If Aasia Bibi makes it out of the country and I pray she does, I would like to offer her my home and any rehabilitation services that will be required in her settlement. She will eat what I eat and sleep on the same beds as my family. She would be adjusting to a foreign lifestyle in an unknown land simultaneously trying to reconcile with her past; languishing nine years in a jail in subhuman conditions for a crime she did not commit not knowing when and if she would be executed. I know, I cannot begin wrap my head around that. In fact I’m not brave enough to imagine the despair and rages of her mind and thankfully I can afford not to. But somehow that is no consolation. I continue to fantasize her arrival. I imagine myself hugging her, telling her the nightmare is over. I would make it a point to speak in Punjabi with her to give her a sense of belonging and ease her transition. Perhaps it’s my collective guilt, perhaps I need to do this more for myself than for her.
Nineteen years ago, when we named our son Eesa in honor of Jesus (PBUH) a prophet who preceded Mohammad (PBUH) in Islam. I had no idea his name would hold so much relevance today. As today followers of Mohammad would be falsely issuing edicts of blasphemy against followers of Jesus. Funny thing is, one cannot be a Muslim without giving utmost respect to Jesus, but somehow his followers are deemed as unclean. For me he is the beloved prophet of God, for Aasia he is the son of God and nothing less. This makes me no better or no less than her but an equal woman and a human. On second thought, perhaps it does make me lesser of a human as my humanity wasn’t ridiculed or tested the way hers was. I was born in a different strata of society and she in a disenfranchised one and solely for that she is paying a heavy price. When negativity gets too much I get to crawl back into my safe cocoon, she to her jail cell. There is no comparison, really. Meanwhile the protectors of Mohammad’s (PBUH) honor rant and rave freely, lucky for them he won’t be taking a stroll downtown Lahore anytime. For if he did,…I’ll leave that to your imagination.
The state has successfully given her protection following her acquittal, the false messiahs aka the clergy has not and they continue to indulge in blasphemy, ironically accusing her of it with zero evidence. This false narrative has been fed to its ignorant and marginalized followers and they’ve eaten it up like maggots on a rotting carcass. It’s given them purpose to expend their energies, for they are now rebels with, (and I clear my throat rather painfully) without a cause. The terrorists who successfully hold Islam hostage would be out of a job and a cult like fan club if say, Jesus and Mohammad (PBUH) were to somehow appear and take a stroll down Constitution Avenue in Islamabad and wound up in front of the Supreme Court going, “whattup?” “What’s all the ruckus?” (Because I’m a brown girl, I inadvertently imagine both Jesus and Mohammad conversing in floral Punjabi). Let’s just say, a few matters of state would be set straight and lots of people would be jobless. Until that time, we rely on our governments. Sadly.
Four days ago, I was seething with rage as the state was unable to strike down and swiftly arrest the hate mongers and terrorists namely TLP. I had my drink and playlist ready for a celebration at the inevitable arrest of several malefactors. Nothing happened. To help myself make sense of it and educate myself, I sought out various well informed journalist friends including countering violent extremism specialist Kamran Bokhari who helped me realize the difficult truth that the state cannot take on TLP at the moment due to the fact that the mullahs enjoy a monopoly over religious discourse and ignorance runs in tens of millions. It will be a long and difficult struggle but Pakistan will eventually win the war against Islamist extremism. He did say that it is akin to kicking the can down the road and that I wasn’t alone in my frustration. Frankly that near future isn’t coming fast enough for me and those who think like I do, also having a million other frustrated like myself offers no consolation. Meanwhile a woman’s life rots even after acquittal while dirty men play dirtier politics. The state reassures us that TLP has met its demands. Mr. Prime Minister, he just asked for your head, and you’ve reconciled with him?
Today followers of Mohammad would be falsely issuing edicts of blasphemy against followers of Jesus. Funny thing is, one cannot be a Muslim without giving utmost respect to Jesus, but somehow his followers are deemed as unclean
Dear Tehreek-e-Labaik of hate, here is a Muslim woman who sins on a daily basis, considers Aasia Bibi to be her equal and wants you to pray that Mohammad (pbuh) the prophet you revere never finds out about you or that him and Jesus never take that stroll in downtown Lahore or they will break your wudu (ablution) faster than you can say “Ya Rasool Allah”
My plea to the Prime Minster is that since these prophets won’t be waltzing onto our ‘righteous’ scene anytime soon, we elected you in good faith to protect our minorities as stated in the Quran and Sunnah. Please ensure that you do. False promises of striking down terrorists at a future date don’t hold much water. To Aasia, I will drink from your glass of water.
https://dailytimes.com.pk/318856/i-will-drink-from-your-glass-of-water-aasia-bibi/
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