Various cities in the
upper parts of Pakistan were jolts by earthquake tremors on Tuesday, February
28, 2017. I heard one of my friend saying that God is angry with us and thus
there are earthquakes and other natural disasters etc. It is common practice in Pakistani society;
especially Muslim prayer leader decry in Friday prayer sermon counting the
possible reasons why God is angry and reasons of natural disasters. The major
reasons quoted are: selling alcohol, committing adultery especially during
Ramanza, Women going out for shopping in the markets, co-education system and
youth using mobile phones and latest technology. These are botched up
priorities and it is very painful to see the priority list of do’s and don’ts
of the Moulana’s.
Looking analytically, what is
agonizing is when mentioning sins, the sin of telling lie, cheating, hypocrisy,
bribery, killing poor and innocent people, injustice from bottom to top, child
abuse even in Madrisas (seminaries), adulteration of foodstuff and medicines
are conveniently overlooked by the religious leadership and elders of the
society. I am not supporter to those mentioned above but we can realize that
selling wine would be one or few persons rest are teetotalers. Fornication
would an individual act so how comes so grave a sin in the whole society. These
could be sins but major sins are overlooked and moulana sahib straight away
jumps to mention drinking, dancing, modern dressing and using cell phones etc
etc.
For those who believe, actually
God is unhappy because of our botched up priorities. Bribery is now accepted as
norm, people give false testimony in sensitive legal cases like blasphemy and
then proudly mention it to others. (It is pertain to mention that for giving
testimony usually oath is taken on Religious books) Telling lies has become a
regular affair and being truthful and righteous is considered a weakness.
Discrimination and in-equality against special segment of the society. And thus
God is unhappy and keeps warning us to sort out our priorities.
Superiority complex and force
imposition have made this world hell. There is no peace, stability, security
and equality in the society. Freedom of speech is merely seen in papers but
claimed all over. The poor is becoming poorer and rich is more rich. Thus poor
especially religious minorities are at risk. Hundreds of individuals have been
falsely accused because of property disputes or personal vengeance. Blasphemy
laws put Christians and other religious minorities at risk. Discriminatory laws
restricted minorities’ representatives to grow in all avenues of life. Touching
Quran or any other book of Islam, expressing or publishing atheistic opinions
and preaching of other religion are consider as crime in Pakistan. Christians
are often falsely accused of participating in these activities, but in and of
themselves these laws are unjust constraints on religious freedom.
Christians and other religious
minorities should be free to exercise their religion without fear of unjust
persecution. This has to end, we must not rest until there is peace, security
and equality for Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan. This
creates a stigma which condemns religious minorities to live under the
permanent threat of death. The lives of poor hang on a very thin thread.
