| Submit your comments on this article | |
| Afghanistan-Pak-India | |
| Sectarian Conflicts and Revenges in Gilgit, Northern Pakistan | |
| 2005-10-10 | |
By Fazal Amin Beg, M. Phil (Cultural/Social Anthropology) The assassination of late Agha Zia ud Din, a prominent religious scholar of the Shia Muslims in Gilgit, Northern Pakistan, led to enormously negative effects and impacts ranging from insecurity to hatred, sufferings in social and kinship relationships between individuals, groups and both communities to the severe economic devastations of all communities in so-called the Northern Areas. One of the tragic and terrible effects, which is noteworthy, is in terms of severe insecurity and phobia within the clashed religious sects in particular, and others in general. After 8th January 2005, assault on and murder of the late Agha Sahab, the Shia leaders declared and acted upon by the followers to take the revenge by killing one Sunni on 8th of every month. In reaction, the Sunni leaders also responded reciprocally. Such terrible circumstances led to a worse and inhuman tradition that took, according to press information, almost 76 lives of the Sunni and Shia Muslims: almost equal number of murder (50%) for each of them. Here comes the question that to what extent, being a human and a creature of God, the Almighty, we are authoritative and dominant? Are we supposed to take the decisions on behalf of Allah? Have we been created for the purpose of killing each other? Is there any religion that instigates and directs its followers to opt for such malignant actions? The answer for the last two questions, of course, is totally in negative. With regard to the doctrines of Islam, it is very much crystal clear. The word Islam comes out of salama in Arabic, for peace and protection, humility, humbleness, caring and love. We rightly claim for Islam but very negatively act, going on the way of cursed ones and astray (maghzub and zaleen and not ghayr al maghzub and wa la zaleen)âforgetting the core values of this universal religion depicted even within its name, Islam, let aside the deepest and most extensive teachings. When we quote from Quraân and recite Surat al-Fatiha that Allah is the Rab il-alamin, the Lord of the Worlds, then conversely why do we present clearly by confining Him to rab il-Muslimeen, Lord of the Muslims? Again, within the diverse Muslim communities, we have further confined and bifurcated Allah as rab il-Sunnite and rab il-Shiite, the Lord of the Sunni and Shia Muslims only. Thus, we give and continue our verdicts, to each, and others besides Muslims, as kafir, infidels or unbelievers. We pray to God: strengthen us on sirat al-mustaqeem, the right path, of those whom Thou hast blessed, and not of those whom Thou hast cursed upon. Evaluating ourselves against the above cited verses of the Holy Quraâan, it becomes explicit that we have left the path of the blessed ones and have chosen of the cursed ones, as our deeds are in contrast rather than consonance with the Islamic doctrines. When our deeds are so then how we can claim for a Muslim or Momin? The question regarding deeds concerns not only among these rival Muslim communities in Gilgit but rather in the entire Muslim world. Rather than promoting pluralism in different perspectives, we have opted for the singularity in this regard. Such phenomenon has contributed harshly and terribly towards the âdivide and rule policyâ within and out of the Muslim world. Doctrinally, being Muslim we are aware that killing one person, especially the innocent one, is equal killing the entire humanity. Killing of one Muslim in the hands of other Muslim is haram, illegitimate. In the words of Hazrat Firdouisi: meyozor muri ki donah kash ast, ki jon dorad u jon e shirin khush ast: donât kill even an ant because it possesses life and life is sweet and God gifted. Hazrat Saâdi Shirazi very eloquently and beautifully describes the significances of human and humanity: Bani Odan aâzoy e yek digardand Ki dar ofarinash zi yek gohrand Chu âuzwi be dard owarad ruzgor Digar âuzwho ro ne monad qaror Agar tu zi minat e digaron bighami Neshoyad ki nomat nahand odami Human beings are just like the organs of a body, because their creation is from a single essence. When an organ comes under pain, the entire body feels it and becomes restless. If you neglect other personsâ difficulties and problems, you may not be termed as human. Even though, being Muslims, we have neglected these gems, but still we are not too late and it is the right time to ponder again and again over the great teachings of Islam and make them part of our practices through logic rather than learning them by rote. God is well aware of our intentions, objectives and deeds. We need to correct ourselves as individuals rather than imposing our opinions on others. This also holds true for the entire humanity. We need to create linkages within and out of the Muslim communities by embracing and practicing the great values of Islam by respecting the human rights, human-love, tolerance, honesty, purity, Islamic brotherhood, universal/human fraternity, and taking great revenges by forgiving enemies or rivals. The current earthquake of very high intensity, which took thousands of lives dead in the northern Pakistan but leaving comparatively minor effects in the Northern Areas, is again a great blessing on the peoples of this region. So, we must repent time and again on our ill-wills and ill-deeds: it was an alarm for us to be cautious now and next. Otherwise, Godâs anger is there, and His punishment without sound, but in seconds, shall be very much devastating, if we continue to act malignantly with our fellow human beings. | |
| Posted by:Ominerong Unavilet1870 |
| #2 A shia air force officer destroyed his transport plane, killing Zia and the US ambassador. wow john, I missed that one..I've read several accounts, all different?, one account in particular was that a fresh crate of mangoes that was loaded on the C-130 at Bahawalpur, just before take off, and that it had a little suprise in it? Then there's this account. what's your take? Who killed Zia-ul-Haq? By Khalid Hasan http: //www.khalidhasan.net/fridaytimes/2004-06-18.htm |
| Posted by: Red Dog 2005-10-10 18:05 |
| #1 Gilgit is actually part of Kashmir that was illegally annexed by Pakistan. They do not consider it part of "azad kashmir" and it has been run by military governors since partition. The late dictator Zia Ul Haq organized a pogrom on some of the Shia population. He had a SSG officer lead an arab tribal lashkar of afghan war veterans . They killed may shias. That officer was Pervez Musharraf. The lashkar was led by Osama bin Laden. Zia paid for this with his life. A shia air force officer destroyed his transport plane, killing Zia and the US ambassador. |
| Posted by: john 2005-10-10 17:22 |