Conflict between Sunni Sect and Shia Sect of Islam is not new. It could be traced back according to many sources from the era of the four pious Caliphs. Many wars and major conflicts had been fought between these since decades. But as the time passes and Governments became more Secular in nature in nature equating all religions and sects as equal, these differences started to decrease.
When Pakistan came into being on 14th August 1947 the mood of the Government was more secular in nature meaning treating all sects and religions as equal citizens. All the political drama too at that time was among parties who were fighting on different visions and though there were religious political parties present but as they were not popular among the masses so they were usually united in their pursue of Power. Then came the black era of Pakistan when General Zia Ul Haq came into power and to strengthen his grip on a country which was ruled previously by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and in a move to make it a Saudi Arabia like country General Zia started to implement Sunni version of Islam especially with the ideas usually famous in Saudi Arabia. With the Oil boom Saudis were investing millions in preaching their sect worldwide and Pakistan enjoyed a special attention. They were the followers of extreme and strict Sunnah as described by the late Maulana Abdul Wahab of Najad.
This started to bring extremism in the country more and more. Wiith the Sunni side getting stronger the Biggest Shia supporter of the region also started to armed their side to give them equal stance against the opposition. Who was the winner in all this? The Middle men who were spreading hatred and were using it to make men against each other taking money from the two sides with their commission off course and the money was been used for "the Greater Good".
Sectarian violence started to increase in the middle 80's with both sides in a try to hit as much targets as they can. Civilians, Mosques, Leaders no one was safe. Sunnis attacking Shias and in response Shias retaliated by attacking Sunnis. Both sides sustained massive casualties with no one claiming that they won. Organizations like Sipah e Sahaba, Sipah e Muhammad, Lashkire Tayyiba etc were killing opposition whenever they can lay their hand on the opposition.
Then came the September 11 attack and the world changed. Afghanistan had which became the base of Talibans, who were also the strict followers of the same sect as of Saudi Arabia, were thrown away by the Northern Alliance (It seems to be an overstatement because they ran away into the hills strategically or whatever the reason was but that what happened). The sectarian violence which had reduced till the end of 90's was at its minimal during these years.
Shias, then what seems to be, stop using violence as an act of retaliation. But Talibans and their supporters had, had and it seems like will not do such act of "cowardliness". So they are still killing Shias wherever they can lay their hands on them. In many parts of Pashtunkhwa and Punjab Shias are instructed not to organize their Majlis and other religious activities because it is against their sect. If any religious Shia tries to do so these militants are using their presently most fearsome weapon, Suicide Bombing. Everywhere in Pakistan, these militants are attacking our Shia brothers just because they do not belong to their sect and to the view of Islam they are following.
Recent attacks in Chakwal are just one example of such attacks. Dera Ismail Khan might be the worst region hit by these act of violence. On August 19, 2008 a suicide bomber targeting Shias blew himself up in a hospital waiting room killing 32 people, including seven police officers who had been deployed to guard a local Shiite leader. On November 21, 2008, Shiite religious leader Allama Nazir Hussein Shah was shot dead in sectarian killing along with Shah Iqbal Hussain. During his funeral prayers, a suicide bomber blew him killing 9 people and injured 39. Once again, on February 20, 2009 a suicide bomber blew himself during a funeral procession of a Shia local killing more than 32 while injuring 157. Population of the region had in 1981 of 64,358 which reduced to in 1999 to 31,737, making it might be the only region of Punjab where there was such drastic drop in population and the main reason behind is the sectarian violence going on in the region which is making many people to leave the region or to die by the hands of these fanatics.
For these militants we can’t even give the argument that in Islam killing of one innocent person is actually the killing of whole humanity because for these criminal minded people there is no Muslim in the world except them and as others are not Muslim so they are free to kill anyone they like. So is being different a crime now? Yes in their view it is.
When Pakistan came into being on 14th August 1947 the mood of the Government was more secular in nature meaning treating all sects and religions as equal citizens. All the political drama too at that time was among parties who were fighting on different visions and though there were religious political parties present but as they were not popular among the masses so they were usually united in their pursue of Power. Then came the black era of Pakistan when General Zia Ul Haq came into power and to strengthen his grip on a country which was ruled previously by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and in a move to make it a Saudi Arabia like country General Zia started to implement Sunni version of Islam especially with the ideas usually famous in Saudi Arabia. With the Oil boom Saudis were investing millions in preaching their sect worldwide and Pakistan enjoyed a special attention. They were the followers of extreme and strict Sunnah as described by the late Maulana Abdul Wahab of Najad.
This started to bring extremism in the country more and more. Wiith the Sunni side getting stronger the Biggest Shia supporter of the region also started to armed their side to give them equal stance against the opposition. Who was the winner in all this? The Middle men who were spreading hatred and were using it to make men against each other taking money from the two sides with their commission off course and the money was been used for "the Greater Good".
Sectarian violence started to increase in the middle 80's with both sides in a try to hit as much targets as they can. Civilians, Mosques, Leaders no one was safe. Sunnis attacking Shias and in response Shias retaliated by attacking Sunnis. Both sides sustained massive casualties with no one claiming that they won. Organizations like Sipah e Sahaba, Sipah e Muhammad, Lashkire Tayyiba etc were killing opposition whenever they can lay their hand on the opposition.
Then came the September 11 attack and the world changed. Afghanistan had which became the base of Talibans, who were also the strict followers of the same sect as of Saudi Arabia, were thrown away by the Northern Alliance (It seems to be an overstatement because they ran away into the hills strategically or whatever the reason was but that what happened). The sectarian violence which had reduced till the end of 90's was at its minimal during these years.
Shias, then what seems to be, stop using violence as an act of retaliation. But Talibans and their supporters had, had and it seems like will not do such act of "cowardliness". So they are still killing Shias wherever they can lay their hands on them. In many parts of Pashtunkhwa and Punjab Shias are instructed not to organize their Majlis and other religious activities because it is against their sect. If any religious Shia tries to do so these militants are using their presently most fearsome weapon, Suicide Bombing. Everywhere in Pakistan, these militants are attacking our Shia brothers just because they do not belong to their sect and to the view of Islam they are following.
Recent attacks in Chakwal are just one example of such attacks. Dera Ismail Khan might be the worst region hit by these act of violence. On August 19, 2008 a suicide bomber targeting Shias blew himself up in a hospital waiting room killing 32 people, including seven police officers who had been deployed to guard a local Shiite leader. On November 21, 2008, Shiite religious leader Allama Nazir Hussein Shah was shot dead in sectarian killing along with Shah Iqbal Hussain. During his funeral prayers, a suicide bomber blew him killing 9 people and injured 39. Once again, on February 20, 2009 a suicide bomber blew himself during a funeral procession of a Shia local killing more than 32 while injuring 157. Population of the region had in 1981 of 64,358 which reduced to in 1999 to 31,737, making it might be the only region of Punjab where there was such drastic drop in population and the main reason behind is the sectarian violence going on in the region which is making many people to leave the region or to die by the hands of these fanatics.
For these militants we can’t even give the argument that in Islam killing of one innocent person is actually the killing of whole humanity because for these criminal minded people there is no Muslim in the world except them and as others are not Muslim so they are free to kill anyone they like. So is being different a crime now? Yes in their view it is.
No comments:
Post a Comment