My God, your God
by Zeresh on 11 27th, 2010 | Comments (90)
As part of a reporting assignment for a feature story on the blasphemy law in Pakistan, my colleague and I visited a Hindu temple in Karachi. We were fortunate enough to be allowed to take pictures inside the temple – where cameras are normally prohibited.
Having seen Hindu deities only in Bollywood movies before, I was fascinated by how the gods and goddesses were captured by hard lines and bold colors. The sheer vibrance of the scene sent me in a clicking frenzy.
I thought it only fair to share my aesthetically satisfying experience by posting those pictures on Facebook. An uncommon sight in Pakistan, it was sure to get a reaction out of my photographically-inclined friends.
And reactions I did get; none of which spoke about my pictures.
One of my closest friends, a Muslim, commented on a picture of Kaali Maa. She later defended the comment, which was in regards to the severed head of a demon the goddess holds in one of her hands, in a humorous context rather than an offense to anyone.
This did not go down well with my Hindu friends, inevitably an avalanche of “hate notifications” was promptly sent my way.
In hopes of getting an apology from the Muslim friend, I was further rebuked for putting up pictures of Hindu deities in the first place. (I must have missed the law against it.)
Caught between colourful accusations from both sides about the others religion, I was momentarily disoriented about what the crux of the issue actually was. It would be a good time to tell you here that I am a practicing Christian – Protestant.
I struggled to wrap my mind around this sudden and immense burst of hatred I felt from people I loved dearly. Amid the blame game it was interesting to be pointed out as an “irresponsible” minority.
What was ironic was that these pictures were part of a project highlighting the blasphemy law itself!
My agenda-less attempt at photography had somehow turned into a vicious ‘Muslim-hate-Hindu, Hindu-hate-Christian’ circle. I was baffled at the degree of intolerance – which before this I knew was breeding in some strata of society – just not mine.
Torn between lifelong friendships and this growing sense of disgust at the holier than thou, I found myself wondering who these people really were and how I had managed to befriend them. Who, without a moment’s hesitation, had brazenly uncloaked themselves, daggers drawn, gallantly rising as defenders of their respective faiths, waving this seemingly legitimate permission slip in my face which allowed them to validate themselves over the “other” – who had created this very strong moral sense of right and wrong in any religious group?
Perhaps what was most terrifying for me to realise was that religious intolerance seemed to be strongest among educated, prosperous people.
In view of the latest speculations over the blasphemy law in the country, asking for a repeal of it seems utterly hopeless when you realise how second nature it is for an overwhelming majority of the population to “make jokes” about prophets, gods and goddesses. The solution lies not in merely the changing of any laws but mindsets – The daunting task of convincing people to be kind.
Today’s “Quote of the week” section in the Dawn Newspaper has one of Napoleon’s finest:
“The world suffers a lot. Not because of the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of good people.”
So then good people, what do you have to say?
Zeresh John is a multimedia content producer for Dawn.com.
The views expressed in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
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90 Responses to “My God, your God”
Aamenah says:
December 1, 2010 at 23:37
Very well said, Zeresh. The real problem is indeed with mindsets, not laws.
Kashan says:
December 1, 2010 at 23:25
Dear blogger, you are either acting very naive or you don’t know what time it is. But I like the idea of trying to bring people together. However, I’m surprised that you didn’t know that people hate each other in Pakistan – we would think of any possible difference (incl. religion) and start hating each other for that but moderate muslims love to pick up on Islam as a reason behind this. Why do people hate each other in Pakistan? because of poverty, injustice, disrespect, insecurity and disappointment and many other similar reasons.
I think blasphemy law is alright, but yes, we need to change the mindset. Nobody wants to see the blasphemy law exercised because that would involve insulting their sacred personalities so everybody wants a mindset change, but this should not be used as an excuse for making blasphemy law useless.
Also, I think it is wrong to stereotype the muslims as narrow minded and intolerant – which is what the elite and moderate muslims like to do and people of religious minorities in a very cautious and calculated way do not disagree with. My sister and mother (both wearing hijab OF THEIR OWN ACCORD) came to england and were very happy to visit the local church and I have normally found other muslims to be open and curious in a similar way. However, by now the whole world knows how we feel about anybody disprespecting our holy figures and out of respect for this sensitivity anybody should avoid doing it. But nobody ever blaims the perpetrators of blashphemy despite the warning but everybody starts to cause commossion against the blasphemy law.
Tahir Rizvi says:
December 1, 2010 at 21:15
God almighty is forgiving. If we all were to be judged strictly, the heaven would be a very small place and the hell would be very over crowded. Many Mullahs will not be able to withstand strict judgment, the kind these Mullahs tend to dispense to minorities. We all should fear God while dispensing Judgments. Be forgiving. All Prophets have set examples of how to be forgiving and fair.
hansa says:
December 1, 2010 at 9:36
can we expect our maulvis or people in general to understand the power of honesty and forgiveness. according to the maulvi who reported Aasia to the police where Aasia was honest enough to admit that she was wrong and bold enough to ask for forgiveness. i don’t think so!
Where INSECURITY breeds MISTRUST, it is so understandable that HONESTY and FORGIVENESS is replaced by MANIPULATION and PUNISHMENT.
Michael Santellan says:
December 1, 2010 at 6:23
Is your god Creator? My God says this — 7:16 And thou shalt say unto him: The LORD the God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee saying: Let My people go that they may serve Me in the wilderness; and behold hitherto thou hast not hearkened; thus saith the LORD: In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD behold I will smite with the rod that is in my hand upon the waters which are in the river and they shall be turned to blood.
Janjua says:
November 30, 2010 at 21:55
Zeresh,
Thanks for the blog. I solute your courage in making an effort to bridge the gaps and bring together followers of different faiths. Pakistan was meant to be a secular and modern country as we can clearly see in Quaid’s speech of 11th August, 1947. Unless an untell we separate the religion from the affairs of state, we can’t proceed as a country. He was right when he declared that “Religion has nothing to do with the business of state.”
The only reason Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah has helped Muslims in getting a separate land was that economically Muslims as a nation were less privilliged and less educated. He wanted to help Muslims economically in an atmosphere where they can grow and live peacefully with followers of other religions. This is a tragedy that we have made our country a theocracy and our country is now in the grip of same Mulla’s who have opposed the creation of Pakistan.
Ragu says:
November 30, 2010 at 19:06
Hello John,
I am a devout Hindu. Visited Jumma Masjid in New Delhi and workshiped for few minutes. Felt great. Every time I pass a Masjid in India, I remove my shows and say a prayer to GOD.
We all have so many friends of all faith and we probably can respect every one of the religions.
I am glad you write about the universal nature of GOD and Religions. Islam is gift of GOD to all of man kind and not merely to a single nation, a single language-people or a single tribe.
SSK says:
November 30, 2010 at 14:41
Very impressive. Boldly and so effectively conveyed such a colossal flaw in our society. Before any law and any policy, it IS the mindsets that need to be changed, just like you said.
Zahid Anwar says:
November 30, 2010 at 10:34
You are in the wrong country dude!
Sana Hameed Baba says:
November 29, 2010 at 17:48
Well said John.
Cincorios says:
November 29, 2010 at 17:01
Nice blog!
Though “my God, your God”, is where the problem lies … “There is only one God”…
Mehrunnisa says:
November 29, 2010 at 15:55
i would love to see the pictures of the temple. i think it is great that you are trying to break down the walls of insularity. unfortunately as a nation we have very little tolerance for diversity. i wish pakistani’s would display curiosity about other religions and places of worship as you find people who travel to countries like turkey and visit our places of worship.
roxane says:
November 28, 2010 at 20:27
I think if the blasphemy law is finished it won’t matter, because someone surely will see to it that the person who committed blasphemy is finished off. you cant change the mind set by changing the law.
Brown Belt says:
November 28, 2010 at 17:49
That is a actually well thought out post. I certainly enjoyed reading it. Thanks
Feroz says:
November 28, 2010 at 8:23
A friend’s mother just returned from Jerusalem as she wanted to “walk the path that Jesus walked”. The interesting thing is that she is a devout Hindu (a Tamil Hindu). When I kinda raised my eyebrows in “really” (as in what do Hindus have to do with where Jesus walked). To that my friend says: If you let us come into your sacred and holy places, we will even worship your God.
A very nice writeup Zeresh John.
Aninda J Chowdhury says:
November 29, 2010 at 15:37
True Feroz ! I being a devotee of Ramakrishna Mission have learnt to worship other religions also if I visit their holy places. Swami Vivekananda rightfully said every religion shows us the truth and we just need to be tolerant to each other.
sajid absar says:
November 28, 2010 at 8:20
As long as there is ‘too much religion’ in pakistan, people will not get better,
but worst. Religion makes people Bigots.
Dr. Bakshi says:
November 29, 2010 at 14:06
I totally agree with you Sajid, and it applies to the entire subcontinent, not only Pakistan.
Raja Hindustani says:
November 28, 2010 at 18:58
well said Sajid!
Too much religion just breeds bigotry!
Club Penguin field ops says:
November 28, 2010 at 6:31
Good stuff. I enjoyed the read.
siddiqi says:
November 28, 2010 at 6:30
thank you for your courage, may God bless you and keep you safe in this mad environment.
xeeshan says:
November 28, 2010 at 3:47
“Perhaps what was most terrifying for me to realise was that religious intolerance seemed to be strongest among educated, prosperous people.”
