Unprecedented Onslaught on Shias In Pakistan
By
Syed Ali Abbas Zaidi
17th
September 2020
Besides battling the pandemic, the Shia Muslim community in Pakistan has
been witnessing the resurgence of an intense anti-Shia sentiment during the
past few months.
-----
March: The
“Shia Virus”
Viruses or
illnesses do not have a religion. Neither do the immigration logistics. But in
Pakistan, this was not the case. At the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic in
March 2020, scores of people were returning to Pakistan from countries where
the outbreak had occurred. This included not just religious pilgrims from Saudi
Arabia and Iran but also regular travelers from Europe and other parts of the
world.
The virus
had already ravaged Italy, Spain, France, and England by then, yet only Shia pilgrims
returning from Iran were singled out as the spreaders of Coronavirus in
Pakistan. Shia politicians, who were handling the crisis situation on the
border where pilgrim centers had been established, were said to be colluding
with the Shia population to harm the interests of Pakistan.
Also Read: Pakistan Now Turns on Its Shia Citizens
The “Shia
spreaders of virus” campaign was soon subdued as the pandemic started ravaging
different parts of Pakistan but it became a precursor to what later became an
unprecedented hate-based campaign against the Shia Muslim sect all over the
country.
June:
The Anti-Shia Legislation
As the
COVID-19 outbreak peaked through July, a bill moved by Mauvia Azam, leader of a
banned anti-Shia outfit Ahle Sunnah Wal Jamat (ASWJ), was unanimously passed by
the Punjab Assembly. Clauses of the bill made it compulsory for all citizens of
Pakistan to use particular honorifics with names of religious figures in
Pakistan.
This has
been the bone of contention between Shia and Sunni schools for centuries as
both have differing opinions about what particular honorifics to use after the
names of Prophet’s (PBUH) family. The bill sparked criticism from religious
minorities and human rights defenders.
We also
fear that certain provisions of the proposed bill may fuel sectarian tensions
in the province, which would have spillover effect(s) throughout the country.”
A
Statement Drafted By 200 Civil Society Actors
The
controversial Bill was soon dismissed on account of its divisive character, but
it only fueled the hate-campaign against the Shia Muslim community.
July:
Rising Anti-Shia Sentiment
Zehra
Batool was meeting her friend during the time in Lahore. Both studied at the
same New England Liberal Arts college and hold advanced degrees. She recalls a
conversation she had with her friend over the anti-Shia sentiment that was
building up in July: “Zehra, I saw you critiqued the new Punjab Assembly bill
on your Facebook as something that is anti-Shia. You do know that majority of
Pakistan is Sunni and the bill is as per our beliefs.”
Zehra was
disappointed and tried to tell her friend that no matter who the majority is,
laws should not compel people to hold particular beliefs. She started preparing
for the holiest month of the year for Shia Muslims worldwide – Muharram.
Laws should
not compel people to hold particular beliefs”.
Zehra –
Resident of Lahore, Pakistan
The month
of Muharram holds spiritual and political significance for Shia Muslims and it
has been commemorated in the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent for centuries. However,
unfortunately, the rituals of Muharram have a long history of being attacked by
violent mobs and terrorists in Pakistan. The 2009 Karachi bombing, the 2015
Jacobabad bombing, and the deadly Rawalpindi riot are only some of the
incidents.
August:
Violent Mobs and Twitter Hate-Campaign
Muharram
this year, in the latter part of August, saw a renewed pressure by a few
anti-Shia groups to disrupt the activities organized by Shia Muslims. The
mainstay of the Muharram rituals are the processions which are taken out to
commemorate the sacrifice of Imam Hussain (the grandson of the Prophet
Muhammad) who was brutally massacred with his family on the plains of Karbala.
Many of the
processions are decades old and legalized by licensed permits from the
government. These public gatherings include not just Sunnis and Shias but
Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, and Atheists as well.
A video
from Okara showing a violent mob attacking and disrupting an annual Shia Muslim
procession went viral on social media in which Shia Muslim mourners were seen
requesting the mob not to attack. The rest of the Ashura (first 10 days of
Muharram) remained relatively peaceful in the city.
The peace
did not last long as right on the 10th of Muharram, a viral campaign calling
Shia Muslims as “Kafirs” (infidels) was launched online and the hashtag of the
campaign gathered more than 85,000 posts. It became a trending topic on Twitter
for two days. Some proponents of the campaign called for violence against Shia
Muslims and others wanted them to be declared as “Non-Muslims.”
A screengrab shows the anti-Shia campaign trending with more than 88
thousand tweets in Pakistan.
------
September:
Blasphemy & Anti-Shia Rallies
The intense
online campaign culminated into action offline and more than 42 cases under the
controversial Blasphemy Laws were filed against Shia Muslims across Pakistan.
Ex-communication from the folds of Islam or even a blasphemy accusation has
often led to vigilante murder of the accused in the past. Anti-Shia graffiti
started appearing in parts of the country.
Anti-Shia graffiti saying “Infidel Shias!” reported from Karachi
-----
A Shia
campaigner Asad Rizvi commented:
This was an unprecedented onslaught on Shias in Pakistan. Never in
history have we observed so many Blasphemy cases filed in such a short duration
of 3-4 months.”
A community
organizer Syed Azadar Abbas (Karachi) was of the view that “many of us have
maintained these permits for decades. Every year, we coordinate with the
authorities to ensure safety, traffic, and health protocols. The excessive
security measures were in fact imposed upon us by the genocidal campaign
inflicted by groups like Sipah e Sahaba against inter-faith gatherings for Imam
Hussain (as). Some of our permit holders have been murdered along with their
families. This year, the tactic has been to file Blasphemy charges. This is
what we are facing in Pakistan currently…”
The Human
Rights Commission of Pakistan gave a statement expressing concern on the rise
of Blasphemy cases against Shias. Many
Shia activists believe that the current campaign against Shias in Pakistan is
multi-faceted which has legal, social, and political angles. What started from
stereo-typing on the virus led to a legislative move to limit Shia expression
which led to an all-out anti-Shia movement in the country.
Anti-Shia rally in Karachi on 11th Sept 2020
------
Their
concerns saw daylight when on 11th September 2020 hundreds of thousands of
anti-Shia activists under the flag of proscribed outfit Ahle Sunnah Wal Jamat
(ASWJ) rallied in Karachi demanding to declare Shias as Non-Muslims. A
researcher who observes the trends of sectarian violence in Pakistan believes:
“Two things peaked in Pakistan during the previous six months: The anti-Shia
sentiment and the virus.”
Original
Headline: A Tragic Timeline: The Virus and the Viral Anti-Shia Campaign in
Pakistan Intertwined
Source: The Muslim Vibe
URL:
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism