By Saroop Ijaz
As for the first time in Pakistan’s history, students, activists and what is loosely termed as ‘civil society’ protest outside the Lal Masjid in Islamabad against inciting hate and making apologies for murder, Salmaan Taseer remains inescapable. Not only because not very long ago, a hideous murderer was lauded and garlanded in the same vicinity but also since the martyrdom of Governor Taseer was where it all started; whether it is the start of our resurrection or the beginning of our end remains unclear for now. It was ‘the’ moment. In a country of murders and their anniversaries, this one is unique. Governor Taseer’s assassination was when our conflict was captured in the most distilled example to date, even before the attack on Malala and mass murder in Peshawar.
The fight was and is between everything that Governor Taseer stood for and everything Mumtaz Qadri symbolizes: wit, life, inclusiveness and courage on the one hand, and literalist murderous rage on the other. One wishes dearly that one could say four years down the road that we have made the right choice and stand on the right side; not quite yet. However, let us hope that we are getting there.
Salmaan Taseer did not ‘have’ to go to prison and meet Aasia Bibi. He did not ‘have’ to go to Gojra when a Christian residential settlement was set on fire, with residents inside it. He did not ‘have’ to express solidarity with the Ahmedis after the massacre in Lahore in 2010. He ‘chose’ to do it. Governor Taseer made politics about a principle, and had the nerve to stand by it firmly. He irked and enraged the medievalists just by his existence, by being fearless. The idols and patrons of Mumtaz Qadri are in the fear business, and a few more Salmaan Taseers would have meant closing shop. To their good fortune and our wretched luck, there were no more Salmaan Taseers. As a matter of fact, one can say without fear of contradiction, there was no one else. Governor Taseer could not bring himself to be afraid of those who threatened violence in the name of faith; a trait universally associated with revolutionary courage. However, many at home termed it “recklessness”. Those who are unable to summon courage in them have a hard time recognizing it in others.
Salmaan Taseer was nothing if not “unafraid”. Not afraid to pick fights, mostly the right ones. Not afraid to challenge the consensus. His eloquence, humour and passion made his bravery effortless. Bravery hardly ever goes unpunished; the punishment is particularly harsh in Pakistan. To watch the Taseer family remain steadfast and defiant in the face of Governor Taseer’s assassination was chilling. They did not ‘have’ to stay in Pakistan; they chose to. In Salmaan Taseer’s words, they are “not made from wood that burns easily”. Shahbaz Taseer was abducted and remains missing for no offence other than being his father’s son and being not afraid.
The fear industry won that round conclusively. Governor Taseer did more than his bit for us. He performed the ultimate act of moral and physical heroism by being a martyr. Yet we were not up to carrying forward either his struggle or even properly honouring his memory. The murderer was for once not an unknown entity shrouded in conspiracy and false mystery; Mumtaz Qadri had and still has a name and a face. Simply calling him what he was, a coldblooded murderer, was something that not many could muster. That is the power of fear, and staring it in the face unblinkingly is what made Governor Taseer the remarkable man that he was.
As we as a people and the state today at least seem to be getting ready to have the long overdue conversation on hate speech, let us remember the greatest victim of hate speech, Governor Taseer himself. The incitement to his murder was done publicly on television channels and mosque loudspeakers. The aftermath saw apologies being made by the cowardly, and the topic being changed by the ‘cautious’.
The words of Salmaan Taseer’s father, the great Dr M D Taseer, have a peculiar prescience: “Meri wafaein yaad karo ge/ ro ge, faryad karo ge/ Chohro bhi Taseer ki batein/kab tak us ko yaad karo ge.” We are destined to remember Governor Taseer’s martyrdom. He seems to speak to us in the words of his father: “Mujhko tu barbaad kiya hai/aur kiss ko barbaad karo ge.”
There is talk in the air of preparing for battle, for a final showdown with the medieval murderers. Regardless of the outcome, this fight has Salmaan Taseer’s precious blood in it providing the first resistance. Salmaan Taseer fought for us. Perhaps a time will come when we can return the favour and fight for his memory. Perhaps all is not lost yet, as there are young, passionate and fearless people in Islamabad today holding high and proud the placards saying, “Taseer teray khoon say inquilab aaye ga.” Amen. Rest in Peace Governor.
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