Terrifying indeed! The rise of intolerance among the rich and educated seems to be due to a rise in religious fervor itself. Good article.
faraz says:
November 28, 2010 at 3:28
Zeresh i do not fully understand your defination of religious intolerance. As for the pictures these basically are a direct insult to islam’s basic principle “that is there is god but allah… ”
living in an islamic country with 97% muslim population i seriously think u shud hav been more considerate to our traditions, culture and norms.
Does your defination of religious intolerance means that muslims have no right to protect thier own religon?? in a country where they greatly outnumber christans or the hindus.yes i can understand they have to limit therselves in the west where they hav no say in anything.atleast we can protect our customs and beliefs here in OUR OWN COUNTRY.
Jim says:
November 30, 2010 at 23:44
Faraz, i think you missed the meaning of the word tolerant… Because Pakistan is 97 % Muslims, they need to be tolerant of the other 3 % and not feel threatened by their faith. Please explain to me how can those pictures be a direct insult to Islam? Were they pictures of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)? I understand that being an insult and offensive. But how can sharing images of another religion be insulting, does the Holy Quran say that?
The keyword in Zeresh’s blog is “Mindset” and you fit the bill like it or not. Open your mind and learn to be tolerant to others and you will find your self to be less angry and more happy!
Umesh says:
November 30, 2010 at 11:03
Something is terribly wrong with this line of thought – only a fanatic can think on this line. Facebook is an American company, so when you access facebook, you have entered US site on the internet. It is no more Pakistan. To access one’s facebook, you have to go to their facebook page. Now, why did the so called muslims took initiative to go to her facebook page and clicked on the photos to see them? No one forced people to go there to see those photos. So asking Zeresh to be more considerate toward your tradition, culture and norms is utterly nonsense. Also, as others have pointed out – is your religion so flimsy and shallow that you get offended as soon as you see pictures of statues? No wonder Taliban fanatics destroyed Bamiyan Buddha statues. So what is your definition of protecting your religion? By killing everyone and destroying all material which doesn’t conform to your worldview?
Mariam says:
December 1, 2010 at 3:07
shame…
Benish says:
November 29, 2010 at 12:35
Do you really think that our religion is that weak to get endangered by mere posting of some esthetically nice photographs?…
True, it is our belief that “there is no god but Allah” but it should not be imposed to others’ beliefs.. everyone has his own belief which should be mutually respected..
PriyaSuraj says:
November 29, 2010 at 10:40
Why does any religion need to be saved? If its the best (thats what we all believe about their faith) it will survive. Everyone has a right to protect their customs, but are customs more important than the life of a person?
Mahira says:
November 28, 2010 at 20:43
Faraz:
Please explain how putting these pictures are a direct insult to Islam? That is equivalent to saying that the existence of non-muslims is a threat to Islam. Its a really warped theory.
As for your majority argument, the largest religion in this world is christianity – does that mean that we should oppress all other faiths, including Islam, and not allow them to practice it?
How is insulting another faith protecting your own? Why can they not co-exist? And which custom of yours is being “unprotected” with these pictures?
As for ur retort about our country – lets look at the address made by the Father of the nation to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan:
” …. We must learn a lesson from this. You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the State.”
http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/legislation/constituent_address_11aug1947.html
Usman says:
November 28, 2010 at 20:23
Your customs and belief shouldnt be so weak that they need censorship for protection.
Shafi says:
November 28, 2010 at 19:14
faraz, what do you actually mean by ‘protect their religion’? How do you protect a religion by killing people?Are there no peaceful means to protect your religion? Dialogue dear brother dialogue.
Zaki says:
November 29, 2010 at 12:48
@faraz
Does an “Islamic” country prohibit its “non-Islamic citizens” from showing mere photos of their religious “artifacts? i m afraid i would dislike to live in such a state!
u got ur definition of a STATE wrong my friend. A state is one which sees its citizens as one and provides the rights to them regardless of their colour,religion,caste,creed or even gender!So the whole concept of an “Islamic state” falls back under this def.
Shafi says:
November 28, 2010 at 1:36
Religion does not preach hate, it is the preachers of the religion who preach hate by distorting the truth. Blasphemy law is the brainchild of distorted individuals who can not tolerate any criticism. There have been many incidents insulting Islam through out the world leading to protests sometimes violent but what did they achieve in the end? nothing but more hatred against Islam and Muslims.
2 days ago a schoolgirl in Birmingham was arrested because she burnt an English translation of the Quraan. It caused an uproar by the Christians and Hindus on the internet against Muslims, Islam and the Quraan in the name of free speech. Muslims did not even say anything. These hate mongers did not write against the police or the law which was in fact used against the ‘Muslim’ public speakers who preached hate. There are 5 billion non Muslims in the world and some of them will insult any religion including all the major ones. The only way to face them is to be kind to them following the Prophet (pbuh)’s examples. All blasphemy laws should be changed and there should be no death penalty.
DARA KHAN says:
November 28, 2010 at 1:30
In all these million years religions have fueled / or accomplished one & only one objective…divide humanity into groups. We are all humans before any religion dictates us what to do or follow. What is difference between (Muslim Allah / Christian God / Hindu Bhaghwan) or any other religon on earth GOD. Cant we have one religon of love for humanity and peace. Pakistan has jungle laws and religion practices goes back to 14th century. Zia brought disaster after disaster in Pakistan. Today all these luantics are trying to bring Pakistan to disaster or living hell. We need to educate and get rid of them immediately before its too late to return.
Jim says:
November 30, 2010 at 23:54
Well Said!
gandhi says:
November 28, 2010 at 1:05
Religion is an alien concept to the natives of all lands, be they are in Africa, Americas, Australia or most of Asia. It is a concept originated in 4th century and took a very devious imperialist ideology which destroyed native spirituality, culture and languages of Africa, Asia and in 15th century Americas and Australia. Tis imperialist ideology wiped out natives of Americas and to a large extent of Africa. Communism and extreme capitalism is also offshoot of this imperialist ideology. In last 1600 years religions caused more deaths, destruction and rapes. It utterly brutalized most of the world. Compare that to Ashoka giving up wars after winning the Kalinga war. His daughter and sons going to Sri Lanka and other distant lands to spread the message of peace. Boudhi Dharma from south India, in particular Andhra spreading message of Gautama Boudha in China without asking them to give up their Chinese names, language and culture. It happened without a Dharmik reaching China with a sword. Oh natives, give up identity based on religion. Too long you have been brutalized by this alien concept which makes you a cannon fodder in wars of alien imperialists.
good2rely says:
December 1, 2010 at 2:16
Possessiveness of faith caused all this. I am right is the reason…not faith
Being born in a faith is not ones doing…so no reason to be possessive.
Humbleness Kindness and sharing is actual faith….Not arrogance.
Many many persons in western countries,particularly USA dont believe in religion But they act like a faithful in quality.
Bhuddists or christaians are taught of peace…but World wars shared by them donot speak of it. So it is Act…with or without religion.
Poo says:
November 28, 2010 at 0:29
Nothing against this article….but I think it is nauseating to find that pakistani national newspapers and associated blogs keep returning to subjects of islam, partition,jinnah, ummah, etc.
Go to arab states and see how pakistanis are treated by natives.
the americans will send a mission to mars. the chinese will follow. the indians are aiming for the moon. the world is looking ahead for newer technology, better quality of life for its citizens, for better energy and food security.
but pakistan continues to be regressive, insulated, mired in islam, jinnah, ummah, kashmir, palestine, taliban, etc.
This country is in self-destruct mode. Only God (if He exists) can save this country.
Sk.Fariduddin says:
November 28, 2010 at 0:04
–” silence of good people ”
—yes for that bad peoples are in the lead–
– and the sufferings of the—
—innocent// poor majority.
— good article.
farid,
a BANGLADESHI,FROM–
TX,
USA.
Arun Kapoor says:
November 27, 2010 at 22:52
Hinduism is not only about idol worship or Kaali maa. A sizeable section of Hindus do not believe in idol worship. There diversity between Hindus is so wide is that there is simply nothing common between a Kashmiri Hindu or a Tamil Hindu but they dont blow each others up for not following their interpretation of the religion. One more point I want to make is muslims like Zakir Naik never lose a chance to run down other religions but they are ardent advocates of death sentence for insulting Islam.
Peter Alexander says:
November 27, 2010 at 22:49
Bring in secular education in Pakistan. Education based on reason and not meta-physics. Most importantly let all the girls in Pakistan get this secular education. For they are the ones as future mothers influence the child most. Let the Quran be at home and in the Mosque. There will not be any conflict between science and math and the Quran.
ayesha khan says:
November 27, 2010 at 22:42
The Muslims throughout the world came out in streets and protested against Danish cartoons which were not even published in their country. Even 5 years later people fulminate against those cartoons and countless foiled plots to to harm the newspaper’s editorial team.
The blasphemy law is alive and well in Pakistan with Aasia Bibi its latest victim.
Yet somehow you expect that Hindus should not even express their anger verbally when your Muslim friend makes a ‘humorous comment’ about Goddess Kali? Youe excuse is that there was no law against what you did? Well there was no law against the cartoons in Denmark either. This is not about law but people’s faith.
Are you completely able to look past the double standards that you yourself are promoting?
