Would Jinnah have lived as a Shia?
Twenty-nine years ago a boy was born in the city of Karachi. His excited parents just like many before and after them, faced the common question: What should we name him? A name which would do justice to do the kind of person they hoped he would grow up to become. His father, foreseeing the inevitable future, suggested that he be named Sohail Tanveer* going against the child’s grandparents and mother’s wishes, who wanted him to be named Syed Abbas Raza Rizvi, proud of their affiliation with Shia ideology.
Eighteen years later, Tanveer found himself and his family embroiled in another struggle. This time, however, the problem surrounds the academic line he should choose. After almost two decades, the roles reverse and his mother takes charge of the situation. She urges him to choose any other academic field but the field of medicine. Her demands were prompted by the series of targeted attacks on Shia doctors in Karachi.
Tanveer, who was ripped off of his identity at the time of his birth and later was forced to choose against his academic aptitude, succumbed to all that his parents ordered, knowing that they only had his safety in mind. His parents ensured that every aspect of his outer persona and bearings remained free from any affiliation with his sect.
Such has been the force of fear borne by many Shia Muslims living in Pakistan.
Tanveer’s family had a choice, unfortunately, many Shias do not have an alternative because their outward appearance, ethnicity and whereabouts are inevitable clues to the discriminating killers who identify and murder them ruthlessly.
Whether we talk about the Hazara community of Afghanistan who were brutally massacred by the Taliban or the Shias living in Parachinar who are targeted by local militants because of their religious beliefs or members of the Hazara community living in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, the violence against Shia Muslims perpetrated and sponsored by fascist groups undoubtedly marks the advent of the beginnings of another holocaust.
In some parts of the country the situation has deteriorated to an extent that Shia Muslims refrain from going out of their houses. In 2010, many Shias living in Quetta received brochures and notices, signed by a banned militant outfit, declaring them infidels and making them liable to be prosecuted. The message also specified that all Shias should leave the country by 2012 for the safety of their lives, conveniently banishing them from a country to which they are more loyal than the bigoted groups propagating hate and fear.
Another such example of this obscenity is a recent grotesque video showcasing the true colours of intolerance in our society. The video shows snippets of the Chilaas massacre, featuring a poor, old man who was asked to prove his identity as a Sunni Muslim. Throughout the video the voices of monsters chanting “Shia Kafir” can be clearly heard – one can not help but wonder exactly when it was that humanity died.
The question is who has the right to flag people as believers and non-believers? Who has the authority to criticise anyone’s faith? And most importantly, what do they want them to do? Leave the country and live in a self-imposed exile away from their homes?
Many Pakistani Shias have sought political asylum in other countries, whereas others frequently leave for safer abodes; however, Pakistan is where their heart truly is. It is their home.
A Shia Muslim living in United Kingdom expressed his profound sadness on past and recent carnages on condition of anonymity by saying, “When Muslims from the Shia school of thought are targeted, I am hurt as a Muslim, as a Shia Muslim. Having grown up in Pakistan, my best friends come from different ethnic communities and sects. I believe that our country can alleviate the state of violence only if we unite as Pakistanis — transcend labels of Sunni, Salafi, Deobandi, Shia, Ahmadi, Hindu, Christian and Parsi — by being vocal in our condemnation of these acts within our respective local communities.”
The truth is that the acts of these uncivilised and inhumane traitors — primarily responsible for supporting sectarian strife in Pakistan — do not have religion on their main agenda when they are instigating violence. All they care and think about is money and the power it brings. Then why hide behind the facade of Islam or any other hypocritical rationale instead of accepting the real motives?
Most disappointing is the knowledge that it is not only the hate-mongering militants who spew venom against Shias. Growing displeasure amongst a group of fundamentalist Pakistanis, which can be attributed to the humongous efforts of pseudo-religious scholars and their misconstrued religious rants, plays an integral part in further pushing the Muslim minority to the precipice. Over the years contents of religious sermons have been tweaked greatly to instigate vengeful feelings toward people professing different faiths. It is ironic that the platform which can be used to propagate humanity and coexistence is widely being used to instigate violence.
What exactly is their fault? Is it that they were born on the wrong side of the globe? Or that they belong to a group of people and society that refuse to accept them as one of their own? Or that they serve Pakistan and protect its people as NLI soldiers? Or that they have always contributed positively in the development and progress of Pakistan?
