On Monday, Christians across Pakistan mourned the Gojra tragedy, which led to the death of seven people over the weekend. Hundreds of Muslims, apparently spurred by a banned militant group, stormed a Christian neighbourhood, burning dozens of houses after reports surfaced that some Christians had desecrated a Quran. In response to the attack, the Christian community held protests and insisted that charges of negligence be registered against the Gojra DCO and DPO.
Does the Gojra incident emphasise the fact that the government is finding it increasingly difficult to protect Pakistani citizens from attacks by organised, well-armed groups? What should the government do if the Gojra incident is proved to have been spurred by a banned militant outfit to spark Muslim-Christian riots? Is Gojra an isolated incident, or yet another indication that Pakistani society is becoming increasingly extremist and intolerant?
Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy law has often been criticised for breeding religious intolerance. Under the law, the mere accusation of saying or writing something deemed insulting to Prophet Mohammad or the Holy Quran is enough to be arrested and imprisoned. Religious groups see the law as important for the ‘protection’ of Islam, while minority groups see it as an unfair law that is used to intimidate non-Muslims. Since 1986, at least 892 persons have been accused of blasphemy and in virtually every case the charges were completely fabricated. In your opinion, would repealing the blasphemy law help prevent incidents such as the attacks in Gojra?
The views expressed in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
Religious extremism is the cancer that is leading Pakistan to a slow but sure death.
Blasphemy Laws the filthy blot on the face of my beautiful country Pakistan.
Blasphemy literally means ‘insulting God’, and calling the insult of the prophet of Islam is the biggest blasphemy itself, as you have equated him to the level of God!!
What can me more blasphemous than killing innocent women & children in the name of God. Everyone involved in this attack is a blasphemer.
We Christians live in Pakistani peacefully and respect the Law of Pakistan more than Muslims and still we are treated like a third class citizens. Christians can’t disrespect any religious book because our religion only teaches us about love and tolerance.
I request all Muslim community in Pakistan, please learn to respect other religions and be human. We love Pakistan and proud to be Pakistani CHRISTIANS.
Have you ever heard any christian terrorist in Pakistan or any christian has insulted any mosque in Pakistan? The answer is ‘NO’.
So please our Pakistani Muslim brothers let CHRISTIANS live peacefully in Pakistan.
When at the moment Pakistan is being cleansed of the remnants of the dictators and the extremists/ terrorists being eliminated from the northern areas of Pakistan the government ought to keep its eyes wide open of this element now settling and operating in all four provinces as also pointed out by Altaf Hussain on several occasions. These undesirable elements and their like minded are the ones who are perpetrating brutal atrocities on the innocent and peace loving Christians. It is the best time to get rid of these monsters with devilish motives to create a never ending rift between Christians and Muslims. Exemplary punishments need to be awarded in summary trials for these butchers.Suo-moto notice should be taken by the CJ and the now independent judiciary. Christians love Pakistan with the same intensity as do the Muslims. Pakistan belongs to Christians as it does to Muslims. We too have our blood in its foundations.
This murder of poor Christians have become the norm of the day and it is the prime responsibility of the government to protect the life and property of its citizens. Blasphemy law was the invention of a dictator which should now be abolished by the government of PPP with majority in the house who should now prove to be democratic and secular as also envisaged by the founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
An immediate and effective remedy to put an end to this conspiracy of wave of attacks on Christian localities such as shanti nagar, bahmani wala, korian, gojra etc is to issue a presidential ordinance on emergency basis by means of which the blasphemy law should go back to its original position of before 1986. It should then later on be passed by the two-third majority of the house within the stipulated period. There are certain other long term remedies as well which can be and may be discussed at some other time.
All the incidents like this have been occurred due to the negligence of Govt. It is the responsibility of the Govt to punish the culprits. If it had happened in the past no body have ever dared to attack the Christians. But the irony of fate is that Christians are not treated like human beings in Pakistan. But our christian politicians , influentials, social activists and clergy do not pay heed to this crucial fact. These incidents can only be prevented by abolishing all the discriminatory laws in general and 295C in particular in Pakistan. Otherwise the think tank of Christians should devise some ways to protect the church not depending on the Govt solely.
