Pakistan- A Failed State

Pakistan was created on the basis of the bogus two nation theory of evil men like Jinnah. This subcontinent has so much diversity that a theocratic state is simply not viable, and only secularism can work here.

Many Muslims (not all) in India before 1947 wanted a separate Islamic state. They got it, and now they are reaping what they have sown. Pakistan has become a madhouse, a Jurassic Park. Shias, Ahmedis, etc are being slaughtered regularly, and many have fled the country. About 1000 women are stoned to death every year,the latest case being of Farzana who was recently stoned to death near the Lahore High Court by her father, brothers, etc because she married a man whom her father disapproved of. Human rights activists, journalists, etc are being killed regularly. Children are not being permitted to be vaccinated against polio, etc.

When a country is declared an Islamic state, many problems immediately arise. Firstly, non-Muslims immediately become second rate or third rate citizens, and so the country becomes a house divided within itself, which,as Abraham Lincoln said, cannot stand. In Pakistan, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, etc are persecuted and live in fear from fanatic elements, of which there are many in Pakistan.

Secondly, the problem arises, which Islam is the correct Islam, Sunni or Shia, Deobandi or Barelvi ? Are Ahmadis Muslims ?

The orthodox Muslims believe that Muhammed was the last Prophet, while the Ahmadis believe in a nabi called Ghulam Ahmad who lived the 19th Century. It is, of course, open to the orthodox Muslims to say that Ahmadis are not Muslims, but did they have the right to kill Ahmadis, burn their homes and mosques, and beat up their children.

If Ahmadis say that there was a prophet after Muhammed, are they breaking anyone's head or chopping of anyone's limbs? They are not doing any harm to anyone. So why should they not be allowed to believe in whatever they want to believe ?

Muslims believe that there is only one god called Allah, and they are against idol worship. Hindus believe in several gods, and do idol worship. So should the two communities fight with each other for this reason ? This would be stupid.

The reasonable approach is that everyone should be allowed to believe whatever he/she wants to believe in. Otherwise in a subcontinent of such diversity there will be fights all the time.

Sunnis believe in four khalifas after Prophet Muhammed's death---Abu Bakr, Omar, Usman, and Ali (the Prophet's son-in-law). Shias believe that the first three were usurpers. Shias also believe in 12 Imams, which the Sunnis do not believe in. Now should Sunnis and Shias fight for this reason ? It is stupid to do so. Let everyone believe whatever he/she want to believe in. That is the only sensible way, particularly in a country of such diversity as ours. But in Pakistan Shias are regularly being killed just because they are Shias.

Sunnis are broadly divided between Barelvis and Deobandis.

Barelvis (who comprise of the majority of Sunnis) go to dargahs which have graves of Sufi saints, while Deobandis regard this as idol worship. 

The basic difference between Deobandis and Barelvis is this : Deobandis believe that if one has to make a request ( minnat) to Allah he should make it directly to Allah, and not through some human agency, whereas Barelvis believe that the request can also be made through a human agency, e.g. a sufi saint whose grave is in a dargah, e.g. the Ajmer dargah (which Emperor Akbar used to regularly visit), the Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia dargah in Delhi, etc Deobandis usually do not go to dargahs, regarding them to be places of idol worship. They are like the Wahabis of Saudi Arabia, who regard dargahs as places of idol worship (Saudis destroy dargahs if built by anyone).

The interesting thing is that the vast majority of Muslims not only in India but also in Pakistan and Bangladesh go to dargahs. Even Hindus go to dargahs, and in many dargahs there are more Hindu devotes than Muslims (though the management is always of some Muslims, e.g. the Chishti family in Ajmer).

I myself like dargahs, and regularly visit them. This is because Hindus do not go to mosques, and Muslims do not go to temples, but both go to dargahs. So dargahs unite all communities, and I love whatever unites all communities.

Now if a deobandi does not wish to go to dargahs he need not go there. But the matter does not end there. In Pakistan, dargahs are being bombed by fanatic elements. Should such bigotry be tolerated?

