If you were one of the unfortunate victims of the deranged
and vicious attack on the Christian community in Lahore a couple of months back,
chances are that you are one of those really few people in Pakistan who still
hasn’t applied the forgive and forget, or rather forget, policy related to the
whole event. You were there; you know the whole story. No one else knows the
cold, piercing fear that impaled your heart the night the police and then a mob
gathered at the house of the accused. How you and your whole community were
forced to flee, fearing the worst. The worst, which you’d been imagining too
demented to actually happen. And then the sense of unreality that gripped you
as you stared in horror at the ashes of what had once been something that
belonged to you; at the charred roads and black smoke that encompassed what had
once been your home; and the only thought running through your mind was:
You: What did I ever do to deserve this?
And then along comes one of the many people responsible for
the burnings; the man of the hour, here to rescue you from the plight of your
endless/conclusion-less pondering.
Deranged maniacs: You committed blasphemy. You insulted our
Prophet (S.A.W).
You: But… I did not do anything.
Deranged maniac: Well, one of you did. You all had to be
taught a lesson.
You: But the man who committed the actual blasphemy got
arrested! Isn’t that lesson enough?
Deranged maniac: Pah! You’d like to think so, wouldn’t you?
But it’s not as simple as that. In matters as serious as this, a stronger
statement is always needed.
You: So basically, if one of us committed a blasphemous act,
you deemed it fit to burn down the entire Christian community? Punish all for
the crime of one? Just to send a ‘statement’?
Deranged maniac: Blasphemy is a very serious crime in our
religion, boy. It must be dealt with a punishment as severe as the crime
itself.
You: I don’t really get how the severity of one man
committing blasphemy and that of burning down an entire community match up…
Deranged maniac: Spare me the clever talk, boy. You tell me
this: what is your problem with our religion? We’re willing to live in peace
with you Christians, but you’re not making that entirely possible, are you?
You: Oh, oh, so you’re calling punishing all of us brutally
for one person’s crime ‘living in peace’?
Deranged maniac: Why are you portraying it like that? We’re
the actual victims here!
You: You’re the victims here? HOW?
Deranged maniac: You heard me. We’re the actual victims here,
just as we always are. Victims of your propagandas, always targeting our
religion. This was merely a way to defend ourselves.
You: You burn down the entire Christian community to defend
yourself?
Deranged maniac: That was the only way. For a strong statement
was needed to keep you people in check, since you obviously can’t do that
yourself. I repeat: blasphemy is a VERY serious crime in our religion.
You: Are you implying that we should keep a check on
EVERYONE here and stop them from committing a crime; else it’s hell for all of
us? That’s impossible.
Deranged maniac: (shrugs) Then deal with the consequences.
Remember: as you sow, so shall you reap.
You: So you’re actually defending the mindless atrocity of
your actions.
Deranged maniac: I stand by what happened. You deserved it.
You: Deserve – what, HOW? Okay, let me explain the situation
to you in very simple words. Suppose a person committed a robbery. The
punishment for that in Islam is that the hand of the one responsible gets cut
off, right?
Deranged maniac: (nods vigorously) Yes.
You: Okay. So if a person steals, do you cut his hand off,
or do you go and cut off the hands of his entire family as well?
Deranged maniac: Only the person who stole would be
punished. Why his family? Islam is a very fair and just religion.
You: Exactly. So isn’t ours the same case? If a person
commits blasphemy – what’s the penalty for blasphemy in Islam again?
Deranged maniac: (sourly) Death.
You: Exactly. So if a person commits blasphemy, would you
not have him sentenced to death? Why burn all of our belongings and possessions
down as well?
Deranged maniac: (growing frustrated) These two are
completely different things!
You: HOW, pray tell? Or are you implying that blasphemy is a
special case in Islam where you are allowed to take the law into your own hands
and inflict whatever punishment you deem fit on the criminal?
Deranged maniac: Of course not. Islam is just.
You: Is it really? Your actions certainly suggest otherwise.
Or maybe that’s because there IS no penalty for blasphemy in Islam, and you
don’t know what to do about it!
Deranged maniac: (growing increasingly frustrated) There is.
Stop insulting our religion.
You: I’m not insulting anything; I’m only pointing out what
seems evident. Is it the fact that there is a penalty for blasphemy in Islam;
you just don’t know what it is and thus decided to act of your own accord?
Deranged maniac: (suppressed anger) Are you implying that we
are ignorant of the ways of our religion? Because if that’s the case –
You: Well, it’s either that, for I refuse to believe that
considering how ‘perfect’ and ‘just’ Islam is, as you keep reiterating, it
would allow something as senseless and unjust as this.
Deranged maniac: (seething) Do not doubt Islam, it is the
fittest religion!
You: Then why are you continuously giving me reasons to
doubt that?
Deranged maniac: I don’t know what you’re talking about.
You: I’ll TELL you what I’m talking about. I’ll tell you
what really happened. The penalty for blasphemy in Islam is death; death for
the criminal. But that isn’t enough for you people, is it? You always talk of
Islam being the perfect religion – and maybe it is! Yet you don’t consider it
perfect according to your intemperate views, and thus are redefining Islam,
molding it according to your perspectives, and yet using it to defend your
actions! You are using your religion, your beloved and PERFECT Islam, as an
excuse for oppression. And that, my -
Deranged maniac: (takes out a gun and shoots you).