It is thoughtless and mindless people like you, hiding in a 97% Muslim country who make the life of people like me in a pluralistic India difficult. Please start to give respect to other religions so that others may give respect to ours.
Muhammad Azeez S says:
November 30, 2010 at 20:13
well said ayesha..this hypocrisy is not new and is well entrenched in significant section of pakistan society…
Pakistan does not have say in the modern world..as everything they mention has a religious tag..which wins no respect..plus textbooks preaching and glorifying Islam have added misery to the wisdom of common man.
GKrishnan says:
November 29, 2010 at 12:12
Ayesha, in the Hindu ethos, even if someone criticises, derides or ignores their god(s), the person still has his or her place. In Islam too, there is the classic example of the Prophet ( PBUH ) who goes to enquire about the health of a person who had cast garbage at his house for several days, and does not turn up one day.
We are all one people in the sub-continent. If some person or group goes about insulting any faith, it is purely due to their lack of understanding. Of course, if there is destruction of a place of worship, then the law has to take its course.
May we all have peace and amity soon !
omer says:
November 27, 2010 at 22:30
As a muslim and a pakistani, I can only apologize to my Christian, Hindu and any other minority friends. When a poor, defenceless women has to plead for her life with her fate already sealed even before she was sentenced there is no civilized society left. Religion and uncivilized people is always a volatile mixture, in jungle thats how wolves are, in their case they might call their religion hiearchy.
Babar says:
November 27, 2010 at 21:33
Kyun Khaaliq-o-Makhlooq Mein Haayal Rahen Parde?
Peeran-e-Kaleesa Ko Kaleesa Se Utha Do!!
Allama Iqbal. Only when we get rid of all the middle men I.e. Clergy is when we achieve the true emancipation of religions.
mehmoona says:
November 27, 2010 at 21:26
Intolerance generally comes with ignorance,money or social status is not a factor it is the freedom of the mind that can fight intolerance,one can be rich and intolerant and the world is full of bigots.
What generally becomes a tragedy is when ignorant people come in to power,Whether it is Muslim ignorant,Hindu ignorant or Christian ignorant ..whenever and whereever it happens force and violence is used againt other religions,races , ethincities and minorities
If we a can find differences ,we can also find similarities after all we are all the creations of the same God.if we only liberate our minds,we will all make the world a better place.
Gunjan says:
November 27, 2010 at 21:15
I think you have conveniently clubbed all groups into intolerant as a whole. But for that to really happen, a ‘humorous comment’ about the beliefs of the other should be accepted each side as a standard, right ? I wonder what would have happened if the story would have started with a humorous comment about the beliefs of your muslim friend who commented ? Would there have been protest emails sent to you only ?
Think about it. Its easy to pretend to want secularism when you are hurting the feelings of the other but not when someone is hurting your own.
Selina says:
November 27, 2010 at 20:56
I’ve decided not to bring up religion with my friends, or any news that I know will lead to them bringing up religion. I don’t talk about the Israeli/Palestinian situation with my Jewish friends, I don’t bring up the issue of the Falen gong movement with my Chinese friends, or the issue of Tibet, I never bring up the Kashmiri independence question with my Indian friends (who make up the majority of my friends), I don’t bring up issues of Iraq and Afghanistan with my American friends, much of the Islamic society at my University didn’t give me the time of day because I’m Pakistani and like the majority of Pakistanis I don’t wear a Hijab, I don’t really bring up my thoughts on ‘missionary’ work with my strict Christian friends.
Although I may have clear views on many of these issues, I don’t want to offend any of them, and I am worried that I’ll see (I know I will see) the worst in them. Amazingly, Facebook and other internet sights that have risen to prominence in the last few years; in opening up the world to us have exposed the ignorance and close-mindedness and hatred within so many people.
I often hold my breath when I sign into that video sharing website as I know I’ll find some sort of right wing, ultra patriotic, religious war going on on the comments section of the most watched videos.
I don’t really have much time for people who let their religion or nationality blind them to the facts of important issues. Unfortunately, I think that although it’s sad it’s fair to say that the majority of people look out for their own and sympathise with their own. If we can find 195 odd people who have the capacity to sympathise and empathise with everybody equally, we should make these people the heads of our states.
Fatima says:
November 27, 2010 at 20:38
beautiful blog my friend… really, respect for that!
I have not come across something that is short and simple and yet portrays the REAL problem so clearly!
Your points really put the whole debate of blasphemy laws in perspective…Even though the repeal of these laws is very difficult, ONLY the repeal wont do, we must learn tolerance…
bravo again
Desi says:
November 27, 2010 at 20:32
I think they should keep the blasphemy law but amend it with including corruption and other religions!
Ducuroir says:
November 27, 2010 at 18:11
I have a problem with the overall premise of your article but I still think its really informative. I really like your other posts. Keep up the great work. If you can add more video and pictures can be much better. Because they help much clear understanding. thanks Ducuroir.
aadil wainwright says:
November 27, 2010 at 17:34
Thanks for this thought-provoking piece Zeresh. I am afraid I will have to quote someone I don’t like very much in order to express my feelings. Tony Blair once said ‘education, education, education.’ The vast majority of Muslims I meet in Pakistan have very little knowledge about their own faith, let alone others. The standard ‘islaamiyaat’ syllabus surely gives people a flat, 2 dimensional understanding of Islam – the greatest testament to this being the fact that the vast majority of people don’t actually practise their religion in any meaningful sense, merely clinging to their Muslim identity to assert themselves from time to time. I cannot speak for Hindus in Pakistan for I have not met any yet, though I wouldn’t be surprise to encounter the same kind of religiosity.
mannu says:
November 29, 2010 at 12:17
In Hinduism, you are free to follow your own philosphy, worship your own fav god, or no idol god, it’s all your’s, (for you information, not in the defence of the religion, i am a atheist)
Fatima says:
November 27, 2010 at 20:39
‘the fact that the vast majority of people don’t actually practise their religion in any meaningful sense, merely clinging to their Muslim identity to assert themselves from time to time.’
— exactly, good observation!
Minerva says:
November 27, 2010 at 17:31
If only even a quarter of our population remembered what Jinnah said and made it a point to practice it, we would be a much better nation.
We do not know the difference between culture and religion and we set out to defend religion. I remember growing up a Christian child among Muslim neighbors and friends and being asked how I could speak fluent Urdu because the mindset was that Christians did not speak Urdu, or why I was dark in color because Christians were supposed to be fair, or even why I called myself a Pakistani because all Pakistanis were Muslims and all Christians were foreigners or “angraiz.” Unfortunately, that mindset still prevails which is why we are in our current state.
Had Jinnah known what a tragedy Pakistan would become in the name of a separate Muslim state, he probably would’ve never fought for it.
As Parvez says – hate begets hate – I believe respect begets respect. We want respect, we need to give respect. And we need to realize that we are immature, irrational, uneducated idiots who really are in no place to even talk, leave along argue, about magnanimously forgiving subjects like religion.
chak says:
November 27, 2010 at 18:43
My friend, if Jinnah had not asked for a separate state, someone else would’ve. You hear calls for the same again in India. You hear pretty loud calls for that even in the US and UK
anita says:
November 28, 2010 at 19:56
Calls in India for yet another Muslim state? I certainly have not heard those. What are you talking about?
Hassan says:
November 28, 2010 at 5:05
Pakistan was essential for the Muslims if not for the Christains, because they were being literally insulted and given low positions in the working environment (usually clerical). Indeed Islamic Studies needs to be more multi dimensional, and there should be an added subject to instil the quality of how to respect all religions.
Minerva says:
November 29, 2010 at 13:08
Hassan : Agreed Pakistan was essential for the Muslims because they were being insulted and given low positions in the working environment in joint India. But don’t you think, just for that reason alone, Pakistan should be a prime example of how minorities should be treated ?
Shouldn’t Pakistan show the world the right way to treat minorities because the Muslim majority in this country, the reason Pakistan came into existence, knows what it feels like to be insulted and degraded based on your religion ?
Like someone else in this discussion has said, it’s a cycle. And instead of improving upon the next round in the cycle, we just tend to take it a notch down .. every single time.
ayesha khan says:
November 28, 2010 at 19:30
The people who were clerical have remained clerical even after formation of Pakistan. There are as many successful and wealthy Muslims in India as in Pakistan. Indian society is a pyramid and there are far more poor people (be it Hindus or Muslims) than rich. But there are no barriers in India for Muslim to reach the top of his/her field whether it is politics or Bollywood or industry or cricket, law etc.
Don’t go by what your history books have told you about India. I live in India and yes I have to face the same competitive pressures as my Hindu brethren – no more and no less.
babu says:
November 30, 2010 at 22:28
ayesha spot on!!
Sumant Bhalla says:
November 30, 2010 at 20:01
@AyeshaKhan. As a fellow Indian, I’m proud of you!!
ashok says:
November 28, 2010 at 2:53
chak, you missed the point of his comment by a mile.
Ashok Pandey says:
November 28, 2010 at 1:40
My all respect to Jinnah because I have a strong feeling and belief that he meant what he said in his independence speech that in the state of Pakistan Hindus would cease to be ad Hindus and Muslims would cease to be as Muslims and all of them would first be a equal citizen of Pakistan .
These lines just draw respect for that leader.
