"No Muslim can do this"

Attack on Data Darbar is a continuation of the same events in which Pakistanies are under attack by the few ‘Faithfuls’. Its not an event in isolation and its not a solitary attack on Braylvies. Its essentially the same wave of attacks [based on religious hatred] in which Christians, Hindues, Shiites and Ahmedies were targeted in the past. After the attack, watching the so called ‘Azad Media’, I noted a theme, which was recurrent with slight change of words. ‘no muslim can do this’, ‘this is not done by any Muslim’, ‘how a Muslim can think of doing such a horrific event’, ‘those who did this are not Muslims’. I ask a question from myself are they really not Muslims or are we just in a state of mind, called denial? Are we trying to find out the excuses to blame ’some one else’ but Muslims?

Muslims have been involved in killing of other Muslims for centuries on religious grounds. If we analyse the history, 3 out of the 4 of our pious Caliphs were killed by the people who claim to be Muslims. Prophet’s Household [peace be upon them] were slaughtered in Karballa by their fellow Muslims. Not just slaughtered but mutilated,their dead bodies chopped into pieces and were not allowed to be buried properly. During the Caliphate we killed each others without hesitations, when ever needed to be. In recent past we can remember the events of Mazar-e-Sharif when Talibans [Muslims] captured it, they killed 15000 Shiites and then didn’t allowed their dead bodies to be buried rather let it rotten so that dogs and other animals can eat them. This was an exhibit of their religious hatred against Shiites. Our brave [Muslim] Army is alleged to kill hundreds of thousands of poor Bengalies. Most of you will remember the picture of dead body of Najibullah hanging from a traffic signal[shown above] , castrated and his penis put in his mouth. This was done in the name of Islam, as is evident from the statement by the Taliban official “He killed so many Islamic people and was against Islam and his crimes were so obvious that it had to happen. He was a communist…”.

In 1990s Shiites were killed , their Majalises were bombed, their intellectuals and community leaders were targeted, by whom, our Sunni brothers. They, not just taken responsibility of it, but also took pride in it and did it as their religious duty. I feel sorry for those so-called analysts and politicians who think that all this started post 9/11. Christians and Hindues were persecuted and our ‘faithful brothers’ were involved in it. It was ‘Mullah Radio’ who was on killing spree in Swat and it was ‘Mohtaram’ Sufi Mohammad and his fellows who dugged out the dead body of Pir Sami Ullah of Swat, that was mutilated and then hanged on a crossroad. Those were our ‘faithful brothers’ who attacked and bombed the mazar of Rehman Baba. Those were our ‘faithful brothers’ who attacked Ahmdies in Lahore. PML N Govt still holds one of them but doesn’t want the pubic to know that, he is our own home grown ‘Muslim brother’ trained in a madrissa and inspired by some so-called scholars.

Most of the above mentioned events were/are driven by the religious hatred. This hatred is still being taught, preached and propagated in most madrissas in Pakistan. This hate is also being propagated day in, day out on TV, radio and newspapers. When we allow teachings like ‘Ahmedies are murtid hence wajib Ul qatl’, ‘Shiites are blasphemous to Sahabah hence wajib ul qatl’, ‘Braylvies are mushriq, Shirq is the worst crime of all, Data Darbar is the hub of ‘Shirq’ hence Braylvies are wajib ul qatl’, ‘Christians and Hindues are blasphemous to the Prophet Muhammad hence wajib ul qatl’, then what we are seeing is a logical consequence. Most of us were and are silent on the propagation of this hatred just because it was not against us. Muslims remained silent when Hindues are Christians were targeted by the barbarics. Braylvies and Ahmedies remained silent when Shiites were under attack. Shiites and Braylvies remained silent when Ahmedies were slaughtered. Now its the turn of Brayvlies and others are somewhat silent or just giving verbal condemnations. As long as we come out and speak against this hatred,which is the root cause of it, we all are in it and sooner or later we will be attacked.

ظلم سہنا بھی تو ظالم کی حمایت ٹھہرا ——- خاموشی بھی تو ہوئی پشت پناہی کی طرح

-by Dr Khawaja Muhammad Awais Khalil