All this is the inevitable consequence of declaring an Islamic state. In a subcontinent of such diversity. Only a secular state is viable here.

Secularism does not mean that one cannot practice one's religion. Secularism means that religion is a private affair unconnected with the state, which will have no religion

'The inevitable consequence of declaring Pakistan as an Islamic State'

Is Pakistan rapidly degenerating into a Jurassic Park? Consider the following events :

On 7.5.2014 an eminent lawyer and human rights activist, Rashid Rehman Khan, was shot dead by some assailants while he was sitting in his lawyer's office. He was evidently killed because he was representing a University teacher, Junaid Hafeez, in a blasphemy case. During the trial proceedings he was threatened in open court by some lawyers that unless he withdraws from the case he will be killed.

In Pakistan lawyers and witnesses for the defence in blasphemy cases are almost invariably threatened that if they do not withdraw they will be assassinated. Many judges are scared to hear such cases or to acquit the accused even if there is no credible evidence against him.

Rashid Rehman Khan was a very active human rights worker in Pakistan, and was a coordinator of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.. Whenever a person died in custody he would take up his case. If a woman's face was burnt with acid, he would rush to get her medical help. He fought against 'honour killing' of young girls. He trekked the most backward area of Dera Ghazi Khan, a tribal area, and documented the misery of people living there. He went to that part of Rahim Yar Khan where low caste Hindus live without any rights, and reported their plight.. He was the first to take up Mukhtaran Mai's case. He fought Sherry Rehman's persecutors upto the High Court level. He had special interest in the welfare of peasants, and demanded land reforms and tenants' rights ( in much of Pakistan landlordism still prevails).

Despite all this, consider what followed his murder :

1. Journalists in his home town Multan did not dare to write about his murder.

2. Judges in Lahore High Court are avoiding hearing Aisa Bibi's appeal

3. Multan police is not seriously investigating the murder.

4. There have been no serious protests against this dastardly crime, and most Pakistanis remain mum, obviously out of fear.

 Also, Consider the following:

On 12.05.2014 Dr. Faisal Manzoor, a prominent Shia medical practitioner, was gunned down outside his hospital in Hasanabdad. Dr. Faizal, after getting his medical degree, could have gone to America or England, like many other doctors and earned a lot of money there, but instead he chose to go to his small home town to serve the people there, where he built a modern hospital. When an earthquake struck North Pakistan he loaded a truck with medicines, food, blankets and tents, and headed north, where he camped and distributed help to the needy. Why was he killed? because he was a prominent Shia.

Similarly Dr. Ali Haider, an eye surgeon, along with his son were shot dead in Lahore. Dr. Babar, Dr. Faizal's cousin, was also shot dead. What were their cimes? That they were Shias. Many other such examples can be given.

On 28.5.2014 a pregnant woman, Farzana Parveen, was stoned to death in midday outside the Lahore High Court in a busy thoroughfare as an 'honour killing' for marrying a man against the wishes of her parents. Her father, brothers, and cousins were among the assailants. One family member tied her neck with a cloth, while others smashed her skull with bricks. All this was done in the public gaze. Her father later said he killed his daughter because she had dishonoured the family, and he had no regrets.

According to reports, about 1000 girls are victims of 'honour killings' every year. 83% Pakistanis support stoning to death for adultery. One couple killed their daughter for 'dishonoring' them by throwing acid on her face.

On 26.5.2014 Dr. Mehdi Ali Qamar, a Canadian citizen since the early 90s, was gunned down in front of his wife and child in the town of Chenab Nagar in Pakistan. He had travelled from Canada to Pakistan to train local doctors at Tahir Heart Institute for 3 weeks. He was shot dead by fanatics because he belonged to the Ahmedi sect. Two men on motorbikes shot him in the back, and when he turned, fired 10 more rounds into his chest. He was the youngest of 7 brothers and sisters, all of whom had migrated to North America out of fear of religious persecution.

Minorities in Pakistan (Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Ahmedis, and Shias) live in a state of fear, and are particularly vulnerable .

This is the inevitable consequence of declaring Pakistan as an Islamic state.