But quite unfortunate and saddening that people have forgotten these lines of Qaid e azam .
And answer to your question with all respect.
Just because somebody else would do some mistake does not means you should do that before that person.
Jinnah never had any animosity with india after partition and that is the reason
he maintained his Bombay house.
Like wise it was gandhiji’s wish to live his further life in Pakistan .
Some politicians on both sides have bred hatred in the hearts of the people .
Cheers
Lover of Humanity says:
November 27, 2010 at 16:18
Beautifully written. Unfortunately followers of religion have made religion the cause of hatred.
Dear ZERESH have you wondered how the mindset of our people will change. The following quote
will go a long way to answer your questions.
‘Religious fanaticism and hatred are a world-devouring fire, whose violence none can quench. The Hand of Divine power can, alone, deliver mankind from this desolating affliction..’
Jamil says:
November 27, 2010 at 16:07
I found no better words to put up here than these:
“If we want to make this great State of Pakistan happy and prosperous we should wholly and solely concentrate on the well-being of the people, and especially of the masses and the poor… you are free- you are free to go to your temples mosques or any other place of worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion, caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the state… in due course of time Hindus will cease to be Hindus and Muslims will cease to Muslims- not in a religious sense for that is the personal faith of an individual- but in a political sense as citizens of one state”
(Quaide Azam’s Address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, Karachi August 11, 1947)
Tahir Rizvi says:
November 28, 2010 at 3:55
It is us, the Pakistanis, who failed to fully implement our founding fathers vision for Pakistan. Our history of 63 years of independence has recorded the extent of our drift and the heavy price we continue to pay for deviating from the original concepts of Quaide Azam for the creation of Pakistan in 1947. However, we have to regroup, restore and rebuild.
Our founding fathers envisioned Pakistan as a democracy more in line with Turkey than with Saudi Arabia.
Garg vk says:
November 27, 2010 at 19:00
As on date, it looks like a dream
parvez says:
November 27, 2010 at 15:25
Hate begets hate.
That is the cycle we are in. May Allah/Jesus/Bhagwan, which ever is free for a while, bless us.
IndiMuslim says:
November 27, 2010 at 14:40
Hindu friends … Indian or Pakistani Hindus?
May the Hindus of Pakistan be given equal rights as Muslims. There is not much discrimination that I as an Indian Muslim can point out in my country India towards me.
Hassan says:
November 28, 2010 at 5:08
Well my friend you must be living in a Muslim majority town. My muslim indian friend tells me how his community suffers by the hands of Hindus, just because he lives in a Muslim minority area.
IndiMuslim says:
December 1, 2010 at 10:59
Yes my town has a sizeable Muslim minority.It was even the Capital of a medieval Sultanate and one of the richest Muslim cultural centres.Can you point it out?
I repeat, there is NOT MUCH discrimination.It means SOME discrimination is there.
Lets move on,and forget the past,Hassan.If we dwell to much on what’s happened,I feel we’ll go mad.
samyak gowda says:
November 29, 2010 at 15:18
I’m really curious to know how. Could you please give a couple of instances how he suffered at ‘the hands’ of the Hindus.
ayesha khan says:
November 28, 2010 at 19:38
Sorry. I agree with IndiMuslim as I too am an Indian Muslim. A siple thing which will prove facts is that at the time of independence there were 10% Muslims in India, now there are 14%. At the time of Independence there were 25% Hindus in India now there are less than 2%. This proves that Muslims do not have problems practicing their faith in India while the reverse is definitely true.
One more point, while there will be some bigoted people everywhere, including India, there are no laws that discriminate against minorities in India like the blasphemy law. In fact in Pakistan the constitution prevents a non-Muslim from becoming Prime Minister, President or Chief Justice. In India our current Chief Justice and Prime Minister are both non-Hindus and we have had 3 Muslim Presidents (plus one Sikh).
I am a Shia and I think I am safer in India than in Pakistan. We don;’t have to worry about bomb blasts on our Moharram processions.
anita says:
December 1, 2010 at 7:47
I meant 25% Hindus in Pakistan.
Akil Akhtar says:
December 1, 2010 at 6:29
Wrong, Chief Justice of Pakistan recently was a Hindu, check your facts first.
I am aginst the Blasphemy law as it is not a religious requirement but we are a Muslim country and a declared Islamic state. We do not hide behind sham secularism.
ayesha khan says:
December 4, 2010 at 10:10
He is Parsi – not Hindu. I have my facts.
Bharat Varsha says:
November 28, 2010 at 3:18
Well said brother, equality is every human beings right, whether you are muslim in india or a hindu in pakistan..
Zeeshan says:
November 28, 2010 at 1:59
Oh come on! There are problems with minorities everywhere and India is no exception at all. Even Muslim celebrities in India claim that there is discrimination against Muslim. Haven’t you seen Shabana Azmi’s interview on NDTV?
babu says:
November 30, 2010 at 22:40
yes discrimination against muslims exist in india as shabana said in NDTV
you may even quote a thousand more.but the truth is an average hindu life is no better.
you learn to come around by sheer hard work and determination
ayesha khan says:
November 28, 2010 at 19:50
Here is the difference – a Muslim can become a celebrity in India. A Hindu from a village can and does pay his hard earned money to go watch a Shah Rukh Khan or Amir Khan movie or to listen toa song composed by AR Rahman or sung by Mohammad Rafi. Hindus in Pakistan do not have that opportunity for upward mobility.
True there are problems in every society just as there is corruption in every society. The difference is in degree. How frequently do you meet wit intolerance and how sever is the outcome of that intolerance – that is what separates more pluralistic societies from insular ones like Pakistan.
AP says:
November 28, 2010 at 0:24
Bhaijaan this is what people on our western border don’t get.. they have had and are having a really hard time in realizing that religion is a personal matter and should be treated that way.
Husnain says:
November 27, 2010 at 23:09
Equal rights hahahaha … give me break – try slaughering a cow on eid ul adha in India – u’ll be read your rights for the LAST time…
As far as this article goes … dude … I have visited quiet a few countries, and believe me on this … Pakistan still demonstrates a very well balanced society as far as religious rights are concerned … I did my education in a Christian convent, and I still have christian and hindu friends … individual beliefs can not portray a society as a whole.
We have church and convent in saddar karachi the most busiest area of Karachi and we a huge hindu colony on M.A. Jinnah road which is the business hub of karachi right in front of city court which is surrounded by Masjid and yet we have never ever witnessed religous franctics colliding. I have friends living there and they say they feel quiet safe there.
I m sorry my friend but your article projects an individual experience not the status of the whole society. And every one knows how fake ppl can act when they use expression points like Facebook etc.
anita says:
November 28, 2010 at 19:52
Even Shias and Ahmadis do not feel safe in Pakistan what to talk about Hindus and Sikhs.
ayesha khan says:
November 28, 2010 at 19:46
25% non-Muslims in Pakistan in 1947 – today less than 3%. Is this an individual experience or a collective one? 10% Muslims in In India in 1947, now 14%. Is this an individual experience or a collective one?
Also please do not confuse rights given by laws with social norms. Therei s nothing in the indian constitution that prevents a non-Hindu from becoming a Prime Minister, President. Chief Justice of India or Chief of ArmySytaff. In fact our current Prime Minister and Chief Justice are non-Hindus. We have had 3Muslim Presidents (more thanproportional to our ppulation in India) and Gen. SamManckshaw who was Chief of Army Staff in 1971 was Parsee. So these rights are not theoretical, they are actually realized by people. Pakistan constitution on the other hand forbids a non-Muslim from becoming aPrme Minister, President, Chief Justice or Chief of Army Staff.
The one part of your statement that I can agree with is that there are a few bigots everywhetre. However even here I think that the % of intolerant people in any society as well as the outcome and frequency of intolerance will determine how tolerant/intolerant any society is.
ajay says:
December 16, 2010 at 15:40
i have read your views on various subjects on this blog and always found them rational.injustice prevails in every society but it shall not be state sponsored.Blasphemy law is one such example.Some one said that pak is 97% Muslim and thereby have this right.If there is safety in numbers then this is not at all required.Imagine if all the countries start making such laws where the world will lead to.
Raazia says:
December 1, 2010 at 10:42
“You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed – that has nothing to do with the business of the State.”
the above quoted lines were said by Mr. Jinnah. I, as a Pakistani truly value this statement just like majority people from my country do. Like you said, there are bigots everywhere, so Pakistan is no different.
ayesha khan says:
December 4, 2010 at 10:16
Jinnah said that. But after that ther was Objective Resolution in 1954 – which made non-Muslims less equal. Then laws against Ahmadis in 1973. Then blasphemy laws which discriminated agains non-Muslims. The law prevents non-Muslims from holding key positions of the state e.g. President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice, Chief of Army Staff. SO Jinnah’s words that your faith has nothing to do with the state is inconsistent with the current constitution of Pakistan.
I respect you if you believe in Jinnah’s thoughts. Of course there are some other people who are also like you e.g. Paracha. But to say that majority of Pakistanis are Ok with diversity is simply untrue.
Pradeep says:
November 28, 2010 at 19:09
Mr.Husnain…
Obviously you who is a resident of Karachi Pakistan knows more about what an Indian Muslim goes through than an Indian Muslim himself. How silly of me to think otherwise.
http://blog.dawn.com/2010/11/27/my-god-your-god/
by Zeresh on 11 27th, 2010 | Comments (90)
As part of a reporting assignment for a feature story on the blasphemy law in Pakistan, my colleague and I visited a Hindu temple in Karachi. We were fortunate enough to be allowed to take pictures inside the temple – where cameras are normally prohibited.