With the ongoing debate about Jinnah’s religious inclinations, many people wonder that if he were alive, would he have been branded as an infidel as well or survived the sectarian strife? A question which should be a source of introspection for most of us.
The writer is a Reporter at Dawn.com
A real picture of events in pakistan. I salute to the writer and Dawn.
Jinnah was a Shia, yet the people of this country disregard Shias its just sad.
People are dividing society by
1)Religion
2)Race
3)Region
4)Rituals
4)Families
5)Counties
Dividing is the act of Evil uniting is the act of God
So all of you should unite together
India Pakistan
Hindu Muslim Christian Buddhist Jews etc
Shia Sunni Ahmadia protestant catholic Brahman shudra
Stop dividing society.All are one know it be it.
History is filled with mistakes do not continue those mistakes.
Foget Fogive and move on.
Fogive ur enemies
To err is human to forgive is divine
The country was formed because one community cannot live with the other community. When the other community is neutralised, another community becomes ‘ the other community’, and so the vicious circle goes on; sometimes it is called ethnic-cleansing. This explains the plight of Hindus, Ahmedis, X’ians, Shikhs, and now is the turn of the Shias. What next!!!
Had Mr Jinnah been alive today he would have regretted his decesion for carving a separate homeland
for Muslims in India like myself who in foolish enthusiasm supported his ideology and worked for the movement of Pakistan in my younger days.
Jinnah would have returned to Bombay had he lived long enough to retire. Even in thsie days when Pakistan was actually doing quite well. How sad it must be for people who migrated there in hope of a better life, on hind sigh staying back seems so much better.The ones who went east to bangladesh too will thank their lucky stars now.
Excellent write-up. You depicted the situation very nicely. Sad part is people still try to find justifications for the massacres, be it of Shias, Ahmadis or any minority. Still it’s nice to see many people now have the guts to say it like it is. Pakistani will be our home no matter what, I just hope the haters get out soon and leave our country in peace.
Would Jinnah have lived Shia ? I fail to understand why Jinnah has become a reference point ? He was a non practicing muslim, never thought of Pakistan in terms of Sunnis or Shias. Our leadership has failed us, Pakistan is not a failed state. Zia Ul Haq introduced Islamism, prior to that ZAB introduced sectarianism by declaring Ahmadis a minority (muslim).
mohammad ali jinnah was a parsi shia ahmadi muslim he was not sunni.
parsi shia ahmadi muslim ? This combination does not exist anywhere in the world.
It is hartening to read this article where the author correctly identifies the real motive behind religious intolerance . If the silent majority both in India & Pakistan realise this truth future of our sub-continent will be bright .
its a good approach towards the issue, keep it up to higher level and due to your contribution many of us are now known to the exact circumstances which leads to these massacre.
good luck.
“The truth is that the acts of these uncivilised and inhumane traitors — primarily responsible for supporting sectarian strife in Pakistan — do not have religion on their main agenda when they are instigating violence. All they care and think about is money and the power it brings. Then why hide behind the facade of Islam or any other hypocritical rationale instead of accepting the real motives?”
You have got it all wrong here … religion itself is the biggest factor driving these men …
If you put a group of very young children together, they will play together. They do not even ask one another’s names, they have no understanding of religious affiliations, ignore skin colour, have no appreciation of world geography or national boundaries – they just play. Then, as they get a little older, their families impart all of the hatred and prejudices that have been handed down for generations, and these innocent children grow up perpetuating the situation. Instead of teaching the children, perhaps the adults should learn from them!
Very true, we unfortunately live and grow in this very world where various interests play its role to make us what we are as a whole.There is no exception.
well said
It is not a simple story. Sectarian voilance in pakistan is sponsored by some foreign elements who wants to destabilize our country. We should be careful in this matter because some of our country men are playing in the hands of our enemies on the name of Islam. It is responsibility of our Ulemaas and educated youth to come forward and play their roles to end such violence.
Very true, Abbas!
Pakistan bana ye hindustan kh khuskismat thi, tumne pakistan chuna ye tumhari badkismat thi. Na pakistan mangte, na tumhare mulq ka ye haal hota or aaj hindustan world ki sab se badi economic power hota or mein bhi lahore dekh sakta. Akhir ‘jinhe lahore nahin vekhya, o jamia hi nahin.
I totally agree with sara-e hindustan. Stop blaming foreign hands.
Bohat shukria.
