In a brutal act of violence, at least 20 Shia passengers were targeted by unknown attackers and shot dead on Thursday. The attackers disguised themselves in army uniforms, checked the passengers’ documents and targeted those who were Shia. The incident was the third of its kind in the last six months.
Meanwhile, in Balochistan, Hazara Shia Muslims have been constantly targeted in a similar manner by assailants. On the same day as the bus carnage in Gilgit, three Hazara men were killed in Quetta.
The trend of Shia Muslims being targeted in specific parts of the country has increased over the last few months. Nothing seems to stop these attacks. The identity of the attackers is never revealed. When banned religious outfits claim responsibility for such attacks, there is no response except in the form of monotonous condemnation by government officials, who then go on to blame the violence on “foreign hands” and/or liberation movements.
A set pattern of the routes, targets and manner of attacks has emerged. Yet, law-enforcement agencies are unable to curb these attacks. Highways to hometowns and holy pilgrimage sites have turned into highways to hell. The impunity the attackers exhibit is horrid. In a video that has emerged after yesterday’s carnage, passengers are apparently being checked for being Shia Muslims. While the origins and the actual date and place of the filming of the video remain unclear, the brutality of the attackers is quite clear.
When will the law-enforcement agencies and the government take measures to stop such attacks?
Will the government ever admit to lapses in security it provides to the citizens? Why can they not do their basic job of providing security? Are they too busy fighting court cases? Or playing politics? Or is it a plain case of incompetence and complacency?
How can the non-Muslim minorities be assured of their safety in Pakistan when even the Muslim minorities are not safe?
Dawn.com invites its readers to share their opinions and suggestions…
Sectarian killing are mostly between Sunnis and Shias.
There is general perception amongst sunnis that the other party insult first three Khalifa in their mujalis and
discussions. All the four Khalifas including first three are highly respected and loved by sunnis hence their feelings are grieviosly hert. This is the core
issue. Followers of which religion will tolerate such thing. All that happened in Karbala is mourned and
condemned by sunnis as well. How on earth the present day sunnis are responsible for the shahadat of Hazrat
Imam Husain. If this type of theorey( abusing ancestors of some nations and communities) are followed there
will be no peace in the world. I strongly condem sectarian killing of Shias in Pakistan, But I request Shia
community to please seriously think over the matter and let its Ulma all over the world, specially Pakistan to
preach against insulting Khalifa Rashidin and categorically and repeatedly deny through media that wiil ever
indulge in insulting any Khalifa.
So what if Shias insult the three caliphs? People who belong to other faiths are always critical of other faiths. If there was no difference then there will be no two sects: Shias and Sunnis. Christians, Hindus, Jews, and within Christianity numerous divisions, all are critical of each other and of Muslims. So what? Does that mean everyone should start killing each other? Muslims often ridicule other faiths – does that justify people of other faiths to start killing Muslims because their feelings are getting hurt. If Shias ridicule the three caliphs, so be it. It is their faith. It is between God and them. If Sunnis love the three caliphs – so be it, it is between them and God. So Ahmadis deny the end of prophet line – which is supposedly insulting. So should all Ahmadis be killed? Atheists deny the existence of God, should they all be killed? Hindus don’t believe in monothism. So where does it stop? Certainly for Sunnis caliphs are not superior to Prophet (s) or God? So who cares what Shias says about caliphs. It is their faith and no Sunni, or anyone, has a right to kill another person because of his/her faith.
please give even one example where a minority religion is peacefully co-existing with another by ridiculing and INSULTing the majority’s religious figures? The examples you have given the people are disagreeing not insulting. Jews disagree on jesus, they dont insult. Muslims disagree with jesus as son of god they dont insult. etc. etc. Only Shias insult and apply labels to religious figures. This doesnt condone killing them but they are doing themselves a favour by acting this way. It only helps add to the bias against them. How would American muslims be perceived if they all said yes we love osama.???
How does insulting Khulafa justifies killing anyone? This is the bogus argument presented to majority Sunni community and many of them say ( by their action or lack there of ) that if Shia insult Khulafa then it is OK to kill them. If killing is done by a third party like TTP then even better.
This is how the intolerance starts. When majority stays silent, the evil grows and flourishes. Silence is considered a quiet approval. Those who are silent spectators of cruel deeds must be held responsible and condemned as well.
So far as I am concerned the first three “rightfully guided” caliphs were assassinated, and Islam has always represented a struggle for power. How could anyone disagree?
The Ottoman Turks did not rule the Middle East for 450 years by being nice fellows.
The world is always about power and the justification for that power. Even a mouse can jump up and say, “I know the will of God. Listen to me.” He just can’t get on television.
