all hail my sectarian god
TRANSCRIPT
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AllHailMySectarianGod
ByKiranNazish
08June,2012
InPakistanamosqueisnotthehouseofGod,butthehouseofasectarianGod.AlthoughMuslimsectsacrosstheworldhavetheirownseparatemosquesforthereasonsofImamat,procedureandmethodologyofprayers,nooneiseverstoppedfromenteringaplaceofworshiporcalledaKafirinsideonejustbecausetheydonotcomefromthesamesect.
Recently,Iwastoldbyanon-SunnifriendhowhewastormentedbyfellowworshipersataSunnimosqueduringFridayprayers.HewasontheroadandgettinglateforJamaat(congregation),sohewentforthenearestmosquehecouldfind-onlytodiscoverlaterthathewasaKafirfordoingso.HewasidentifiedasaShiawhenhedidnotraisehisforefingerforShahadatduringtheprayers.
WeareledtobelievethatPakistanisdividedbyitsprovincialpolitics,andourbiggestinsecuritiescomefromIndiaandtheUS,butsomeoftheworstandthemostrealandphysicalcrimesthatpeoplecommitagainsteachotherinthiscountryarebasedonreligion.Itisourprideinsectarianexclusivitythathasvaliantlystrengthenedourdissections.Wesidelineourminoritiesaspeople,bec
ausewefearthemandtheyfearus.TheonlyonebeingwetrustandfightforisourexclusivesectarianGod.
Sectarianismdividesourpolitics,ourmilitary,ourmediaandevenourmilitantgroups.Eventuallyourpeopledividethemselves.
WehavesectarianterroristgroupsthatareouttokillShiasandAhmadis,soastoensuretheirspecificGod'snameissavedfromthe"evilofthesesects".Themostrecentexampleofthisphenomenonisthekillingofover200peopleinsectarianviolenceinGilgit-Baltistanon28thFebruaryand3rdApril-includingtheselectiveslaughteringofmorethana100Shiasinonego.
Lookingforpoliticalmileage,ImranKhanblamedthePPPgovernmentfortheviol
enceinastatementonApril7.Ifatanypointinthiscountry'shistory,anypoliticianhadbeengenuinelyconcernedaboutsectarianism,wewouldnothavebeeninthestatewearein.
InGilgit-Baltistan,whereShiasandtheSunnisoncehadintermarriages,communitygatherings,andcommonhospitalsandschools,theyhaveseparatedtheirareaswithpreciseboundaries.Theycannotevenusethesameroads,marketsandstreets,letalonemosques.Theentirepoliticsoftheregionaresectarianbased.
Beforepartition,sectarianismwasalmostunidentifiable.MuchofthiscouldbebecauseoftheinfluenceofSufisandPirs,butpeopleweregenerallypeaceful.InthecontemporaryPakistan,thingsstartedchangingandthesectariandivideincreasedbetweenthe1950sand1970s.ItallstartedwiththeidentifyingofAhm
adisasnon-Muslims,onwhichbothSunnisandShiasstrictlyagreed.ThenafewShia-Sunniclashestookplace,buttheyseemedmorepoliticallydrivenandpeopleremainedgenuinelypeacefulamongstthemselves.
ItwasinJanuary2005whenAghaZia-ud-dinRizvi,thepopularandrespectedShiaclericgotkilledthatpeoplewereoutragedandarealanimositywasseenamongstthem.Gravefearranthroughtheentireregion.Sunnimosqueswereattacked,andtherewasanoutburstofgunfireindifferentareas.Gilgit'spologroundwassovolatilethatarmyandparamilitarytroopswerecalledtocordontheareaoffandsearchforweapons.About35arrestsweremade,beforeSection144wasi
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mposed.Butthearrestedsuspectswerelaterallowedtogo.Andthatiswheretheproblemlies.EverytimeanyarrestsaremadeinG-B,theculpritsareeitherfacilitatedintheescape,orareofficiallyreleased.BothSunniandShiacommunitiessufferbecausejusticeisnotserved.
Thesecondmajorissueiswiththediscourse.Everytimethereisviolenceandbloodshed,ourintellectualsindulgeinrants,discussions,op-edsandresearchpapersonsectarianviolence.Therehasbeennostudyonwhatactuallycompelspeoplefromthesamecountryandthesamereligiontokilleachother.
Sincethemediaarenotveryefficientintheregionandeditorsarebasedinbiggercities,thereisadisconnectbetweenthenewsdeskandtheon-groundsituation.Thatallowsforbiasedreporting,orinmanycases,misreporting.
WhenIcomparethestatisticofkillingssincethe1980s,IfindaverycloselinkbetweenretaliatorySunnikillingsinsmalltribalareasandShiakillingsinmajorcities.InthecaseofGilgit-Baltistan,HanguandParachinar-whereSunnisareinminority-Sunnikillingsareneverrecordedorreported,whichmakesitachallengeforanyonelikemetoevencitethem.
Shiakillingareonamuchgreaterscaleandfrequencybuttounderstandwhatreallyexaggeratessectarianisminanyplace,isitnotimportanttotakeintoaccountbothsidesofthestory?IhavespokentodozensofShias,SunnisandIsmailisfromtheseareas,andtheyallhaveonethingincommon-thefearoftheot
her.ManyfamiliesinG-BwhohavehadShia-Sunniintermarriagesbeforetheconflictworsenedinthe1980s,havesenttheirchildrenouttootherpartsofthecountryorabroad,becausetheyfeelthreatenedfrombothsides.
Politicalnegligence,lawlessness,militaryregimes,andterroristattackshavecausedsectarianhatredamongthepeople,andwehavestartedtoworshipourownsectarianGodsratherthanoneGod.
Yes,weweptwithourAhmadibrothersinthe2010carnage,butwearestillouttogettheminschools,collegesandworkplaces.WedocryoverShiakillingsintribalareas,butstillhavenospacefortheminourmosques.
IwouldendwithanexcerptfromapoemcalledPsalmbyIranian-bornGermanpoet
SAID.
Lord
staybyme
evenifInourishmyselffromashesandsalt
bestillandlistentothatname
whichIlendtoyou
becauseIwanttodistinguishyoufromtheidols
grantmepatiencetoendurethosewhoarevain
withtheiremptywords
andtheconverts
whoarezealoustoconfirmtheiropposite
andgrant
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thatmywaitingbefullofrevolt
KiranNazishisajournalistandactivist.SheiscurrentlyresearchingondifficultissuesandareasofPakistan.
Source:http://www.thefridaytimes.com/beta3/tft/blog.php?blogstory=45
URL:http://newageislam.com/islam-and-sectarianism/kiran-nazish/all-hail-my-sectarian-god/d/7647