Having seen Hindu deities only in Bollywood movies before, I was fascinated by how the gods and goddesses were captured by hard lines and bold colors. The sheer vibrance of the scene sent me in a clicking frenzy.
I thought it only fair to share my aesthetically satisfying experience by posting those pictures on Facebook. An uncommon sight in Pakistan, it was sure to get a reaction out of my photographically-inclined friends.
And reactions I did get; none of which spoke about my pictures.
One of my closest friends, a Muslim, commented on a picture of Kaali Maa. She later defended the comment, which was in regards to the severed head of a demon the goddess holds in one of her hands, in a humorous context rather than an offense to anyone.
This did not go down well with my Hindu friends, inevitably an avalanche of “hate notifications” was promptly sent my way.
In hopes of getting an apology from the Muslim friend, I was further rebuked for putting up pictures of Hindu deities in the first place. (I must have missed the law against it.)
Caught between colourful accusations from both sides about the others religion, I was momentarily disoriented about what the crux of the issue actually was. It would be a good time to tell you here that I am a practicing Christian – Protestant.
I struggled to wrap my mind around this sudden and immense burst of hatred I felt from people I loved dearly. Amid the blame game it was interesting to be pointed out as an “irresponsible” minority.
What was ironic was that these pictures were part of a project highlighting the blasphemy law itself!
My agenda-less attempt at photography had somehow turned into a vicious ‘Muslim-hate-Hindu, Hindu-hate-Christian’ circle. I was baffled at the degree of intolerance – which before this I knew was breeding in some strata of society – just not mine.
Torn between lifelong friendships and this growing sense of disgust at the holier than thou, I found myself wondering who these people really were and how I had managed to befriend them. Who, without a moment’s hesitation, had brazenly uncloaked themselves, daggers drawn, gallantly rising as defenders of their respective faiths, waving this seemingly legitimate permission slip in my face which allowed them to validate themselves over the “other” – who had created this very strong moral sense of right and wrong in any religious group?
Perhaps what was most terrifying for me to realise was that religious intolerance seemed to be strongest among educated, prosperous people.
In view of the latest speculations over the blasphemy law in the country, asking for a repeal of it seems utterly hopeless when you realise how second nature it is for an overwhelming majority of the population to “make jokes” about prophets, gods and goddesses. The solution lies not in merely the changing of any laws but mindsets – The daunting task of convincing people to be kind.
Today’s “Quote of the week” section in the Dawn Newspaper has one of Napoleon’s finest:
“The world suffers a lot. Not because of the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of good people.”
So then good people, what do you have to say?
Zeresh John is a multimedia content producer for Dawn.com.
The views expressed in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
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90 Responses to “My God, your God”
Aamenah says:
December 1, 2010 at 23:37
Very well said, Zeresh. The real problem is indeed with mindsets, not laws.
Kashan says:
December 1, 2010 at 23:25
Dear blogger, you are either acting very naive or you don’t know what time it is. But I like the idea of trying to bring people together. However, I’m surprised that you didn’t know that people hate each other in Pakistan – we would think of any possible difference (incl. religion) and start hating each other for that but moderate muslims love to pick up on Islam as a reason behind this. Why do people hate each other in Pakistan? because of poverty, injustice, disrespect, insecurity and disappointment and many other similar reasons.
I think blasphemy law is alright, but yes, we need to change the mindset. Nobody wants to see the blasphemy law exercised because that would involve insulting their sacred personalities so everybody wants a mindset change, but this should not be used as an excuse for making blasphemy law useless.
Also, I think it is wrong to stereotype the muslims as narrow minded and intolerant – which is what the elite and moderate muslims like to do and people of religious minorities in a very cautious and calculated way do not disagree with. My sister and mother (both wearing hijab OF THEIR OWN ACCORD) came to england and were very happy to visit the local church and I have normally found other muslims to be open and curious in a similar way. However, by now the whole world knows how we feel about anybody disprespecting our holy figures and out of respect for this sensitivity anybody should avoid doing it. But nobody ever blaims the perpetrators of blashphemy despite the warning but everybody starts to cause commossion against the blasphemy law.
Tahir Rizvi says:
December 1, 2010 at 21:15
God almighty is forgiving. If we all were to be judged strictly, the heaven would be a very small place and the hell would be very over crowded. Many Mullahs will not be able to withstand strict judgment, the kind these Mullahs tend to dispense to minorities. We all should fear God while dispensing Judgments. Be forgiving. All Prophets have set examples of how to be forgiving and fair.
hansa says:
December 1, 2010 at 9:36
can we expect our maulvis or people in general to understand the power of honesty and forgiveness. according to the maulvi who reported Aasia to the police where Aasia was honest enough to admit that she was wrong and bold enough to ask for forgiveness. i don’t think so!
Where INSECURITY breeds MISTRUST, it is so understandable that HONESTY and FORGIVENESS is replaced by MANIPULATION and PUNISHMENT.
Michael Santellan says:
December 1, 2010 at 6:23
Is your god Creator? My God says this — 7:16 And thou shalt say unto him: The LORD the God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee saying: Let My people go that they may serve Me in the wilderness; and behold hitherto thou hast not hearkened; thus saith the LORD: In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD behold I will smite with the rod that is in my hand upon the waters which are in the river and they shall be turned to blood.
Janjua says:
November 30, 2010 at 21:55
Zeresh,
Thanks for the blog. I solute your courage in making an effort to bridge the gaps and bring together followers of different faiths. Pakistan was meant to be a secular and modern country as we can clearly see in Quaid’s speech of 11th August, 1947. Unless an untell we separate the religion from the affairs of state, we can’t proceed as a country. He was right when he declared that “Religion has nothing to do with the business of state.”
The only reason Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah has helped Muslims in getting a separate land was that economically Muslims as a nation were less privilliged and less educated. He wanted to help Muslims economically in an atmosphere where they can grow and live peacefully with followers of other religions. This is a tragedy that we have made our country a theocracy and our country is now in the grip of same Mulla’s who have opposed the creation of Pakistan.
Ragu says:
November 30, 2010 at 19:06
Hello John,
I am a devout Hindu. Visited Jumma Masjid in New Delhi and workshiped for few minutes. Felt great. Every time I pass a Masjid in India, I remove my shows and say a prayer to GOD.
We all have so many friends of all faith and we probably can respect every one of the religions.
I am glad you write about the universal nature of GOD and Religions. Islam is gift of GOD to all of man kind and not merely to a single nation, a single language-people or a single tribe.
SSK says:
November 30, 2010 at 14:41
Very impressive. Boldly and so effectively conveyed such a colossal flaw in our society. Before any law and any policy, it IS the mindsets that need to be changed, just like you said.
Zahid Anwar says:
November 30, 2010 at 10:34
You are in the wrong country dude!
Sana Hameed Baba says:
November 29, 2010 at 17:48
Well said John.
Cincorios says:
November 29, 2010 at 17:01
Nice blog!
Though “my God, your God”, is where the problem lies … “There is only one God”…
Mehrunnisa says:
November 29, 2010 at 15:55
i would love to see the pictures of the temple. i think it is great that you are trying to break down the walls of insularity. unfortunately as a nation we have very little tolerance for diversity. i wish pakistani’s would display curiosity about other religions and places of worship as you find people who travel to countries like turkey and visit our places of worship.
roxane says:
November 28, 2010 at 20:27
I think if the blasphemy law is finished it won’t matter, because someone surely will see to it that the person who committed blasphemy is finished off. you cant change the mind set by changing the law.
Brown Belt says:
November 28, 2010 at 17:49
That is a actually well thought out post. I certainly enjoyed reading it. Thanks
Feroz says:
November 28, 2010 at 8:23
A friend’s mother just returned from Jerusalem as she wanted to “walk the path that Jesus walked”. The interesting thing is that she is a devout Hindu (a Tamil Hindu). When I kinda raised my eyebrows in “really” (as in what do Hindus have to do with where Jesus walked). To that my friend says: If you let us come into your sacred and holy places, we will even worship your God.
A very nice writeup Zeresh John.
Aninda J Chowdhury says:
November 29, 2010 at 15:37
True Feroz ! I being a devotee of Ramakrishna Mission have learnt to worship other religions also if I visit their holy places. Swami Vivekananda rightfully said every religion shows us the truth and we just need to be tolerant to each other.
sajid absar says:
November 28, 2010 at 8:20
As long as there is ‘too much religion’ in pakistan, people will not get better,
but worst. Religion makes people Bigots.
Dr. Bakshi says:
November 29, 2010 at 14:06
I totally agree with you Sajid, and it applies to the entire subcontinent, not only Pakistan.
Raja Hindustani says:
November 28, 2010 at 18:58
well said Sajid!
Too much religion just breeds bigotry!
Club Penguin field ops says:
November 28, 2010 at 6:31
Good stuff. I enjoyed the read.
siddiqi says:
November 28, 2010 at 6:30
thank you for your courage, may God bless you and keep you safe in this mad environment.
xeeshan says:
November 28, 2010 at 3:47
“Perhaps what was most terrifying for me to realise was that religious intolerance seemed to be strongest among educated, prosperous people.”
