ‘others’. And our pain is that of the others. We are Pakistanis but not considered a part of you. Very few will raise their voice for us, even when 27 of us are taken off a bus and are shot and killed just because we are Shias. Just because we have Mongol-like features. Just because we migrated here from Afghanistan.
An extremely sad but moving narration of facts. Salute to ET which at last dared to raise the voice of Hazara Shia. At this point it might look bit selfish but fact remains fact. Let me to say again very loudly it all started with the anti Ahmadiyya amendment in the constitution. That was the day when the seeds of discrimination between various Islamic factions were sown. Before this amendment Ahmadies were section of Islam while after wards not. When you start such discrimination on the basis of belief then there is no end of such acts. Taking advantage of anti Ahmadiyya law, minds of one Islamic group has so much been poisoned that now this group considers many factions of Muslims as infidels including Hazra Shia and declare them liable to be killed. This specific Islamic group is proclaiming itself the sole custodian of land of pure and wants to rule the country as per its own interpretation of Islam. After Ahamdies now this group has started target ting Hazara Shia en mass and I am sure next will be some other faction of Muslim not fitting in to the frame of its Islamic thinking.
Majority of Pakistani society is sleeping and has assumed the role of silent spectator. This casual and couldn’t careless societal attitude is damaging whole social fabric of the society. Except for few news papers like ET, no segment or pillar of society is highlighting these aspects and gradually Pakistani society is reaching to a dead end. Remedy to any problem lies in correct diagnostic. Separation of state and religion is the only way out to bring back the societal harmony in Pakistan. Its founder declared this principle very clearly. Unless the nation will strive to rectify its foundation mistakes no light at the end of the tunnel will be visible.
Where are the comments of Pakistani expatriates who STILL love THEIR country.