It is very shameful and unforgivable act where Christians were burnt alive houses were destroyed. I was reading an comment from Ali Lahore that he was accusing other countries for doing awful things, Mr Ali lets clean our own backyard first, as far as I know where is My Old Pakistan gone in 70s where we used to live in Harmony. If we do not protect each another than we wont be able to protect ourselves from the foreigners troops. Thanks.
The blasphemy law must either be abolished or the flag of Pakistan has to change by removing the white part depicting the honour to be given to the minorities.
The “Mullahs” forget one thing: God sent 1,2400 Prophets to guide the humanity. Some of them were surely sent to parts of the world where Islam, Christianity or Judaism does not exist.
How can we then kill the creation of God?
We are not following the guidelines of Quran.
Pakistan has enough troubles of its own and our army busy fighting extremists who even call them anti-Islam, and with Talibanism spreading, Al-Qaida taking this opportunity to destabilize our beloved country, it does not need another christian Taliban group to sprout up and weaken our countries internal and external security.
Let every group learn to live in peace and harmony. Jesus Christ proclaimed peace for the whole world. The prophet of Islam wanted a peaceful religion. What we all are looking is something against the basic tenets of both religions. People who are burning christian homes and properties and killing Christians are not Muslims, but enemies of Islam. No blasphemy cases ever existed against Christians before the law enforced by Gen.Zia ul Haq, which means that Christians have always lived in harmony with Muslim brothers and sisters and do so now even. Let those who spread hatred and divisive comments understand their religions first, before taking law and order in their hands. If elements within our communities are trying to divide the country, remember the demand for a Muslim state came after such atrocities were committed on them by the Hindu majority. Let us learn from our past history and not bring Christians to a point where in the future the world powers may have to re-think again. Let us stop killings and burning and destruction in the name of any religion.
Ali says that we look in what happens in other countries. If something bad is happening in other parts of the world, do we have to follow bad examples.
This is not the first time such a thing has happened, and surely wont be the last. What should be done? Punish the extremist cleric and his cronies for spreading this hatred. Period!
I request higher authorities to take strict action against such elements, which creates instability in Pakistan. No tolerance supposes to be adopted for such criminals.
Look, seriously, what’s the point of having the white strip on the national flag any more? Wouldn’t it be more logical to replace it with some verse issuing a threat to infidels, both inside the country and abroad? I mean, hardly anyone remembers Jinnah these days – they probably think that Zia-ul-Haq founded the nation!
This attack is not first of its kind we have seen these attacks before, all the minorities in Pakistan are living a resentful life. In order to keep relevance to the topic, I would rather talk about Christians only. Mass attacks of such magnitude and cold-blooded killings, blaspheming Jesus Christ, Churches and Holy Christian Books and insolent attitude towards Christians are just a repetition in a pattern of an unsympathetic majority.
Such mass attacks have been made on Christian villages of Martin Pur, Shanty Nagar and a village near Kasur to name a few, with numerous individual senseless killings. This time tragedy has got the spot-light because the whole world has seen the vulnerability of Christian men, women and children and in such astringent moments there was someone who refused to bow down to the will of fascist radicals of society.
In order to end recurrence of such callous attacks, the culprits who are already in custody and who burnt the Bibles and other Christian Holy Books and images of Jesus Christ should be punished for this crime under the existing Blasphemy law. If these culprits can not be punished under this law then this hanging sword on minorities’ heads should be eradicated and abolished in its entirety with thanks to the writer of such a law.
Its ironic that the founder of Pakistan who championed for equal rights for minorities of subcontinent created the state in which minorities are regularly persecuted and are not granted equal right as citizens of Pakistan.
Imran says people of the book (Muslim, Christians and Jews) should be protected. I agree. But isn’t he forgetting the Hindus and Sikhs?
This law has been falsely used too many times now to harm many innocent Pakistani Christians. It aught not be allowed among educated and civilized nations. Four major attacks against Christians in Pakistan within a few months is too much. The government needs to take a serious action against the maulvees who started it and those cowards who carried it out on other Pakistanis of Christian faith. I am ashamed as a Pakistani that it happened in my country. This law needs to be abolished immediately.
