by B. R. GOWANI
Members of the Action Committee for Human Rights chant slogans in support of Christian teenager Rimsha Masih’s release; she was arrested on charges of throwing out garbage with burnt pages of Quran, Muslims’ religious scripture. PHOTO/AFP/Rizwan Tabassum/RT TV
One month ago
The worsening situation in Pakistan due to economic misery, rising intolerance, and Islamists’ terror had scared the major political leaders. Asif Ali Zardari, of the ruling Pakistan peoples Party; Nawaz Sharif, of the Pakistan Muslim League-N; and Imran Khan, of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf; accompanied by their advisers, met to discuss a mutually acceptable plan to lift Pakistan out of the snare it was in. All agreed that Pakistan has passed that stage where you can use religion for political purpose (like they do it in the United States and other countries) without serious consequences.
One of them reminded the others that at this age “we can’t settle in other countries and enter politics.” One of the advisers thanked “our Hindu/Muslim politicians for creating Pakistan for us.” Their unanimous verdict was, “the only thing going right for us and our country is our relation with India.”
Someone present there quoted a couplet of a revolutionary poet, probably Sahir Ludhianwi:
Mandir ko jalA do, masjid ko girA do
duniyA se mazhab kA nAm-o-nishAn mitA do
(The mosque, demolish it; the temple, burn it down
erase every sign of religion from this world-town)
After holding several meetings behind close doors, it was decided that if any member of the religious minority, including minority sects in Islam, were accused of tearing, trashing, burning, or insulting Quran, the Muslims who feel their feelings have been hurt will not be allowed to indulge in any sort of violence against the “culprit” but would instead be permitted to do the exact same thing to the scripture of the “culprit.”
They concluded their final meeting by setting August 31, 2012, as the date on which their parties will jointly propose and pass the above decision by making it a law. The one month time period, they opined, was required to train the law enforcement agencies.
(The writer can’t disclose the the name of the source, who was present during all the meetings, as per the wishes of the source.)
Present
A teenage Christian girl, Rimsha Masih, from a poor suburb of Islamabad, accused of treating pages of Quran as a trash is going to rot in jail, not just for two more days, as her bail hearing has been delayed till September 1, but for a long time.
“She appears uneducated and her mental age appears below her chronological age” and is “approximately 14 years,” according to medical report.
Rao Abdur Raheem, a lawyer representing the man who has accused Rimsha Masih of desecrating Quran, is a Muslim fanatic. Listen to what he says: “This girl is guilty. If the state overrides the court, then God will get a person to do the job.”
In this hateful atmosphere, how is Rimshah Masih going to get any justice? Unless, she is granted an asylum in another country.
One month later
The law took effect on August 31, and within less than a month all the religious books of all religions were either burned down, trashed, thrown in rivers and oceans, shredded, or flushed down the toilets.
The three leaders and their advisers met again to review the entire situation. They felt happy that the curse of religion has disappeared. And declared a day off for all the people.
(They, however, didn’t discuss the curse of politics.)
B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com