Hazara Pool of Blood

With the dawn of 2013, people prayed for the horrors of 2012 to end, to not to see those horrific sights again. However, it all went against their expectations; it only became more horrific.

Approximately 300 Shias lost their lives, in two attacks, within a time span of 40 days.  It must be noted that the systematic genocide of Shias continues on ideological, communal and political-administrative grounds. Just as any other religion being practiced in the world, Islam also preaches love for humanity. But what could anybody do if people start considering them illegitimate and should either convert or wipe them off? This is where our society has gone wrong.  Muslims in Pakistan often speak about the ethnic cleansing of Brother Muslims in Bosnia, victimization of Palestinians, massacre of people of Kashmir and the onslaught of Taliban in Afghanistan when they were in power.

In our society, a certain clan has taken killing Shias as an essential part of Islam and so persecution of given has become must for a major sect in order to purify and attain a higher level in religion.  It is a society, where poverty, joblessness and lack of knowledge are out of control and dangerous weapons are available to masses. It becomes easier for people to reside to violence in order to execute people belonging to some other school of thought.

Thus, Pakistan has become a killing field of Shias in a more systematic manner. The breeding grounds for religious extremism can be traced back to seminaries and madressas, a few decades ago. It was these religious schools which were initially used by Zia to nurture so-called jihadist for the Afghan war and then for Kashmir.  These madressas, instead of creating humans and honourable citizens of society have nurtured beasts in form of humans. The cornerstone of their education was hatred against other beliefs.

In a practical democratic system, execution of a sect on such a large scale would have changed the government. However, unfortunately it was the refusal of the Hazaras from burying their dead, which brought our government, other political parties and the Cheap Justice into action.

Imran Khan and other religious parties state that foreign agencies are behind destabilizing Pakistan. Despite many conspiracy theories being hatched, should we not ask our fellow citizens why we have groups like SSP, LeJ, and ASWJ who are allowed to operate with such independence? Is it not a fact that the Supreme Court of Pakistan freed the head of LeJ? Is it not true that the Punjab government was providing remuneration to the family of an accused? Is it not a fact that witnesses, lawyers and judges have been targeted for speaking against these organizations? Isn’t it true that we remain silent on persecution of minorities?

Lastly, I would just like to say thank you to the Australian government for offering asylum to the Hazara families affected by these mass killings, for our own government still is unashamed and too busy with minting money and too irresponsible to provide security for its people.

There will be a day when these militant organizations will come after your family, just because you think differently from them. Then, there would be no one to raise a voice for you, because while your fellow citizens were in trouble and needed your help, you only sat and watched in the comforts of your home.