Terrifying indeed! The rise of intolerance among the rich and educated seems to be due to a rise in religious fervor itself. Good article.
faraz says:
November 28, 2010 at 3:28
Zeresh i do not fully understand your defination of religious intolerance. As for the pictures these basically are a direct insult to islam’s basic principle “that is there is god but allah… ”
living in an islamic country with 97% muslim population i seriously think u shud hav been more considerate to our traditions, culture and norms.
Does your defination of religious intolerance means that muslims have no right to protect thier own religon?? in a country where they greatly outnumber christans or the hindus.yes i can understand they have to limit therselves in the west where they hav no say in anything.atleast we can protect our customs and beliefs here in OUR OWN COUNTRY.
Jim says:
November 30, 2010 at 23:44
Faraz, i think you missed the meaning of the word tolerant… Because Pakistan is 97 % Muslims, they need to be tolerant of the other 3 % and not feel threatened by their faith. Please explain to me how can those pictures be a direct insult to Islam? Were they pictures of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)? I understand that being an insult and offensive. But how can sharing images of another religion be insulting, does the Holy Quran say that?
The keyword in Zeresh’s blog is “Mindset” and you fit the bill like it or not. Open your mind and learn to be tolerant to others and you will find your self to be less angry and more happy!
Umesh says:
November 30, 2010 at 11:03
Something is terribly wrong with this line of thought – only a fanatic can think on this line. Facebook is an American company, so when you access facebook, you have entered US site on the internet. It is no more Pakistan. To access one’s facebook, you have to go to their facebook page. Now, why did the so called muslims took initiative to go to her facebook page and clicked on the photos to see them? No one forced people to go there to see those photos. So asking Zeresh to be more considerate toward your tradition, culture and norms is utterly nonsense. Also, as others have pointed out – is your religion so flimsy and shallow that you get offended as soon as you see pictures of statues? No wonder Taliban fanatics destroyed Bamiyan Buddha statues. So what is your definition of protecting your religion? By killing everyone and destroying all material which doesn’t conform to your worldview?
Mariam says:
December 1, 2010 at 3:07
shame…
Benish says:
November 29, 2010 at 12:35
Do you really think that our religion is that weak to get endangered by mere posting of some esthetically nice photographs?…
True, it is our belief that “there is no god but Allah” but it should not be imposed to others’ beliefs.. everyone has his own belief which should be mutually respected..
PriyaSuraj says:
November 29, 2010 at 10:40
Why does any religion need to be saved? If its the best (thats what we all believe about their faith) it will survive. Everyone has a right to protect their customs, but are customs more important than the life of a person?
Mahira says:
November 28, 2010 at 20:43
Faraz:
Please explain how putting these pictures are a direct insult to Islam? That is equivalent to saying that the existence of non-muslims is a threat to Islam. Its a really warped theory.
As for your majority argument, the largest religion in this world is christianity – does that mean that we should oppress all other faiths, including Islam, and not allow them to practice it?
How is insulting another faith protecting your own? Why can they not co-exist? And which custom of yours is being “unprotected” with these pictures?
As for ur retort about our country – lets look at the address made by the Father of the nation to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan:
” …. We must learn a lesson from this. You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the State.”
http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/legislation/constituent_address_11aug1947.html
Usman says:
November 28, 2010 at 20:23
Your customs and belief shouldnt be so weak that they need censorship for protection.
Shafi says:
November 28, 2010 at 19:14
faraz, what do you actually mean by ‘protect their religion’? How do you protect a religion by killing people?Are there no peaceful means to protect your religion? Dialogue dear brother dialogue.
Zaki says:
November 29, 2010 at 12:48
@faraz
Does an “Islamic” country prohibit its “non-Islamic citizens” from showing mere photos of their religious “artifacts? i m afraid i would dislike to live in such a state!
u got ur definition of a STATE wrong my friend. A state is one which sees its citizens as one and provides the rights to them regardless of their colour,religion,caste,creed or even gender!So the whole concept of an “Islamic state” falls back under this def.
Shafi says:
November 28, 2010 at 1:36
Religion does not preach hate, it is the preachers of the religion who preach hate by distorting the truth. Blasphemy law is the brainchild of distorted individuals who can not tolerate any criticism. There have been many incidents insulting Islam through out the world leading to protests sometimes violent but what did they achieve in the end? nothing but more hatred against Islam and Muslims.
2 days ago a schoolgirl in Birmingham was arrested because she burnt an English translation of the Quraan. It caused an uproar by the Christians and Hindus on the internet against Muslims, Islam and the Quraan in the name of free speech. Muslims did not even say anything. These hate mongers did not write against the police or the law which was in fact used against the ‘Muslim’ public speakers who preached hate. There are 5 billion non Muslims in the world and some of them will insult any religion including all the major ones. The only way to face them is to be kind to them following the Prophet (pbuh)’s examples. All blasphemy laws should be changed and there should be no death penalty.
DARA KHAN says:
November 28, 2010 at 1:30
In all these million years religions have fueled / or accomplished one & only one objective…divide humanity into groups. We are all humans before any religion dictates us what to do or follow. What is difference between (Muslim Allah / Christian God / Hindu Bhaghwan) or any other religon on earth GOD. Cant we have one religon of love for humanity and peace. Pakistan has jungle laws and religion practices goes back to 14th century. Zia brought disaster after disaster in Pakistan. Today all these luantics are trying to bring Pakistan to disaster or living hell. We need to educate and get rid of them immediately before its too late to return.
Jim says:
November 30, 2010 at 23:54
Well Said!
gandhi says:
November 28, 2010 at 1:05
Religion is an alien concept to the natives of all lands, be they are in Africa, Americas, Australia or most of Asia. It is a concept originated in 4th century and took a very devious imperialist ideology which destroyed native spirituality, culture and languages of Africa, Asia and in 15th century Americas and Australia. Tis imperialist ideology wiped out natives of Americas and to a large extent of Africa. Communism and extreme capitalism is also offshoot of this imperialist ideology. In last 1600 years religions caused more deaths, destruction and rapes. It utterly brutalized most of the world. Compare that to Ashoka giving up wars after winning the Kalinga war. His daughter and sons going to Sri Lanka and other distant lands to spread the message of peace. Boudhi Dharma from south India, in particular Andhra spreading message of Gautama Boudha in China without asking them to give up their Chinese names, language and culture. It happened without a Dharmik reaching China with a sword. Oh natives, give up identity based on religion. Too long you have been brutalized by this alien concept which makes you a cannon fodder in wars of alien imperialists.
good2rely says:
December 1, 2010 at 2:16
Possessiveness of faith caused all this. I am right is the reason…not faith
Being born in a faith is not ones doing…so no reason to be possessive.
Humbleness Kindness and sharing is actual faith….Not arrogance.
Many many persons in western countries,particularly USA dont believe in religion But they act like a faithful in quality.
Bhuddists or christaians are taught of peace…but World wars shared by them donot speak of it. So it is Act…with or without religion.
Poo says:
November 28, 2010 at 0:29
Nothing against this article….but I think it is nauseating to find that pakistani national newspapers and associated blogs keep returning to subjects of islam, partition,jinnah, ummah, etc.
Go to arab states and see how pakistanis are treated by natives.
the americans will send a mission to mars. the chinese will follow. the indians are aiming for the moon. the world is looking ahead for newer technology, better quality of life for its citizens, for better energy and food security.
but pakistan continues to be regressive, insulated, mired in islam, jinnah, ummah, kashmir, palestine, taliban, etc.
This country is in self-destruct mode. Only God (if He exists) can save this country.
Sk.Fariduddin says:
November 28, 2010 at 0:04
–” silence of good people ”
—yes for that bad peoples are in the lead–
– and the sufferings of the—
—innocent// poor majority.
— good article.
farid,
a BANGLADESHI,FROM–
TX,
USA.
Arun Kapoor says:
November 27, 2010 at 22:52
Hinduism is not only about idol worship or Kaali maa. A sizeable section of Hindus do not believe in idol worship. There diversity between Hindus is so wide is that there is simply nothing common between a Kashmiri Hindu or a Tamil Hindu but they dont blow each others up for not following their interpretation of the religion. One more point I want to make is muslims like Zakir Naik never lose a chance to run down other religions but they are ardent advocates of death sentence for insulting Islam.
Peter Alexander says:
November 27, 2010 at 22:49
Bring in secular education in Pakistan. Education based on reason and not meta-physics. Most importantly let all the girls in Pakistan get this secular education. For they are the ones as future mothers influence the child most. Let the Quran be at home and in the Mosque. There will not be any conflict between science and math and the Quran.
ayesha khan says:
November 27, 2010 at 22:42
The Muslims throughout the world came out in streets and protested against Danish cartoons which were not even published in their country. Even 5 years later people fulminate against those cartoons and countless foiled plots to to harm the newspaper’s editorial team.
The blasphemy law is alive and well in Pakistan with Aasia Bibi its latest victim.
Yet somehow you expect that Hindus should not even express their anger verbally when your Muslim friend makes a ‘humorous comment’ about Goddess Kali? Youe excuse is that there was no law against what you did? Well there was no law against the cartoons in Denmark either. This is not about law but people’s faith.
Are you completely able to look past the double standards that you yourself are promoting?
