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| Aasia Bibi: Needs fair trial...NOT sympathy |
Where is our nation headed to? This is a question that I kept hearing all through my childhood and adolescence and the answer has not yet been found. The only difference is that previously the question used to come from religious zealots and we felt secure that mercifully, we are living in a tolerant society built on high Islamic moral grounds of justice and equality along with the beautiful foundation principles of tolerance laid down by our father of the nation. We never realized that the QUESTION is slowly creating an army of faithful sympathizers who will one day wreck havoc with the basic fiber of our society. I realized this on the eve of tragic razing of Babari Mosque when soon after I witnessed that we were actually doing the same by demolishing Hindu temples, Sick shrines and christian churches as a symbol of revenge against what Hindu fanatics did in India. On that day, I lost something very precious and perhaps many others did experience the same loss. My generation did not experience the traumatic moments of 1971 when East Pakistan was lost so this was all the Pakistan we had. On that day, I felt like I had lost my Pakistan as what we were doing with Hindus and Christians here was exactly what Hindu zealots were doing to Muslims in India. So where was the difference? Why did we create Pakistan if we wanted to become same bigots?
And the rot never ceased. Attacks on Ahmadi minority, Christians and their worship places, Hindus only increased. And the started coming the news of forced conversions from interior sindh and Punjab. The Talibanization was accomplishing its agenda. Soon these matters ceased to be news. People like me and my fellows cried ourselves hoarse saying this is not the way of our beautiful religion which established itself on the principles of Tolerance, forgiveness, wisdom and intelligence. But, we all realized that we were fighting an already lost battle. A battle that minds like us had lost even before it began because of our surrendering mentality.
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| Is this the way to spread our faith? |
But why am I talking about Aasia Bibi case. The details are yet sketchy but somethings have emerged thanks to investigations made by people like Rauf Klasra and Fasi Zaka. It is not because the case has got a huge publicity. I am writing because when I read the case of Aasia Bibi, it makes me realize she is being treated just the way we as a nation are being treated. She mirrors our state of affairs. Ridiculed because of their beliefs, prosecuted and judged without bothering to get any evidence, sentenced to a life of misery....it is how our nation is treated and it is how Aasia Bibi is being treated.
I don't know whether Aasia Bibi committed the crime or not and I am no jurist or religious scholar to venture my opinion in this regard. Yet, there are some questions in my mind which need answer. Questions like (1) If she was being forced to convert and she was not willing to? Was this not a crime? Our religion is very strict about forced conversions. Islam always spread through good teachings and practices. Were those trying to forcefully convert her not liable to be arrested and prosecuted? (2) If she was being subjected to derogatory comments because of her faith and subjected to humiliation? Was not it also a crime in the eyes of our judicial system and Islam which for the first time declared that "All men are equal and free"? Should not those who humiliated her be brought to justice? (3) If she actually suffered all of this and exclaimed some sentences which were wrong, should not she be examined for psychological trauma afflicted on her which made her say so? Or she should be sent to gallows and finally be hanged? (4) What about the cleric Qari Salam who is the main force behind this case and who actually never was witness to it? What about the principal of "Shahadah"? Islam is so careful about prosecution and emphasizes so much on careful scrutiny of evidence and yet here we are putting one to her death bed based on a case registered by someone who actually never saw it happening? My single most significant question is to the cleric that he was given the knowledge of our faith and yet he so arrogantly used it to get publicity and satisfy his bigot lust for human blood? Did he feel no fear in committing such a crime in the name of our peaceful religion? and (5) My last question is to us...We, the followers of the Holy Prophet (may all my generations be sacrificed for his honor) who was so tolerant that he forgave those who insulted him, mocked him, tortured him, threw stones at him, martyred his dearest among the family and made life a living hell for his and his companions for 23 years. fought bloody wars against him and made evil plans against him. Yet, the only words uttered by our Holy prophet were of peace and forgiveness...both in times of sorrow ad well as in the times of victory. We call ourselves Muslims and yet this is how we follow the practices of our holy prophet?
As I said earlier that I am no witness to the events and neither am I any religious scholar to comment on such matters. I believe that Aasia Bibi should be punished if she actually committed this crime in true state of mind and we have correct evidence in this matter both from our Islamic and well as national judicial point of view. But (and this is a big bit) if whatever has come into media is true, should not we take a closer look at what we, the Muslims and the Pakistanis have actually become? I am not someone who advocated repeal of Blasphemy Law. If someone has actually committed blasphemy, one should be punished. Not just blasphemy against our prophet and our religious symbols but against all other prophets and their symbols and believing in all prophets is part of our faith. But the use and mode of application of this law needs strong reviews. But most of all, as a nation, as an Ummah, we need to take control of our religion in our own hands. We need to go back and study the Holy Quran and the life of our holy prophet again and try to follow those teachings. We have made enough mockery of ourselves and pained those noble souls as much as the crusaders and bigots of other religions have pained the. Because, we have become just like them. If the 14 centuries history of Islam tells us something...it is that Islam never spread through forced retaliations and forced conversions. It only spread through the message and practices of our holy Prophet. Is it time for us to do that?
Post Script: A very thought provoking article by Fasi Zaka for all of you to read and ponder some more is linked below. Please read it too...
