The killing of Christians in Peshawar

The long list of literatures and textbooks tell us that Liaquat Ali Khan, prime minister in the nascent days of Pakistan, was initially hesitant in declaring Pakistan an Islamic state because he feared that would endanger the rights of the minorities. Despite his apparent ignorance of the Islamic stance in this matter, he seemed to have accurately guessed the mindset of the “Muslims” living in the Land of the Pure. For many centuries, Muslims have been plagued by this one disease: self-righteousness. We are under the impression that merely being born in Muslim households elevates our status over all others and ensures our salvation in the Hereafter. Our actions don’t seem to matter to us as long as we recite the Shahadah. Minorities are deemed as the ones condemned to Hell, regarding whom our sense of duty miserably falls short. We use derogatory words for Christian minorities in Pakistan and, just like the Hindus do with the Shudra caste, we consider Christians to be unclean. This conceited and horrible attitude, while being repulsive to a normal human mind, is absolutely despicable when observed in the light of Qur’an: Allah’s book condemned the arrogant and self-righteous behavior of the Jews.

And they (Jews) say, “The fire shall not touch us but for a few numbered days.” Say (O Muhammad to them): “Have you taken a covenant from Allah, so that Allah will not break His Covenant? Or is it that you say of Allah what you know not?” (Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #80)

Because they (Jews) say: “There is no blame on us to betray and take the properties of the illiterates (Arabs).” But they tell a lie against Allah while they know it. (Aal-e-Imran, Chapter #3, Verse #75)

What is truly sad is the attitude of the educated middle class in Pakistan. Rather than actively fighting against such discrimination, they inculcate it in their children by telling them that Christians are unclean and only good enough to clean toilets. These kalima-go claimants of piety humiliate the people whom the Qur’an calls Ahl-e-Kitab (the People of the Book) and forget in their piety that Muslim men can marry Christian women! On one hand, Allah allows such a sacred relationship to be formed with the Ahl-e-Kitab, on the other, our Pure Brethren in Pakistan are busy brainwashing their children to hate and make disgusted faces. The Muslims in Egypt are also setting an example in ethnic hatred. Welcome to the world of 21st century Ummah.

We don’t raise our voices when we see that the majority of our Christian community lives an existence of abject poverty. We remain silent when Ahmedis are openly prosecuted around us. We watch as bystanders when innocent people are killed under the discriminatory Pakistani blasphemy lawswhich have made a mockery of Islam. We deliberately remain ignorant when we see government authorities taking advantage of our collective disrespect for non-Muslims. They know that Pakistani ‘Muslims’ will not lift an eyebrow if a Christian village is torched or if women and children are blown to pieces in a church.

This mindset of ours contributes to atrocities such as the recent attack on a church in Peshawar that has claimed numerous innocent lives. We might not have dropped the bomb but we are certainly responsible for providing manpower and excuses to terrorist groups. Our failure to open up the Qur’an ourselves has given power to the clergy to brainwash the masses. We put mocking headlines in national newspapers while the ‘unclean’ Ahl-e-Kitab stood shocked in their grief.  Our aggression regarding our religion fuels this terrorism. Our self-righteousness and lack of respect for other belief systems has led to this oppression of the minorities. Above all, our constant refusal to realise our mistakes and rectify our actions is what’s preventing us from changing this state of affairs.

Another contributing factor in this recent attack is our collective national delusion that Pakistan is a fort of Islam. The faction of Taliban responsible for this church attack has declared it a reaction to drone attacks and has professed to continue attacking foreigners and non-Muslims until the drones are stopped. Could there be more ludicrous reasoning?? Killing of innocents to prevent the killing of innocents in the same country!!! Their reasoning is that since Pakistan is considered the heart of Islam and Muslims, so any non-Muslims residing here are to be thrown into the same category as the misguided, ‘hell-worthy’ foreigners. Attacking foreigners is difficult, so they have resorted to this cowardly act of assaulting their unarmed fellow citizens in their places of worship.

Islam has clearly instructed us to respect the religious sites of all other creeds since all such sites are the symbols of godliness. Classical fuqaha stood unanimous in their consensus that Muslims cannot damage the places of worship of other faiths in their protection (dhimmies). The early Muslims created a civilisation known for its tolerance: it was the place where Jews sought sanctuary from persecution by Christians. Spain is a monument to this tolerance and the Coptic Christians in Egypt have lived together with Muslims for centuries. But the ill-mannered kalima-reciter of the 21^st century has decided to blow them to pieces and call it Islamic. Our inter-faith and inter-sectarian hatred has stemmed from our own ignorance rather than from any Qur’anic revelation. When Islam has clearly denounced taking of innocent lives, even during wars, then is it possible that the teachings of Islam will accommodate a brutal attack on non-Muslims in the state of peace?

It is high time we analyse our own contribution to this. What are we teaching our children at home? We need to become aware of how we are mocking Islam in our daily lives, our conversations, our social interactions. Islam will continue to be hijacked by these groups of unthinking, aggressive murderers like the Taliban unless and until educated Muslims start owning it. Our religion has been lost in our cultural practices and our horrible prejudices. It is time we rediscover it.

I am a devout Muslim and my heart is bleeding for Peshawar and Nairobi killings. With this forum, I sincerely apologize the Christian and other brethren for the harm done to them by my fellow Muslims. Islam never permits these kinda acts but I am sure the self-styled west planted Mullahs have brainwashed the Muslim youths to win the ugly struggle between the Islam and the west.

Sorry ALLAH, sorry folks.
Shahab Shabbir
Muzaffarpur City, INDIA

Courtesy: The Real Islam Blog