Faisa,I am thrilled at your courage but please be careful. This behavior is not entirely new,only completely out of control. My father in the 1940′s named his four sons without the Syed and Rizvi for the same reason. Fortunately he migrated to East Pakistan now Bangladesh where we grew up with different challanges but never religious intolerance. Keep up the good work.
So very fortunate, but even 30 years back you guys must have repented it as then Pakistan was the only country doing well economically and looked progessive at least till early 80′s.
Stop taking the Saudi money, stop Saudi Mullahas from entering and preaching Wahabism brand of Islam, Close the Madrsas, stop calling the war on Al Qaeda and Taliban a foreign war and go after all terrorists and their political patrons……and now you may have a chance to save Pakistan.
100% agree/
Agreed.
I think there should be open debate between Shia alims ( who insult Khulfa e Rashidin) and sunni alims( including those who declare shias Kafir) why they hate or dislike each other. Let them come with quranic injections to support their view point. Let their arguments be judged by muslim and non muslim scholars and determine whether it is justified to continue hostility and bad feelings. Should it not be left to God to punish wrong doers.
Had the debate could resolve the problems,there would not have been ferocious wars between human beings.We have been debating the truthfulness of our religions since centuries, without bringing peace to this world.Humanity and peace are too serious a subject to be left to the debating scholars.We, the people, must rise above ourselves.and find peaceful ways of living together.
This has been done countless times and all it has done is increase hatred. How about trying to forget the differences, believe what you believe in and let others do the same and accept each other the way they are?
Mrs. Writer please ask these questions to Mr.Safi Ul-Din the Iranian nationalist and creator of Safavid dynasty, he not only converted Iranian Sunnis to Shiaism by brutal force and genicide, he attacked Sunni republics like Iraq and syrian, turkey and cental asia to spred his idology, while Ottomans were busy tackling europians in eastern eurpose, his force started attacking Ottomans(a sunni empire) from east. This issue is not very simple, Iran is still busy spreading his idology to other Sunnis states which is a great concern to Sunni leaders. They dont want to end up in a situtation like Iraq and Syria.
Please read the correct history.
Mr Sunni (i am just calling u by ur user name .. i don’t consider u a sunni) Have a heart..?! .. People are brutally murdered and dying and all you care about is history!! ,, Where was this history when Saddam murdered those in Halabja?? ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Anfal_Campaign and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halabja_poison_gas_attack ) .. who were they? .. shias??
Bigots like you are the reason that children, women and men are getting murdered in ethnic/sectarian violence in every part of the world.
If Safi-u-ddin and safvid dynasty were criminals .. you will take their revenge from present shias?
Shias of Ali (Alehissalam) are not afraid of death. We teach our children to live like Ali and die like Husain. The days for bigots like you are numbered .. just like Sadam and Osama and .. whoever u will bring forward!
No salam to u!
What do have to say about Hazrat Ali’s Assacination?????????????
Iran is a great concern to Sunni leaders? so the solution is to kill the shias in Pakistan? Well not a bad solution. But there is only one problem. Shias are being killed by the ‘Concerned Sunni Leaders’ in the past 1400 years but they were not able to wipe them out. Do you think they will be successfull this time?
My friend I have a saying ” justification of ills is the biggest sin of all “. History is neither simple nor accurate, someone else can list atrocities from many Sunni rulers would that solve the situation? Are we matching scores? You can not change the past but you can work on fixing present and hopefully have a better future. You can at least speak clearly and unequivocally against atrocities be it Shia, Sunni, or non Muslim. Please stop justifying these monstrous animal like behavior. Your statements above give credence to violence and inhuman behavior.
Your understanding of history is pathetic. You first need to learn and develop your knowledge. Nobody in Iran is forced to do anything or being labled as kafirs, not even after revolution. Safavi dynasty was closer to West and its ironic that they were involved in bombarding near by the shrines of Shiite Imams. So what you are interperating is completely at 180degree of history. You are justifying all these shia carnages by something which may have happened (lets assume they did) 30-40 years ago and in other countries. FYI – whatever happening in Syria is because of the involvement of Saudia, Qatar and Turkey and there is no local uprising.
What do you think of Mohammad bin Qasim and Khalid Bin Walid all butchered shias, what you think about Mamon and Mansoor Al Dawaniqi ??? They have followed Islam only for the sake of power and tortured the Sadaats (both women and men) brutally. Try and find some solace in admitting the reality, closing your eyes on it would only make it worst for your soul.