It is thoughtless and mindless people like you, hiding in a 97% Muslim country who make the life of people like me in a pluralistic India difficult. Please start to give respect to other religions so that others may give respect to ours.
Muhammad Azeez S says:
November 30, 2010 at 20:13
well said ayesha..this hypocrisy is not new and is well entrenched in significant section of pakistan society…
Pakistan does not have say in the modern world..as everything they mention has a religious tag..which wins no respect..plus textbooks preaching and glorifying Islam have added misery to the wisdom of common man.
GKrishnan says:
November 29, 2010 at 12:12
Ayesha, in the Hindu ethos, even if someone criticises, derides or ignores their god(s), the person still has his or her place. In Islam too, there is the classic example of the Prophet ( PBUH ) who goes to enquire about the health of a person who had cast garbage at his house for several days, and does not turn up one day.
We are all one people in the sub-continent. If some person or group goes about insulting any faith, it is purely due to their lack of understanding. Of course, if there is destruction of a place of worship, then the law has to take its course.
May we all have peace and amity soon !
omer says:
November 27, 2010 at 22:30
As a muslim and a pakistani, I can only apologize to my Christian, Hindu and any other minority friends. When a poor, defenceless women has to plead for her life with her fate already sealed even before she was sentenced there is no civilized society left. Religion and uncivilized people is always a volatile mixture, in jungle thats how wolves are, in their case they might call their religion hiearchy.
Babar says:
November 27, 2010 at 21:33
Kyun Khaaliq-o-Makhlooq Mein Haayal Rahen Parde?
Peeran-e-Kaleesa Ko Kaleesa Se Utha Do!!
Allama Iqbal. Only when we get rid of all the middle men I.e. Clergy is when we achieve the true emancipation of religions.
mehmoona says:
November 27, 2010 at 21:26
Intolerance generally comes with ignorance,money or social status is not a factor it is the freedom of the mind that can fight intolerance,one can be rich and intolerant and the world is full of bigots.
What generally becomes a tragedy is when ignorant people come in to power,Whether it is Muslim ignorant,Hindu ignorant or Christian ignorant ..whenever and whereever it happens force and violence is used againt other religions,races , ethincities and minorities
If we a can find differences ,we can also find similarities after all we are all the creations of the same God.if we only liberate our minds,we will all make the world a better place.
Gunjan says:
November 27, 2010 at 21:15
I think you have conveniently clubbed all groups into intolerant as a whole. But for that to really happen, a ‘humorous comment’ about the beliefs of the other should be accepted each side as a standard, right ? I wonder what would have happened if the story would have started with a humorous comment about the beliefs of your muslim friend who commented ? Would there have been protest emails sent to you only ?
Think about it. Its easy to pretend to want secularism when you are hurting the feelings of the other but not when someone is hurting your own.
Selina says:
November 27, 2010 at 20:56
I’ve decided not to bring up religion with my friends, or any news that I know will lead to them bringing up religion. I don’t talk about the Israeli/Palestinian situation with my Jewish friends, I don’t bring up the issue of the Falen gong movement with my Chinese friends, or the issue of Tibet, I never bring up the Kashmiri independence question with my Indian friends (who make up the majority of my friends), I don’t bring up issues of Iraq and Afghanistan with my American friends, much of the Islamic society at my University didn’t give me the time of day because I’m Pakistani and like the majority of Pakistanis I don’t wear a Hijab, I don’t really bring up my thoughts on ‘missionary’ work with my strict Christian friends.
Although I may have clear views on many of these issues, I don’t want to offend any of them, and I am worried that I’ll see (I know I will see) the worst in them. Amazingly, Facebook and other internet sights that have risen to prominence in the last few years; in opening up the world to us have exposed the ignorance and close-mindedness and hatred within so many people.
I often hold my breath when I sign into that video sharing website as I know I’ll find some sort of right wing, ultra patriotic, religious war going on on the comments section of the most watched videos.
I don’t really have much time for people who let their religion or nationality blind them to the facts of important issues. Unfortunately, I think that although it’s sad it’s fair to say that the majority of people look out for their own and sympathise with their own. If we can find 195 odd people who have the capacity to sympathise and empathise with everybody equally, we should make these people the heads of our states.
Fatima says:
November 27, 2010 at 20:38
beautiful blog my friend… really, respect for that!
I have not come across something that is short and simple and yet portrays the REAL problem so clearly!
Your points really put the whole debate of blasphemy laws in perspective…Even though the repeal of these laws is very difficult, ONLY the repeal wont do, we must learn tolerance…
bravo again
Desi says:
November 27, 2010 at 20:32
I think they should keep the blasphemy law but amend it with including corruption and other religions!
Ducuroir says:
November 27, 2010 at 18:11
I have a problem with the overall premise of your article but I still think its really informative. I really like your other posts. Keep up the great work. If you can add more video and pictures can be much better. Because they help much clear understanding. thanks Ducuroir.
aadil wainwright says:
November 27, 2010 at 17:34
Thanks for this thought-provoking piece Zeresh. I am afraid I will have to quote someone I don’t like very much in order to express my feelings. Tony Blair once said ‘education, education, education.’ The vast majority of Muslims I meet in Pakistan have very little knowledge about their own faith, let alone others. The standard ‘islaamiyaat’ syllabus surely gives people a flat, 2 dimensional understanding of Islam – the greatest testament to this being the fact that the vast majority of people don’t actually practise their religion in any meaningful sense, merely clinging to their Muslim identity to assert themselves from time to time. I cannot speak for Hindus in Pakistan for I have not met any yet, though I wouldn’t be surprise to encounter the same kind of religiosity.
mannu says:
November 29, 2010 at 12:17
In Hinduism, you are free to follow your own philosphy, worship your own fav god, or no idol god, it’s all your’s, (for you information, not in the defence of the religion, i am a atheist)
Fatima says:
November 27, 2010 at 20:39
‘the fact that the vast majority of people don’t actually practise their religion in any meaningful sense, merely clinging to their Muslim identity to assert themselves from time to time.’
— exactly, good observation!
Minerva says:
November 27, 2010 at 17:31
If only even a quarter of our population remembered what Jinnah said and made it a point to practice it, we would be a much better nation.
We do not know the difference between culture and religion and we set out to defend religion. I remember growing up a Christian child among Muslim neighbors and friends and being asked how I could speak fluent Urdu because the mindset was that Christians did not speak Urdu, or why I was dark in color because Christians were supposed to be fair, or even why I called myself a Pakistani because all Pakistanis were Muslims and all Christians were foreigners or “angraiz.” Unfortunately, that mindset still prevails which is why we are in our current state.
Had Jinnah known what a tragedy Pakistan would become in the name of a separate Muslim state, he probably would’ve never fought for it.
As Parvez says – hate begets hate – I believe respect begets respect. We want respect, we need to give respect. And we need to realize that we are immature, irrational, uneducated idiots who really are in no place to even talk, leave along argue, about magnanimously forgiving subjects like religion.
chak says:
November 27, 2010 at 18:43
My friend, if Jinnah had not asked for a separate state, someone else would’ve. You hear calls for the same again in India. You hear pretty loud calls for that even in the US and UK
anita says:
November 28, 2010 at 19:56
Calls in India for yet another Muslim state? I certainly have not heard those. What are you talking about?
Hassan says:
November 28, 2010 at 5:05
Pakistan was essential for the Muslims if not for the Christains, because they were being literally insulted and given low positions in the working environment (usually clerical). Indeed Islamic Studies needs to be more multi dimensional, and there should be an added subject to instil the quality of how to respect all religions.
Minerva says:
November 29, 2010 at 13:08
Hassan : Agreed Pakistan was essential for the Muslims because they were being insulted and given low positions in the working environment in joint India. But don’t you think, just for that reason alone, Pakistan should be a prime example of how minorities should be treated ?
Shouldn’t Pakistan show the world the right way to treat minorities because the Muslim majority in this country, the reason Pakistan came into existence, knows what it feels like to be insulted and degraded based on your religion ?
Like someone else in this discussion has said, it’s a cycle. And instead of improving upon the next round in the cycle, we just tend to take it a notch down .. every single time.
ayesha khan says:
November 28, 2010 at 19:30
The people who were clerical have remained clerical even after formation of Pakistan. There are as many successful and wealthy Muslims in India as in Pakistan. Indian society is a pyramid and there are far more poor people (be it Hindus or Muslims) than rich. But there are no barriers in India for Muslim to reach the top of his/her field whether it is politics or Bollywood or industry or cricket, law etc.
Don’t go by what your history books have told you about India. I live in India and yes I have to face the same competitive pressures as my Hindu brethren – no more and no less.
babu says:
November 30, 2010 at 22:28
ayesha spot on!!
Sumant Bhalla says:
November 30, 2010 at 20:01
@AyeshaKhan. As a fellow Indian, I’m proud of you!!
ashok says:
November 28, 2010 at 2:53
chak, you missed the point of his comment by a mile.
Ashok Pandey says:
November 28, 2010 at 1:40
My all respect to Jinnah because I have a strong feeling and belief that he meant what he said in his independence speech that in the state of Pakistan Hindus would cease to be ad Hindus and Muslims would cease to be as Muslims and all of them would first be a equal citizen of Pakistan .
These lines just draw respect for that leader.
