VIEW: Rationality wanted —Gulmina Bilal Ahmad

Rationality has become a rare commodity whereas emotional statements, decisions and reactions have become the norm. This could be the only reason behind the provincial categorisation of the Taliban

Exactly 12 years to the day we exhibited our nuclear capabilities, we were reminded of our inadequacies in other key areas. Friday, May 28, this year confronted us yet again with the challenge of terrorism based on the intolerance and extremist mindsets amongst sections of the common people. Ahmedis were attacked while at prayer, thus creating another tragic memory of the havoc created in our lives by extremism.

The Ahmedis were declared non-Muslims in 1974 in a bid to please the conservative right. It is the same conservative right that has its allies and members in the academia, intelligence, media and other civil society sectors today that seek to dilute our efforts for freedom. It is this conservative right that seeks to spread venom and hatred in our minds to justify even the barbaric acts of the Taliban. It is this conservative right that unfortunately hangs like an albatross around our necks. It is this conservative right that has engulfed our young people with fear.

Such is the extent of the damage done by the conservative right that we seem to have lost our critical thinking. Enlightened, moderate and educated Pakistani youth seems enraged at even the possibility of Ahmedi existence. They think it is the right of every Muslim to question the Ahmedi faith. One young man even went to the extent of saying that they deserved what happened to them. They seem to echo the statement of the Taliban who said the following in their poorly worded statement, “Congratulations for the whole nation. What the brave mujahideen did yesterday [May 28] in Garhi Shahu and Model Town, Lahore. We greet them wholeheartedly, how well they have done with best of their expertise. As a whole we do like to encourage the nation for increasing this kind of activities like target killings of Qadianis, Shias, supporting political parties, law enforcement agencies, Pakistan Army, racist parties and many more. MQM is an acting political and terrorist wing of Qadianis and Jews. They are responsible for destruction of the country and nation. We are confirming the very near future assassination attacks on everyone who is with MQM. Simultaneously we advise the realistic people to take initiative and kill every that person who came in their range. There is no specific need of detonators, bombs or explosives. Just kill them either by means of just crashing them under their cars. Qadianis and Shias are the enemies of Islam and common people. They disrespect Muhammad (PBUH) and Sahaba (RA). They have no respect for anyone. MQM is their terrorist wing, which is involved in target killings in Karachi.”

Was it political correctness or fear that compelled the media to refer to the sites of the tragedy as “worship places” instead of mosques? Is it not interesting that instead of focusing on bringing more people within the fold of Islam, we are bent upon labelling who is a Muslim and who is not? The plot further thickens when we take it upon ourselves to decide who is a good Muslim and who is not. There are some of us who believe that Shias are outside the fold of Islam and, if the above-mentioned statement is to be — God forbid — acted upon, then Shias are at great risk. Followed by the members of the MQM, leaving one to wonder who is safe any more.

Such thinking seems stranger amongst people who pride themselves on being Muslims. According to religious scholars, “There are only two reasons why a person can be killed within the permissible limits of Islam outside a battlefield: a murderer and a person guilty of taking law and order in his hands” (Al-Quran; 5:33). The decision to that effect can be taken by a competent court of law appointed by the state for the purpose and not by individual scholars. The court shall first give the accused full right to defend himself, and only when the crime is proved beyond doubt that the verdict is going to be implemented. However, in some rare cases where the criminal has created a situation that threatens life, property, and the honour of a population, and the competent courts feels that it was not possible to produce the accused for a trial after his crime has been fully established, it can declare that person to be wajibul qatl, i.e. to be shot dead on the spot by the security force declared competent to do so. However, this is something that would be required only in exceptional circumstances.

Some religious commentators have even gone to the extent of saying that, in the case of Salman Rushdie the decree against him was incorrect. Although what he did was highly objectionable, he was not a resident of a Muslim country when he committed the crime. The only proper way to handle him, if he was to be punished, was to ask the British government to hand him over to a Muslim state for a trial first. If one-sided decisions are allowed to be carried out anywhere in the world, then anyone can kill another on the basis of such decisions. After all, different people have different perceptions of what constitutes a crime. Bal Thackeray might ask, for instance, some of his fundamentalist followers to kill all Muslims who slaughter their sacred cow. One should be a little more rational and less emotional in these matters.

However, this seems to be a tall order. Rationality has become a rare commodity whereas emotional statements, decisions and reactions have become the norm. This could be the only reason behind the provincial categorisation of the Taliban. The Pakhtuns are quick to point fingers at the Punjabi Taliban, whereas the Punjab government furiously denies their presence. It is a matter of record that 726 of the 1,764 members of banned organisations like the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Jaish-e-Mohammad belong to south Punjab. South Punjab also has about 44 percent of the country’s religious seminaries. However, this is not about Punjab or Sindh. This is about the country and the fact that, at various levels, intolerance and extremist mindsets create havoc for the country at large.

The writer is an Islamabad-based development consultant. She can be contacted at contact@individualland.com