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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