It is not about identifying people and punishment which of course, is a given. It is about the poison that is fed to ignorant minds and not a single cleric calling it out …
The Unfortunate Story
A 36-year-old man, allegedly a tourist, has been killed and his body burned in Pakistan’s north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after he was accused of desecrating the Quran.
The incident occurred on Thursday evening in Madyan, a town in the Swat district, a popular tourist spot located at about 4 hours driving distance from Islamabad. It is unclear what the tourist did exactly but according to reports, the local police attempted to save him and moved him to a nearby police station. However, an angry mob subsequently surrounded the police station, set it on fire, dragged the man out of the station and killed him.
The subsequent videos of the lynching being shared online are disturbing to watch and one wonders what has gone so wrong with a populace of a nation that we witness a crime in broad daylight. People filming the horrifying act on their phone cameras and not feeling for an instance that they are part of the crime, and not the retribution, was even more horrifying.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the tourist’s death and has summoned an immediate report on the incident from the police.
Last month, in Sargodha, a tragic incident unfolded when a man, Nazir Gill, succumbed to injuries inflicted by an enraged mob. The mob accused Gill of desecrating pages from the Qur’an and launched a violent attack on his home and workplace, a shoemaking factory which led to Gill tragically losing his life. There are many more such incidents that have led to the tragic loss of lives; from Church attacks to mob lynching, unfortunately, the disturbing trend is not going anywhere, any time soon unless there is a concerted effort to turn the tide.
Since 1987, more than 2,000 people have been accused of blasphemy in Pakistan, and at least 88 people have been killed in extra judicial killings and mob attacks because of such allegations, according to the Centre for Social Justice, an independent group based in Lahore advocating for minority rights, which compiles data relating to blasphemy cases in Pakistan.
Over the years, mob lynching is becoming a disturbing norm in Pakistan, one the law enforcement agencies seem to have little or no control over. Although it is imperative to tackle the blasphemy law in the country and ensure criminals are handed out sentences for taking the law into their own hands, what is even more critical is to understand the root cause of this violence.
Pakistan’s blasphemy law
Under the law, the death penalty or life imprisonment can be used to punish anyone convicted of making “derogatory remarks, etc., in respect of the Holy Prophet either spoken or written, or by visible representation, or by any imputation, innuendo or insinuation, directly or indirectly”.
There are many more prisoners languishing in Pakistani jails on allegations of Blasphemy, no one has been executed under the blasphemy law yet, but that doesn’t stop ordinary citizens from taking the law in their own hands and using blasphemy accusations, often to exact revenge or settle a score with a person who might have not even engaged in any act that is defined as blasphemy under the code of law.
But here’s the question we need to ask:
How can a person on the street be made to believe that he has the right to take someone’s life?
And how can he be stopped from doing the same?
A large majority of Pakistan’s masses are reliant on religious education from the local clerics who disseminate awareness about and are relied upon as authorities in matters of religion. These clerics also address a sizeable congregation of worshippers after the Friday prayer in mosques, the largest attended prayer of the week, Friday being a special prayer for Muslims. It is the responsibility of these keepers of the Faith to educate, create awareness and inform citizens about not taking the law into their hands, of how the blasphemy law is being misused by individuals to exact revenge on fellow human beings, often to settle matters of local dispute.
This might seem like a minor attempt at addressing misinformation but can lead to monumental gains and saving lives as word spreads and people who respect and take the word of these clerics as the final word on matters of the Faith, refrain from acting in, and inciting others to resort to violence on the streets, resulting in the murder of often, innocent citizens, or, at least individuals who deserve a fair trial in the court of law.
Here’s How Ordinary Citizens Are Reacting To Yet Another Innocent Loss Of Life Through Mob Lynching
Let’s fix the narrative. The law for blasphemous acts in Pakistan mist be amended as a signal for clerics and citizens to know they cannot exploit it as an excuse. Simultaneously, it had to be noted that the law has not resulted in a death, as of yet, but the streets are fast becoming witness to a “horrendous normal”, in the form of extra judicial killings and that is a very disturbing trend, one we cannot, should not turn a blind eye to.
Taking the culprits to task, holding them accountable and punishing the murderers and those who incited them is just one part of the solution. Attacking the root cause is the other. The masses need a counter education program, one initiated by the state, to control the narrative on blasphemy, and why taking the law in your own hands, taking the life of a person who might or might not be guilty will not take your soul straight up to heaven.
The information for this article has been sourced from BBC, Al Jazeera and Context. This is a developing story.
