The news of Salmaan Taseer’s assassination by his guard was shocking. However, more shocking was the scene of his murderer, Mumtaz Qadri, being showered with rose petals. When I saw this I wondered, “what kind of person celebrates death?” Unfortunately, I did not have to search too far for the answer. Recently, whenever I learned of the death of a Taliban member, I felt joy. I never wondered whether the person killed had actually committed a crime. Perhaps, he was killed for supporting an ideology at odds with the beliefs of a segment of Pakistani society, a scenario not unlike Salmaan Taseer’s murder. Yet I never mourned his death like I mourned Salmaan Taseer’s. This lack of empathy between the liberal left and the conservative right, the wealthy and the impoverished, has polarised Pakistan.
This lack of empathy is exemplified by Pakistan’s leadership. They repeatedly ignore societal needs such as education, economic development and tackling extremism, in favour of their own personal gains. The leadership’s selfish nature is highlighted by the fact that two-thirds of Lahore’s elite police are used for their security. This behaviour has led to the creation of a society where extreme opulence is seen next to abject poverty, where religious extremists kill innocents, where civilian casualties are an accepted phenomenon, and where a murderer is given a hero’s welcome.
While one must admire Salmaan Taseer for confronting the blasphemy law and daring to take such a dangerous stance, he was ill-suited to single-handedly championing an amendment to the law. He was the anti-thesis of the average Pakistani; affluent, well educated, and liberal. In addition, he was considered an elite, the precise cause of the nation’s problems in the eyes of the public. His challenge to the blasphemy law provided the public with a medium to express its frustrations, regarding the social inequity in Pakistan, and gave right-wing leaders the opportunity to manipulate the public’s emotions, further exacerbating the polarisation of the country. Salmaan Taseer’s murder highlights how the radicalised climate does not even allow for challenging a man-made law and how one needs to be cognisant of the reality in Pakistan, even though one may wish for an alternate one.
The current environment is not conducive to civil dialogue on controversial issues like the blasphemy law. While no one suggests that liberals cower to extremist threats and abandon dialogue on the blasphemy law, it would be advisable to develop a strategic approach. Along with tackling controversial issues like the blasphemy law, it would be beneficial to work on issues that could create common ground between the liberal left and the conservative right. The left and the right could work to condemn and prevent extra judicialkillings, whether they are done through drone attacks or by religious extremists like Qadri. One would hope that confronting issues that both sides have in common, will create an environment where meaningful dialogue can occur on issues like the blasphemy law.
Pakistan’s precarious state demands unity. National commonalities, rather than differences, should take precedence. While this may be seen as letting the extremists lead the national debate, the hope is that working together will foster an environment more conducive to dialogue. Salmaan Taseer’s murder was an atrocity and his murderer deserves the fullest punishment permissible by law. However, we must recognise that our actions in the past have not been different from that of the people showering Qadri with rose petals. The pain felt by the families of victims of drone attacks and extrajudicial killings is no less than that felt by Salmaan Taseer’s family. If we don’t mourn for the loss of others, how can we expect others to mourn for us?
Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2011.
you seriously comparing those who behead people to a guy who stood up for the poorest of the poor? You think the death of bin yamin and Salman Taseer are flip sides of the same coin?
How many “elite” do die in suicide bombings? Peshawar’s Qissa Khwani Bazar is not exactly a hangout spot for the elite. Is Asia Bibi part of the elite? are all those victims of the blasphemy law part of the elite? yet only the liberal left condemns these killings openly, for which politicians from the left have paid in their own blood as well as that of their families.
Lets just snap out of this haves vs have nots debate, there is no liberal equivalent of the conservative fascism that is currently being unleashed upon anyone regardless of their financial status, be it Salman Taseer or Asia Bibi
you can’t equate the murder of salman taseer with the death of militants who are bent on blowing up other people.ST was an unarmed civilian who was brutally murdered whereas the ppl targetted in drone attacks are murderers or facilitators of those barbaric murderers,they plan,conduct training,make extremist propaganda videos in their houses which are then targetted by the drones.
The blood of their women & children is on the hands of the militants themselves who place their families at risk by indulging in terrorist supporting activities.
it can’t be allowed that you plan terrorist attacks & then cry when a drone strikes you.
If you’re making suicide jackets,then you’re a fair target.If you want your family not to become ‘collateral damage’ then don’t plan the murders of the families of others.
Salam agreed with u faraz!
m simply disappointed by the article…dont know wotz is the author up to…no logic n a mere ignorance….blasphemy law is an ISLAMIC law…any one who wud speak a word against it is a blasphemer…thatzy qadri killed him according to ISLAM…mathing it wth terror stuff is pathetic..!
Thank you Daniyal for this article. I hope people will understand your simple plea to come together. We must unite on the stance that murder is wrong. If we cannot unite on this simple universal law, we cannot unite for anything.
Couldnt have said it better myself: “you seriously comparing those who behead people to a guy who stood up for the poorest of the poor? You think the death of bin yamin and Salman Taseer are flip sides of the same coin?
How many “elite” do die in suicide bombings? Peshawar’s Qissa Khwani Bazar is not exactly a hangout spot for the elite. Is Asia Bibi part of the elite? are all those victims of the blasphemy law part of the elite? yet only the liberal left condemns these killings openly, for which politicians from the left have paid in their own blood as well as that of their families.
Lets just snap out of this haves vs have nots debate, there is no liberal equivalent of the conservative fascism that is currently being unleashed upon anyone regardless of their financial status, be it Salman Taseer or Asia Bibi”
Also kudos to Arachnid and Muhammad Umar for their comments as well
hey dont try to misguide ppl abt Qadri’s act…it aint the issue of terrorism or extremism…but the defense of Prophet’s dignity which is our duty being an ummah…dont deny the ISLAMIC facts by prefering ur own opinions…for God sake get a life…ISLAM is not any mzak…its rules n laws have to b followed if u claim to be the Muslims else dont try to mold them for ur own sake else ur gonna repent big time
may Allah Protect u Ghazi Mumtaz Qadri…the way u served the cause of Namos e Mustafa may God Bless u n give hidayat to the ppl for whom their own beliefs r imp than ISLAM’s actual spirit Amin
Actually we all are hypocrites so far as blasphemy law is concerned. There is an interesting article which I think we all should read and ponder over:
Blasphemy Law and Hypocrisy
http://www.pkarticleshub.com/2011/01/29/blasphemy-law-and-hypocrisy/