The third Caliph gave Muslims the current belief system and administration. Later the reformer Mohammed Al-Wahab stood between Mecca and the Egyptian Pasha’s troops and said the Ottomans claims to Arabia are a fraud, and people have set aside the true religion to listen to them. Now the Tyrants of Islam accuse all of you for betraying the Prophet Mohammed’s visions.
Well we can no longer live in 700 AD, which has said by many. There is a clash of civilizations but all these religious preachers cannot not win against the material world. Assassins dress in black not human beings. In Pakistan these assassins think they are winning or they would not be so bold.
Honestly this claim of insulting divine personalities to Sunni Muslims rarely happens, even though there’s historical evidence to support the negative portrayals. Unfortunate such a false perception persists unnecessarily among some Sunnis, because it seems to be perpetually repeated 24/7 in a feedback loop for nothing more than to feel victimized, outraged and continue hating and excusing such violent attacks by extremists who are also indulged in other terrorist militant attacks worldwide, clearly showcasing some other core ideological issues, than simply this.
The onus really isn’t on the Shia community as more on the Sunni majority, as far as the ideology of violence and intolerance is concerned. Its not like as if Shia Muslims aren’t insulted, including their own divine personalities, but they rarely indulge in physical abuse, violence and massacres, which is now so common against them.
I think it is a wrong perception that shias abuse khlifas in majalis. Even if it happens, it is on a very small scale.
yes this is not true. its just a propaganda against majalis
Islam does not condone insulting anyone but how does insulting a Khalifa by some justify killing innocent people?
These are paid thugs (TTP) coming from Afghanistan to do these acts just to create panic among the population especially minorities. Act on Kamra was also carried out by individuals in Army Uniform. The government should target there hideouts in Afghanistan with limited strikes. This will send a message to Fazullah and Mesud that we can reach them.
An unfortunate and tragic incident indeed, such incidents will happen in near future i fear if the government does not takes serious steps to stop sectarian targeting. why do we put all the blame on ”foreign hands” ?
whenever such incident happens.
Even though the TTP arrogantly claims responsibility for committing many such murders, we are afraid to hold them responsible for the sake of our lives and our family’s lives. However, we dont feel threatened by pointing fingers at politicians, our government, or foreign governments. We need to realize that when we do that we are pointing four fingers at ourselves, the silent majority.
Sad part is that most sunni’s do not care. These terrorists have no religion, they will kill sunnis also, once they think Shia’s are insignificant. They use the name of religion for their power only, nothing to do with religion. Many politicians also support them, which is the worst part.
They fought for years among themselves after Russia pulled out of Afghanistan and BEFORE U.S. was involved there.
In my opinion these people who kills like this are not Muslims neither they are Pakistani. They are simply the intelligence agencies from foreign to create unrest in Pakistan and let not it grow and become prominent country in the world as they have skill set and resource to do that. Government should probe in detail and give the results openly to public. One of their objective is to give an open point to the public to hate the religion and abuse each we should not talk convincingly unless there are solid proves that shias were killed by sunnis or vice versa.
Yet another conspiracy theory.The whole world is after muslims and Pakistan?Sir we need a break now.We should have courage to accept our blunders,bad deeds,uneducated and non intelligent approach towards life.Nobody can a kill an insect if we behave like responsible citizens of this world.An eleven years Christian girl is in jail just because bunch of misguided people have blamed her for blasphemy.This is not being a responsible country. Honestly we are a dysfunctional society.
Very well said! Jazak Allah
why is it that you think that every non-muslim is downright immoral imbecile who would kill muslims at the drop of a hat?
and what this thing muslim has got to do with it?
do you have three eyes, or 15 hands, are more morally upright and honest?
brother, muslim killing muslim is an undeniable truth in your religion, just like casteism in my religion.
This is the way of covering faces of terrorisits. Sermons are given in mosques and hatred is taught in madressas against shias. There are people who openly declare shias as infidels and wajibul qatl. Further more all these parties, madressas and mosques get donations from wealthier sunnis even those who are educated!.
Everybody is extremely busy in EID shopping day and night in Karachi nobody no longer cares about these innocent killings.
Why does the Supreme Court not take Suo Moto notice of the killings of Shias?
Why do the Sharif brothers, Imran Khan or Difa-e-Pakistan, not organize dharnas or long marches condeming such cowardly actions?
Why does the media or government refrain from making public the identities of the killers and their group affiliations?
On the rare occasion when one is caught, why does the judge release him on the excuse of a lack of evidence?
It is simple. They either do not want to actively and openly oppose persons or groups that claim to be the guardians of Islam, or they do not want to become their next target.
Fear?
Fear, complicity, laziness and also ‘circular fear’ meaning not confidence that if one institution stepped forward then whether others will support or not and the freed terrorist will come back and take revenge
Disintegration of a state from top to bottom!
When you keep church and state together. When you compromise justice. When you ignore sectarian violence. When general public, scholars, politicians, journalists don’t stand up against jihadis together. Then a country reaches to an anarchy and get a status “failed state”.
