Can we ever think positive? I wonder!!

Those Pakistanis who are trying to equate (knowingly, unknowingly, emotionally, rationally) the #Mashal Khan episode with the killing of Muslims in India for having beef or slaughtering cows, should see some clear differences:

1. Unlike secular India, Islamic Pakistan has taken steps in reaction. Pakistan looks like a functional state after the event. This is not the first time that the state has taken action/steps in a similar situation, the state has punished (i.e. hanged) at least 3 people in recent past for killing others in the name of religion. Remember this is an Islamic state which is usually considered to exhibit apologetic behavior in similar situations.
2. Cow is an animal whose meat is exported by India itself and there are many cows in the world. We do not see Muslims knowingly committing blasphemy against The Only Last Prophet (SAW).

The point here is not to start a debate, give an argument, defame India, or prove someone wrong… The point is that most of us have stopped thinking and seeing the positives. We only see negatives. Government taking action against people who kill others in the name of religion is a positive. Remain hopeful, and pray for more improvement, only if you have faith (in anything). Remain hopeless and keep shouting otherwise… But remember, things won’t change overnight…

May Allah guide all of us!!!

A message of tolerance to MQM

THIS is apropos of your editorial, ‘Bloodshed once more’ (Dec 2). While expressing concern about the violence in Karachi, you have correctly observed that the MQM chief Altaf Hussain’s warnings about the possible Talibanisation of this city wasn’t the right thing to do.

Also, that, undoubtedly, one of the reasons behind his warnings could be the migration to Karachi of a large number of refugees from Fata. You are also right in noting that there is no evidence that all of them are arriving here or that none of them intends to return home after things return to normality.

Perhaps this is the reason for the concern of the MQM leadership. Actually they do not want the demographic balance to shift to their disadvantage. However, they are reminded that some among them and all their elders had come to Sindh as migrants from India, a large part of the city’s populace, including my family, are ‘muhajirs’ in this sense.

Therefore, if our unfortunate brethren from a battle zone of their own country wish to find shelter with their relatives, friends or acquaintances settled in another part of the country, it is not proper for us to object to that.

Emerson had said: “It is a beautiful compensation of life that we cannot help another without being helped ourselves”. Hence, whichever way one looks at it, ultimately it will be to our own advantage (if one must view it in business terms) to help these uprooted, destitute and desperate folks, many of whom have lost their family members and relatives.

Such a selfness and humane approach will definitely increase the goodwill and tolerance between communities and lead to peace and prosperity for the city, province and country. If we can tolerate millions of folks from Bangladesh, Afgahnistan, Burma and other places, why must we turn Pakistanis away?

F. SIDDIQI
Karachi

DAWN - Letters; December 07, 2008

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