But quite unfortunate and saddening that people have forgotten these lines of Qaid e azam .
And answer to your question with all respect.
Just because somebody else would do some mistake does not means you should do that before that person.
Jinnah never had any animosity with india after partition and that is the reason
he maintained his Bombay house.
Like wise it was gandhiji’s wish to live his further life in Pakistan .
Some politicians on both sides have bred hatred in the hearts of the people .
Cheers
Lover of Humanity says:
November 27, 2010 at 16:18
Beautifully written. Unfortunately followers of religion have made religion the cause of hatred.
Dear ZERESH have you wondered how the mindset of our people will change. The following quote
will go a long way to answer your questions.
‘Religious fanaticism and hatred are a world-devouring fire, whose violence none can quench. The Hand of Divine power can, alone, deliver mankind from this desolating affliction..’
Jamil says:
November 27, 2010 at 16:07
I found no better words to put up here than these:
“If we want to make this great State of Pakistan happy and prosperous we should wholly and solely concentrate on the well-being of the people, and especially of the masses and the poor… you are free- you are free to go to your temples mosques or any other place of worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion, caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the state… in due course of time Hindus will cease to be Hindus and Muslims will cease to Muslims- not in a religious sense for that is the personal faith of an individual- but in a political sense as citizens of one state”
(Quaide Azam’s Address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, Karachi August 11, 1947)
Tahir Rizvi says:
November 28, 2010 at 3:55
It is us, the Pakistanis, who failed to fully implement our founding fathers vision for Pakistan. Our history of 63 years of independence has recorded the extent of our drift and the heavy price we continue to pay for deviating from the original concepts of Quaide Azam for the creation of Pakistan in 1947. However, we have to regroup, restore and rebuild.
Our founding fathers envisioned Pakistan as a democracy more in line with Turkey than with Saudi Arabia.
Garg vk says:
November 27, 2010 at 19:00
As on date, it looks like a dream
parvez says:
November 27, 2010 at 15:25
Hate begets hate.
That is the cycle we are in. May Allah/Jesus/Bhagwan, which ever is free for a while, bless us.
IndiMuslim says:
November 27, 2010 at 14:40
Hindu friends … Indian or Pakistani Hindus?
May the Hindus of Pakistan be given equal rights as Muslims. There is not much discrimination that I as an Indian Muslim can point out in my country India towards me.
Hassan says:
November 28, 2010 at 5:08
Well my friend you must be living in a Muslim majority town. My muslim indian friend tells me how his community suffers by the hands of Hindus, just because he lives in a Muslim minority area.
IndiMuslim says:
December 1, 2010 at 10:59
Yes my town has a sizeable Muslim minority.It was even the Capital of a medieval Sultanate and one of the richest Muslim cultural centres.Can you point it out?
I repeat, there is NOT MUCH discrimination.It means SOME discrimination is there.
Lets move on,and forget the past,Hassan.If we dwell to much on what’s happened,I feel we’ll go mad.
samyak gowda says:
November 29, 2010 at 15:18
I’m really curious to know how. Could you please give a couple of instances how he suffered at ‘the hands’ of the Hindus.
ayesha khan says:
November 28, 2010 at 19:38
Sorry. I agree with IndiMuslim as I too am an Indian Muslim. A siple thing which will prove facts is that at the time of independence there were 10% Muslims in India, now there are 14%. At the time of Independence there were 25% Hindus in India now there are less than 2%. This proves that Muslims do not have problems practicing their faith in India while the reverse is definitely true.
One more point, while there will be some bigoted people everywhere, including India, there are no laws that discriminate against minorities in India like the blasphemy law. In fact in Pakistan the constitution prevents a non-Muslim from becoming Prime Minister, President or Chief Justice. In India our current Chief Justice and Prime Minister are both non-Hindus and we have had 3 Muslim Presidents (plus one Sikh).
I am a Shia and I think I am safer in India than in Pakistan. We don;’t have to worry about bomb blasts on our Moharram processions.
anita says:
December 1, 2010 at 7:47
I meant 25% Hindus in Pakistan.
Akil Akhtar says:
December 1, 2010 at 6:29
Wrong, Chief Justice of Pakistan recently was a Hindu, check your facts first.
I am aginst the Blasphemy law as it is not a religious requirement but we are a Muslim country and a declared Islamic state. We do not hide behind sham secularism.
ayesha khan says:
December 4, 2010 at 10:10
He is Parsi – not Hindu. I have my facts.
Bharat Varsha says:
November 28, 2010 at 3:18
Well said brother, equality is every human beings right, whether you are muslim in india or a hindu in pakistan..
Zeeshan says:
November 28, 2010 at 1:59
Oh come on! There are problems with minorities everywhere and India is no exception at all. Even Muslim celebrities in India claim that there is discrimination against Muslim. Haven’t you seen Shabana Azmi’s interview on NDTV?
babu says:
November 30, 2010 at 22:40
yes discrimination against muslims exist in india as shabana said in NDTV
you may even quote a thousand more.but the truth is an average hindu life is no better.
you learn to come around by sheer hard work and determination
ayesha khan says:
November 28, 2010 at 19:50
Here is the difference – a Muslim can become a celebrity in India. A Hindu from a village can and does pay his hard earned money to go watch a Shah Rukh Khan or Amir Khan movie or to listen toa song composed by AR Rahman or sung by Mohammad Rafi. Hindus in Pakistan do not have that opportunity for upward mobility.
True there are problems in every society just as there is corruption in every society. The difference is in degree. How frequently do you meet wit intolerance and how sever is the outcome of that intolerance – that is what separates more pluralistic societies from insular ones like Pakistan.
AP says:
November 28, 2010 at 0:24
Bhaijaan this is what people on our western border don’t get.. they have had and are having a really hard time in realizing that religion is a personal matter and should be treated that way.
Husnain says:
November 27, 2010 at 23:09
Equal rights hahahaha … give me break – try slaughering a cow on eid ul adha in India – u’ll be read your rights for the LAST time…
As far as this article goes … dude … I have visited quiet a few countries, and believe me on this … Pakistan still demonstrates a very well balanced society as far as religious rights are concerned … I did my education in a Christian convent, and I still have christian and hindu friends … individual beliefs can not portray a society as a whole.
We have church and convent in saddar karachi the most busiest area of Karachi and we a huge hindu colony on M.A. Jinnah road which is the business hub of karachi right in front of city court which is surrounded by Masjid and yet we have never ever witnessed religous franctics colliding. I have friends living there and they say they feel quiet safe there.
I m sorry my friend but your article projects an individual experience not the status of the whole society. And every one knows how fake ppl can act when they use expression points like Facebook etc.
anita says:
November 28, 2010 at 19:52
Even Shias and Ahmadis do not feel safe in Pakistan what to talk about Hindus and Sikhs.
ayesha khan says:
November 28, 2010 at 19:46
25% non-Muslims in Pakistan in 1947 – today less than 3%. Is this an individual experience or a collective one? 10% Muslims in In India in 1947, now 14%. Is this an individual experience or a collective one?
Also please do not confuse rights given by laws with social norms. Therei s nothing in the indian constitution that prevents a non-Hindu from becoming a Prime Minister, President. Chief Justice of India or Chief of ArmySytaff. In fact our current Prime Minister and Chief Justice are non-Hindus. We have had 3Muslim Presidents (more thanproportional to our ppulation in India) and Gen. SamManckshaw who was Chief of Army Staff in 1971 was Parsee. So these rights are not theoretical, they are actually realized by people. Pakistan constitution on the other hand forbids a non-Muslim from becoming aPrme Minister, President, Chief Justice or Chief of Army Staff.
The one part of your statement that I can agree with is that there are a few bigots everywhetre. However even here I think that the % of intolerant people in any society as well as the outcome and frequency of intolerance will determine how tolerant/intolerant any society is.
ajay says:
December 16, 2010 at 15:40
i have read your views on various subjects on this blog and always found them rational.injustice prevails in every society but it shall not be state sponsored.Blasphemy law is one such example.Some one said that pak is 97% Muslim and thereby have this right.If there is safety in numbers then this is not at all required.Imagine if all the countries start making such laws where the world will lead to.
Raazia says:
December 1, 2010 at 10:42
“You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed – that has nothing to do with the business of the State.”
the above quoted lines were said by Mr. Jinnah. I, as a Pakistani truly value this statement just like majority people from my country do. Like you said, there are bigots everywhere, so Pakistan is no different.
ayesha khan says:
December 4, 2010 at 10:16
Jinnah said that. But after that ther was Objective Resolution in 1954 – which made non-Muslims less equal. Then laws against Ahmadis in 1973. Then blasphemy laws which discriminated agains non-Muslims. The law prevents non-Muslims from holding key positions of the state e.g. President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice, Chief of Army Staff. SO Jinnah’s words that your faith has nothing to do with the state is inconsistent with the current constitution of Pakistan.
I respect you if you believe in Jinnah’s thoughts. Of course there are some other people who are also like you e.g. Paracha. But to say that majority of Pakistanis are Ok with diversity is simply untrue.
Pradeep says:
November 28, 2010 at 19:09
Mr.Husnain…
Obviously you who is a resident of Karachi Pakistan knows more about what an Indian Muslim goes through than an Indian Muslim himself. How silly of me to think otherwise.
http://blog.dawn.com/2010/11/27/my-god-your-god/
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