Level Playing Field
By – Shamim Masih
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| Shamim Masih |
ISLAMABA: Over
past 15 years of my life, I have observed that working in a Sunni dominated
country like Pakistan, on removing barriers to success like discrimination and
divisions is not only hard but impossible, especially when you belong to any of
the depressed community. During my career as writer, telephonic threats are a
routine but recent Youhanabad unpleasant incident has brought to the level to
think again the word “Pakistani Christians”. Youhanabad 2 Churches blast seems
very well planned to defame Christian’s character in Pakistan. On March 15,
2015, two suicide bombers attacked two churches in Youhanabad, Lahore. I
immediately planned to travel Lahore and informed my resident editor (Hanif
Sabir, Daily Khabrain-Islamabad) about the incident and went to Lahore.
However, I was considered absent and later was terminated from the job due to
absence. The mob reaction towards those two suspects was very natural who were
caught red-handed during the incident. Most media houses broadcast them that
they were facilitator to those suicide bombers. However, later they were shown
as innocent. It seems; it is done on certain pressure.
After this
incident, the local authorities and media has proved the two suspects as
innocent and tried to defame Christian character. I submitted this incident report
to British Pakistani Christian Association – BPCA and Wilson Choudhry usually
provides me assistance for reports. I welcome this tiny assistance because
reporting on Christian affairs is my passion not assignments. BPCA financial
assistance hardly meets the cost of my travelling and meal.
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| Copy of the application |
This Yohanabad
incident has not only left the oppressed community helpless but police
allegedly being detained and subjected to third-degree method without being
produced in any court. Police targeted the people who have ever raised voice
for the rights of the community. The list includes the names of the prominent
Christian rights activists like Aslam Parvaiz Sohtra, Sohail Johnson, Joseph
Francis and others. Apparently, these people have no link with the lynching. Unfortunately
two Christian MPAs from PML-N helped the police identify the suspected miscreant
and detain them. Aslam Parvaiz Sohtra visited me on 24th March; he was willing
to arrange candle vigil in Islamabad. The very next morning, he was arrested
from G-7 Islamabad and was shifted to Lahore. He is simply targeted for he was
open to raise his community rights.
The reaction
from the masses is not very encouraging either. The majority continue to remain
apathetic to the on-going persecution of our minorities. They refuse to
understand that standing up for them is a sacred duty entrusted upon us by our
faith. Christians are persecuted due to their faith. The very unfortunate
history of minorities in Pakistan is littered with violence and institutional
discrimination at all level. We receive a “step mother love” from the land we
belong to. Our patriotism is questioned and our loyalty to the country is often
mingled with doubt and suspicion. In Pakistan, the history of minorities in
general and Christian in particular is reddened with blood of innocents with
endless catalogues of persecution.
On March 29,
when I was on the way back to my home, when I was about to reach IJP road, two
motorcyclists assaulted me. As soon as I fell down on the ground, both shouted
to stop writing on Christian rights otherwise ready to face dire consequences.
They left me affronted there; after few minutes I managed my motorbike and went
to the doctor. I had injuries on my both knee and left arm with minor fracture.
The doctor managed the first aid pasted plaster on left arm. Later I went to
Police Station – PS I-9 and submitted an application of this incident. It is
not the first time that I am being targeted because of my faith. Earlier in 2013,
when I was working in my office, in the presence of other staff reporters in Daily
Khabrain, Kamal Asfer, a religious extremist attacked me on the basis of
different opinion. (Kamal Asfer, reportedly has close relations with Taliban
group and had been working for different religious groups).
Christians
find no protection of the law as their vulnerability is even exploited by the
laws itself since they give room for the wide misuse of Pakistan blasphemy
laws, which further compounds their precariousness, disillusionment and
alienation. Those Pakistanis who do speak up for Christian have themselves
become targets of violence. In the midst of this ever-increasing persecution
the terror-stricken Christians have no hope but to clamor for help to the
government which seem to have no ears at all. In most democracies around the
world, the law of the land should be the life blood for its citizens. It
protects and promotes basic and fundamental right of its citizens regardless of
race, religion, or any other background. However, in Pakistan, laws are more
often than not used to spite the weak and the vulnerable and they often support
the strong.
Laws should
be equally applied to everyone, but how far government has provided protection
and justice to the victims of persecution? How many of those who lynched a Christian
couple Shehzad and Shama have been charged with murder or terrorism? Who among
the attackers of Shanti Nagar or of Gojra and Korian and Joseph Colony has ever
been prosecuted? To fully understand the two-faced nature of Pakistan's
approach to justice system a recent statement of Pakistan Interior Minister,
Chaudhry Nisar is worth to mention here. Commenting on the post Lahore Church
blasts violence which saw two Muslim men burnt to death by violent Christians
Nisar said: "Lynching is the worst form of terrorism."
Without
doubt it is true that no one has a right to take law in its own hand and those
who perpetrated this heinous crime of lynching two men should be brought to
justice. Nevertheless, it is equally important to treat all citizens with
justice. True rule of law does not allow any sense of alienation or
stigmatization. To cap it all, no government minister attended the bereaved
families of Youhanabad at the time of writing these lines. It is the first and
foremost responsibility of the echelons of any state to provide legislation
which serves the weak and the strong alike. They have to ensure the laws are
applied equally to all citizens and that the justice system neither favor nor
discriminates anyone on grounds of their religion, race and background. And
equal opportunities should be given to every citizen of the country.
