The silent majority
It was on this day last year, when a 26-year-old Mumtaz Qadri killed the very man he was meant to protect. Twenty seven bullets to silence Salman Taseer and to make sure that the debate on misuse of blasphemy laws is shunned for good. It was this day last year that I realised that this might be the end of it all, the end of hope, the end for tolerance, the end of any show of courage, bravery or rational debate on the blasphemy laws or anything for that matter.
Some of us had already witnessed the vengeance before, the ‘either you are with us or against us’ mentality. It was made to look like it was our word against God’s. We had witnessed people jubilant over murder too and witnessed the transition of a murderer to a martyr. The reactions that followed the attack on Ahmadi’s in Lahore were the first signs that humanity had stooped down and been reduced to convoluted assumptions of faith and piety.
In the past year, minority minister Shahbaz Bhatti was also gunned down outside his mother’s residence, silenced so he may never speak out against the injustices suffered by minorities again. While clerics, television anchors, columnists and even politicians sought to persuade us that Taseer had brought it upon himself, that anyone who dared to speak out against the blasphemy laws would suffer the same fate and that if they had the opportunity they would do the same.
Spectators that either choose to agree with the jubilant or nod their heads condemning the murder but justifying the reaction to ‘such sensitive matters’, all the same. Something had broken irreparably.
The few of us that were horrified and enraged took to the streets and protested. Knowing well that for every chant, every word, every argument we make there could be a Qadri waiting to gun us down, lynch us so we may never be able to question again. Not much has changed. But should that stop us?
Salmaan Taseer stood for tolerance and he was killed at the hands of extremism. Nothing justifies his murder, and anyone who does has blood on their hands. I do not expect things to change overnight; they will not go away anytime soon. But I choose not to give up hope, not to remain silent and to keep fighting back, even if it’s our words against their bullets.
I, like many others, take my courage from the Taseer’s. Shehrbano Taseer, who despite losing her Abba so suddenly and violently, stood defiant, courageous and composed. At a time when people should have showered her with words of comfort, she was battling with questions, the likes of which could pierce through the most strongest of souls: “How did you feel when your father’s murderer was showered with flowers? People refused to read his funeral prayers? His murderer is being turned in to a hero of sorts.”
She chose to reason, to educate the world that the hatred that killed her father hurts all of Pakistan.
As these walls keep closing in on us, like Shehrbano Taseer, we have no other choice but to resist. We live in an irreparably broken society, and I don’t wish to deny the reality, but despite that we must continue to hope, because hope gives us what we otherwise would not have: a chance.
While the courageous amongst us are ridiculed, threatened and attacked we must continue to support and reason. Silence is not an option, it never was.
Sana Saleem blogs at Global Voices, Asian Correspondent, The Guardian and her personal blog Mystified Justice. She recently won the Best Activist Blogger award by CIO & Google at the Pakistan Blogger Awards. She can be found on Facebook.
The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
A time will come when My followers will be killed by men and the killers will think they are doing a service to God. (Jesus Christ The Messiah)
There is two sort of people are existing in Pakistan.One is Orthodox and other is Enlightened and they never will be on a same page this is the reality that we have to accept.
Today's Pakistan is completely the opposite of Jinnah's vision of Pakistan. Hope the Silent Majority would wake up sooner rather than later to stop Pakistan's progress towards self-destruction.
Blasphemy law has been extensively misused in Pakistan to avenge personal rivalries. It is strange that the peaceful religion of Islam which came to protect the innocent is being used in Pakistan to kill the innocent to protect its own sanctity !!!
Sana, I endorse your view. We should not be silent. Taseer was a brave man who was against unlawful acts and the settlement of extremist people under this law. Appreciate your views.
Evil deeds in the name of religion.
I do not understand what stopping the judiciary to punish Qadri when he himself accepted the crime. Where is justice gone. Pleaswe do not delay the simple and open case. I will request the government and the judiciary to expedite the case and finish this once for all and establish the rule of law in the lawless country.
The World Bank prepares six indicators of governance for
over 200 economies. These are: (1) voice and
accountability; (2) political stability and absence of
violence; (3) government effectiveness; (4) regulatory
quality; (5) rule of law and; (6) control of corruption.
If we are not an Islamic Estate atleast we should come up to set ourselves on the general human ground. Congratulate Sana for raising your voice. We are with u.
Taseer's Pakistan was what Jinnah wanted Pakistan to be — a progressive secular democratic egalitarian Muslim majority country that treated its minority as first class citizens. Taseer died for keeping Jinnah's dream alive.
What struck me about the death of this immensely brave man, was the deafening silence of those who should have been a support to his family. It was a climate of fear. A climate that bodes ill for Pakistan. The scenes of support for his assassin would have made Jinnah weep.
Sana i respect your believes and ideology but we must realize that Shariat has been imposed on us and anyone who tries to regenerate Shariat and oppose the former one is directly out of the circle of Islam..so we must think and act remaining in the circle of Islam..
Ideals cannot be killed or destroyed, they will only flourish with time. Salman Taseer (may he rest in peace) stood for an ideal, and let there be no doubt that he was a brave man who took a stand for his principles. His death shall not be in vain. In due course his efforts will be recognised when the silent majority will stand up, and when this will happen, change will come to Pakistan.
Why people are not understanding the real issue from the Qadri and Salman incident, which is "DISBELIEVE IN THE IMPLICATIONS OF LAW AND PEOPLES WHO ARE MAKING IT" ….there is nothing to support to Salman if he was against the blasphemy law and nothing to support to Qadri he was take action by his own….Like Salman have doesn't believe on law making bodies/peoples thats why he makes the media advertisement by supporting the girl and blasphemy law is not properly used and similarly QADRI doesn't believe on the corrupted system to protect the blasphemy Law….Blasphemy Law is in many countries in the world but their wrong implementation is in Pakistan only due to highly corrupted system and vast majority who has nothing to do with the media/govt. Think about it…if someone want to change just change the leader.
Salman Taseer is my hero and every enlighted pakistani. He died but the idea he stood for would live for ever.
Silent majority? voice of very vocal tiny secular, self centered, minority.
Very well said…Thump up to you Miss Sana Saleem..I stand with you, with Taseer, With Shabaz Bhatti and with the enlightened majority of Pakistani people who don't/can't speak…
Voice Of Truth has been silenced but he still lives in our hearts and minds.