Only solution is all the nation, I repeat “all the nation” stands up against jihadis. If this doesn’t happen, this nation will be destroyed by these jihadis.
You are so right.
Sad and heart breaking is the least one can say. But believe this, that God Will Certainly Punish each and every element within this age for his misdoings.
A specific message for the killers is : you cannot kill us all as the followers of Fatimah(SA) & Ali (AS) are born everyday in Pakistan.
it will take our country towards civil war. Its shameful acts.
Pakistan is fast losing the battle of her own identity as if it is hell bent on proving that more than half a century before the experiment of securing a Muslim homeland for Indian Muslims is failling flat. While India is shinning (albeit with difficulties and her own set of integration issues) for her secular and democratic credentials, Pakistan’s image has been deeply tarnished in world community by acts of terrorism, intolerence and precipitous civil situation that now comes daily from this part of the world. The culling of Shias, Ahmadiyas, Hindus, Christians, Buddhists are not only deplorable acts against humanity but Pakistan is risking herself to be embroiled in long drawn Afghan type civil war.
Where is jamat-e-Islami now, why these Mullahs come on streets and burn flags of talibans
Shamful Act. Killing of One Human Being mean Killing of Whole Human Race.
We dont even have words to say sorry to the families of innocent people killied by these idiots
Sectarian violence indeed – why don’t we call it what it is …. Shia genocide
You are burning islam with your own culture and hate. This country is fill with corrupt, take anything, corrupt media, corrupt police, corrupt army, corrupt justice, corrupt government, corrupt mullahs. everyone is corrupt.
The need of the hour is for the civil society to unite at one platform.. The majority population has a vital part to play.. The government cannot deal with this menace of sectarianism alone , the society has to reject such sentiments that promote disunity and harbor ethnic-sectarianism. Islam does not promote persecution of minorities and muslims are like one body . The message of peace should flourish by our speech , writing and actions. The majority of the population is to promote this message and stand united with their brethren to reject the speech hatred & disunity … When the civil society , the people in general and the press in particular reject the persecution of the minorities in staunch support .. It will bring a rapid change in the thinking of the ruling class , which will surely act to Kill the Demon of sectarianism..
This is not surprising at all this has been going for a long time in Pakistan and I think it is time for the people to wake up and get this notion out of their mind that it is India, US and Israel doing all this, it is work of our own own creation, remember they are the one that supported the Taliban’s and the so called mujhaidin.
Now the situation is even bad the so called politician;s including the great Imran Khan who keep on telling the nation that democracy can save Pakistan have never protested against the sectarian killings, the interior minister of the biggest province of Pakistan hangs out with these guys and the present government is the biggest thief of all.
Pakistan is not at all a muslim country,where else have you seen even muslims killing muslims ??? Someone decides for someone,whether he is a true muslim!!! This is a totally new religion , may be PAKISTANISM .
I would like to see which routes are closed for 6 months or even for few days so that terrorists can not come back freely? I would like to see who demands apology from these killers? I would like to see if this gets to be even discussed in the assemblies. I would like to see if anyone takes suo moto. I would like to see if anyone goes after these terrorists and bring anyone to justice. All you hear is blowing hot air for few days and then another massacre in few months.
When US killed 27 solders at Sahala base, at least they say it was an accident. In this case, the killers made sure that these innocent victims were Pakistanis. Who will now take stand against this tyranny? any firebrand TV evangelist? Any chief justice, Any army chief? Anyone??
This is a simple fact that all institutions in Pakistan are in collusion with the terrorists. If not then prove it.
I am sitting on the sidelines and watching the deterioration of our beautiful country Pakistan. I have to thank General Zia ul Haq and lack of education in general public . Where in Quran Allah is saying kill your own brothers because they have a different believes. I have been living in USA for last 34 years and whatever we say about Americans most of them respect other faiths.
who says it ethnic violence? Does bombing of schools, killing kids in that area and attacking on Kamra Base was also same kind of violence?
So can’t ethnic violence, bombing of schools, killing kids in that area and attacking on Kamra Base go on at the same time?
All brothers are equal in Islam – killed or alive
Why should govt admit to security lapses???? It’s elected govt of masses and masses are getting what they elected.
I am extremely confident that people are going to elect the same people to offices in next election.
One can find enough evidence about these criminals from youtube or google. Why cant they be prosecuted? We all talk about how bad things are in Pakistan, has anyone come up with a solution to fix all this? I am deeply saddened to find about yesterday’s killings but what bugs me more is the fact that these criminals like everyone else will roam free and the people of Pakistan will forget. Apparently we the Pakistani Nation have the attention span of an Ant…shameful..deeply shameful
Give me time…
Only if they take religion as a private matter between man and his God…..