Well, If we are getting rid of the Militant in NWFP who were brought to power from obscurity by General Zia (who we all know was a righteous Muslim, LOL) then we should also get rid of this extremist law asap that he made, otherwise we are just proving and admitting to the world that we are really Extremists and Terrorists. Really quite simple don’t you think so?
This incident is not unique to Pakistan:
Why the hell everyone is making a big fuss about it as if it does not happen in other countries. Look at America, where blacks and hispanics have been treated as third class citizens in recent history and killed like animals.
Look at India, where Muslims are treated as third class citizens and killed like in Gujarat riots.
Open your eyes and ears to see what China is doing to fellow Muslim brothers in East Turkistan (Xinghiang).
Asians are called Pakis in UK where they are discriminated and in many riots killed.
Why be pathetic and be of apologetic or slavish about it as if the entire world is a bed or roses and it is Pakistan that is a place where bad things happen.
Shame on your inferiority complex.
Look at Palestinians where every day they are treated as third or even fourth class citizens and killed by Jews supported by US and Europe. Where are the human rights now? Is this not a hypocrisy, ugly double-face of these so called champions of human rights?
To avoid such incidents from happening again Christians in Pakistan need to learn to respect the Islamic Holy Book. If not then do not cry foul.
Islam never works in bits and pieces, it needs to be implemented completely. While people who are blasphemous deserve to be punished, similarly those who put false allegations also should be punished.
The issue is not just one bill. Frankly speaking its not just minorities but everyone faces problems here in Pakistan!! Our whole constitution is corrupt and un-Islamic, and never will it give justice to anyone!!
As a Christian soldier, I want to convey a message to Christian community. “A person who does not use his freedom to protect his freedom, does not deserve freedom”. We have prayed enough. Yet we are not allowed to live peacefully in Pakistan. With out any proof, we are made to suffer. How far will it go? We the Christians are also human beings and not insects that every now and then a Mulla gives “fatwa” and we are made to suffer. My Muslim friends say, Islam does not teach violence. Then who is teaching violence that we saw and witnessed in Gojra? I am sure the “angels” did not attack Christians in Kot Lakha Sing, Bahmni Wala, Korian, Kotri and now in Gojra in less than a month. Please think.
I am deeply saddened over these horrible incidents taking place now and then in a country which was created in the name of Islam (a relegion of peace). How we Muslims can point a finger to Isreal, America or India for their atrocities on Muslims while we are doing cleansing on relegious grounds. Is this what the Islam teaches us.
Religion is Mullah’s bread and butter in pakistan. There are so many Tul-Islam and Islami’s in Pakistan. If these Mullahs are really sincere about Islam then why not make one party and one leader? This is not going to happen and poor minorities have to suffer for mullah’s bread and butter. My heart goes to the families of the Christian brothers and sisters of Gojra riots. Being a Muslim my self I am so ashamed of mullah’s cruelty and declare that the mullahs who incited the violence have no faith.
Simply changing Blasphemy Law does not mean a darn thing. Stop the bigotry, hate and violence in the name of religion and finally blaming Hidden hands and external hands.
Besides being thoroughly hypocritical it also very cowardly simply to look for scapegoats.
Did you know that when the USA constitution was created, the separation of state and church was not the demand of the state… but it was the demand of the religious bodies, who felt that if USA becomes a Christian nation, too much government interference would weaken religion.
Needless to stay, the State prospered, and “every” state that enjoys a degree of prosperity any where on earth, has made sure that religion, state, and politics are kept separated.
When will Pakistan learn…?
No progress, no prosperity, and no independence is possible until you break the link with mullahs and silence those loudspeakers spewing venomous hatred every Friday.
It is heart warming to see that EACH and EVERY Pakistani blogger on this forum has thoroughly condemned this monstrous heinous CRIME against members of a Pakistan minority.
It is high time that Pakistan cleanse itself from the SINS of that horrendous despicable ZIA ERA.
The new Judiciary must reflect the changed democratic humane times in Pakistan by outright banning of the bestial Blasphemy ‘Law’ and horrible Hadood Ordinance — shameful relics of past Mullah military unholy alliance.
A shameful act, by a shameless enemy.