Mr Sunni,
By your theory, we should also question the Arab invaders who forcefully converted hindus and budhists living in the Indian subcontinent. When will we let go the burden of our history and look forward
Sir, the writer wasn’t discussing ancient revisionist history or made up fantasy, she is discussing the sectarian crisis in Pakistan today, which indeed is perpetuated by militant groups of Wahhabi/Salafi/Deoband or Sunni extremist backgrounds, who inherently condone anti-Shia violence and ideologically both local inspired and foreign Saudi inspired, who also happen to be behind a majority of terrorist attacks within and worldwide. It is indeed quite simple than the irrational twisted narrative of an Iranian bogeyman as far as Pak is concerned.
It will not help to give example of Safavid. In history you will find so many sunni rullers who brutally killed shias just on the basis of belief. Don’t you know people like Hajaj bin Yousuf and Salahuddine Ayoubi etc. It is not wise to use some unfortunate fact of history to fulfill the present era political needs and justify killing of innocent poeple.
By the way only Iran is doing some thing, which in your view is unacceptable, other muslim states are spreading the message of love among muslims? Are they not misusing their money and political & religious influence?
So, those people were taken off buses in Pakistan and killed after being called kaafirs to avenge the alleged act of a foreign king centuries ago? How logical!
On a point of fact, Iraq and Syria, when ruled by Ottomans were not a republic, but an empire which is anathema to Islam – whether Sunni or Shia!
Mr. Sunni. Who u want to hoodwink? Iranian ideology has spread to Palestinian Sunnis and they resist Zionist Israeli occupation. It is not Safavid who razed the holy shrines and sacred places of Islam in Makkah, Medina, Najaf, Karbala, Samarra. Please don’t distort history. However, Iran of Imam Khamenei is different. As a Pakistani, I propose to you to conduct an impartial and objective research on the topic. Conversion within Islamic school of thought through knowledge is not a sin. But, Hamas and other Palestinians enjoy Iranian support although they have not embraced Shia Islam. If Mohammad Ali Jinnah had been a Shia, it should not hurt you. Ask from the followers of Maulana Shabbir Usmani Deobandi why he and his followers offered namaz-e-janaza of Mr. Jinnah.
Please confine yourself to Pakistan where Wahabi outfits are massacring Shias every day.
To all the Shias, Ahmedis, Hindus and other minorities in Pakistan, if you ask for an asylum with India, you would definitely get one. In this way you can live close to your homeland Pakistan, as well as enjoy the safety of India. Don’t worry, chances of Hindu-Muslim riots are less than 98% in our country. These riots happen due to the instigation of some corrupt politicians in our country, otherwise our citizens make 100% effort to avoid getting into religious confrontations of any kind. Your Qaid-e-Azam was a great visionary, but His dream has somehow lost the way. Indians do not hate Pakistanis after all, yes there are a few border issues, but those would be taken care of later. Rest your wish!!
Sam, Your offer is respectfully returned. I fail to understand that why you Indians cant leave Jinnah’s ideology alone. I have come to a conclusion that it is an organised effort at your end to ensure that Pakistani’s loose confidence in their country. What have you done in your eastern border region against Muslims recently will come to lime light, so will reinforce Indian followings of Mr Ghandi. You for sure followed him in Kashmir. Do you think it is Chankia Kutalia still dominating your foreign policy?
just want to answer your statement of muslim atrocities in north east states of india . nothing has happened there .Some people got killed from both sides it was just a fight between the local people (include 25% Christian as well) and the illegal migrant of Bangla desh and it was not related to religion. But Muslim sees everything from angle that is religion.
Are you for real…. Indians do not hate Pakistanis..? You must be living under a rock.
My dear Mr Akil, well I will not elaborate the ‘rock’ with the effects of Indian propaganda on Pakistanis, as I am an analyst by profession. Yet i must say that over here I was not referring to an ordinary Indian citizen. They are I feel naive to an extent. I am specifically focusing on the foreign policy of Indian Government. I believe very strongly in two nation theory and if we as a country are experiencing turbulence since the last decade, it has to do a lot to the mismanagement by our leaders. But for a 60 year old country which is situated on various fault lines, I have not lost hope for the future. Having said that I firmly believe that our transition period will end for good and withdrawal of ISAF and NATO from Afghanistan, things will change for good. What ever happen within our country, it is our domestic issue. The Indians should first solve their domestic challenges and then can think about suggesting us something. But before that they will have to prove their goodwill by listening to the demands of Kashmiris. End of the day, they boast to be a huge democracy, isn’t it?
you are a bad analyst sir.