Rank: Member
Joined: 4/11/2011
Posts: 72
Points: 222
Location: Pakistan
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The following news items have appeared in today’s The Express Tribune Pakistan(Saturday, January 21, 2012).
After reading them would anybody show me my real face – I am a Muslim.
1. A guilty prayer leader prowls the narrow, fetid streets of Ittanwali village in Nankana district.
At the forefront of a popular, polarising case, Qari Salam ostensibly regrets filing a blasphemy charge against an impoverished Christian woman, Aasia Bibi
The source of his guilt – realisation that the case was not based on facts but on hyped religious emotions and personal bias of some village women…………………
Qari, according to some of his close friends, was now thinking of not pursuing the case anymore and expressed his desire to some of his friends, only to find himself in a difficult situation when activists of a religious organisation ‘convinced’ him not to change his mind.
“We will chase her through hell … don’t worry about the money, hiring best lawyers,” Salam told The Express Tribune, quoting the son of Khatm-e-Nabuwat’s London chapter’s leader.
2. For Matli’s poor Hindus, ‘lakshmi’ lies in another religion – Hundreds of them are being rapidly converted in exchange for better lives…………………..
Money, jobs and a debt-free lfe: It sounds like a sweet deal form many of the Hindu labourers in Matli, but I comes in with strings attached – convert to Islam…………………….
3. Jamaatud Dawa don’t want Ahmadis praying in Pindi – Threaten rally on 29th to have community’s religious centre shut down
4. Editorial: Captured land
The Christian community in Lahore continues its desperate protests over the bulldozing conducted several days ago by the Lahore Development Authority of a school, a church and the ‘Gosha-e-Aman’ home for old people. The land on which the building stood had been on lease to the Catholic Church since 1987……………….
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 9/12/2011
Posts: 2,180
Points: 6,568
Location: Scotland (via Earth, Sol system)
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I can only give an opinion. Since you are questioning these actions, your 'face' is humanitarian and (mostly at least) unprejudiced. (Most people have some prejudice, due to education and upbringing, but most do not let it affect their actions).
Newspapers that report mainly conflict and violence 'sell' better than ones that report mainly good news. This is a sad statement, but true.
For every ten real 'activists', I think you would find hundreds of Muslims who would happily live alongside Christians and Hindus, and respect their rights to their own beliefs. The same for the Matli employers and the Lahore Development Authority, it will be just a small minority who are 'pushing' this - but an active and loud minority.
There is a similar situation here, with the newspapers reporting 'battles' with people being stabbed or maimed. The two antagonist groups are both Christian football supporters, but the 'Glasgow Celtic' supporters are mainly Catholic, the 'Glasgow Rangers' supporters are mainly Protestant. The truth is that there are only a few troublemakers - but often many who get involved after the trouble has been started by the few.
I don't know any solution, other than educating the majority to confront the minority and say 'NO', and this is not easy.
Though lovers be lost, love shall not, and Death shall have no dominion. - Dylan Thomas
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 10/21/2009
Posts: 1,449
Points: 4,342
Location: Pakistan
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No doubt, Mansoor, this is quite an alarming situation. The answer to your explicit question about your real face would perhaps, be very simple. You probably hide your face like me, being ashamed of these stories when they come up on the newspapers. These stories really put me and many of my country fellows into shame, without way to regret found.
One thing common in all the stories is the brutal level of extremist elements in our society. Here comes the implicit question, answer to which may not that simple. 10 years ago such a theraputic final solution has been applied in Afghanistan but it fired back due to the foriegn involvement that was certainly a weak moral ground. The more the foriegn involment increases the more the fanatics get suports from the uneducated public. They are either uneducated or religously "blackmailed" opinion makers. That's why I say that this is the matter that WE are responcible to, and only we should takle it.
I hope Mansoor, you would suggest some 'do its.'
*It's wonderful to know that all languages are Greek if not understood.*
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