Pakistan - Hate speech at Islamabad sit-in

Kaleem Dean

The fanatics protesting in Islamabad are sending a message of hate against minorities which, as usual, is not being taken seriously by the authorities.

The religious extremists of Tehreek-e-Labbaik emerged dramatically as a political party after getting 7000 votes in the Lahore by-election of NA 120. And now they have bought the capital on a stand still. Apparently, the embryo of hate was fertilised during Mumtaz Qadri’s trial but matured after his execution in February 2016. Thenceforth, unlike other religious political parties, Tehreek-e-Labbaik was the result of anger and hate against the civilian government as well as the minorities. Mumtaz Qadri murdered the governor of the Punjab, Salman Taseer in 2011 for his support to blasphemy convict Asia Bibi.

The assassinated governor took a strong stance against blasphemy legislation deeming them ‘black laws’. Mumtaz Qadri’s brutal act of murdering the governor was lauded widely, even a large number of lawyers and retired judges offered their services to fight the legal battle to justify his callous act. Throughout his trial, he was considered the ‘hero of Islam’ and obviously after his execution, he became a strong cohesive force to bring thousands of fanatic Muslims together which later, twisted to a so-called political party.

The cruel history of the Pakistani politics witnessed the creation of several political parties on the lap of the establishment. These fanatics have a long history of acquiring supremacy over country’s affairs which started with Russian’s invasion of Afghanistan. The Pakistani regime in the late 70s and afterward dreamed to convert the country to a conservative Islamic country. After General Zia air accident, General Hamid Gul continued his legacy to transform Pakistani flag into a ‘green Islamic flag’.

In quest of his dreams in 1988, he paved a path for Nawaz Sharif government forming IJI. Nawaz Sharif himself pledged an allegiance to the tomb of Zai-ul-Haq for continuing his vision and during his second tenure Sharif wanted to be, ‘Ameer-ul-Momineen’ while he said, “We must go down on our knees and bow before Allah.”In the National Assembly, he proposed the Sharia Bill and said, “The nuclear tests changed the colour of the Chagai Mountains and the Shariat Bill will change the colour of society.”

In the last three decades, the narrative of these fanatics has been supported and amplified by Pakistani institutions. Unfortunately, chauvinist agenda of certain groups hijacked the democratic ideology of equality and ended up putting the whole society in the mess of extremism where minorities remained the soft target. The rasping history says that in the past, the country’s institutions doctored the formation of Taliban government in Afghanistan. Those religious groups have been and are used within our own geographical boundaries too.

These fanatic groups were once patronised by the state and various political leaders backed several extremist outfits to use them for political motives. Once again a popular narrative of the religious supremacy in the country is sold to masses by the Labbaik Party and the group certainly enjoys some support.

Although these religious political pressure groups or parties do not earn a wide range of political support, they are often able to drive policymakers to their enterprising controllers. The charter of demands from Tehreek-e-Labbaik is not socially oriented rather limited scope of theocratic propaganda has been included in their demands. These protesters are agitating against supposedly changing the wording ‘I believe’ to ‘I solemnly swear’ in the oath statement regarding Khatam-e-Nabuwat which has already been sorted out by the government.

Because of the internal chaos within the ruling party, the government has decided to deal with these protesters passively without using force. But as these protesters have no progressive agenda they are adding more fuel to their religious narrative against minorities. One of the leaders of the extremist group also insulted the legendary humanitarian Abdul Sattar Edhi while addressing the sit-in.

These fanatical groups were once patronised by the state and various political leaders so that they could be used for political motives

With each passing day, the aggression of the protesters is increasing which is causing problems for the commuters. More importantly, the fanatics protesting in Islamabad are sending the message of hate against minorities which as usual is not being taken seriously by the authorities. Pakistani courts are being pressurised to execute Asia Bibi who is in prison for the last eight years on charges of blasphemy.

It is time to decide whether the country has to go towards a progressive nation or a theocratic state of fanatics. The execution of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the last nail in the coffin of those secular and progressive forces who wanted to make Pakistan, a country for all irrespective of their colour, caste, creed, gender and religion. Intentionally, enlightened moderate forces are kept away from the the process of policy-making and forcefully those allies are brought to the governments that serve the limited agenda of the few.

Time and again purposive and pre-conceived amendments have been brought to the constitution of Pakistan delimiting certain sections of the society to a specific boundary whereas fanatic organisations have been allocated an ample space to transpire their goals.

In the recent Universal Periodic Review of Pakistan held in Geneva, the United States recommended that, “Repeal blasphemy laws and restrictions and end their use against Ahmadi Muslims and others and grant the visit request of the UN Special Reporter on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression”.

The meeting was attended by the Pakistani delegation headed by the Foreign Minister who later stated that the country would consider viable options to address the issues raised in the committee. However, the solution is not difficult and it lies in going back to where the real mess started with the passage of discriminatory laws against the Ahmadi community, blasphemy legislation, constitutional demarcations to restrict the freedom of expression and religion.