Then They Came For Me

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The murderous attack on our fellow citizens today is sickening. The attack has already claimed the lives of at least 70 people in Lahore.

The gunmen opened fire shortly after Friday prayers and threw what could have been grenades at two Ahmadi worship places in residential neighbourhoods in Pakistan’s cultural capital.

Sajjad Bhutta, deputy commissioner of Lahore, said at least 70 people had been killed in the twin attacks on worship places in Garhi Shahu and Model Town. A total of 78 were injured.

The death toll at Garhi Shahu was higher, Bhutta said, because three attackers blew themselves up with suicide vests packed with explosives when police tried to enter the building.

Police are still searching the area as two attackers were still at large.

It has been less than one year since the Gojra massacre when extremists murdered Christians. Today they murder Ahmadis.

I have been shocked at the response by some media that refer to the mosques as ‘worship places’. Who says that? Why do they not say ‘mosque’? The only explanation is that they refuse to recognize Ahmadis as Muslim. But who are these Media Mullahs to judge someone’s faith? Do not usurp the authority of Allah. Leave that judgment to Allah and worry only about your own faith. Do your own namaz and do not peek to the side and cluck your tongue at others. You will be judged on your own actions, not the beliefs of someone else.

Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court is having hearings on Facebook. It is making judgments on AQ Khan. It is releasing dangerous jihadi elements into our community. It is taking up challenges to Presidential pardons. Even the Lahore High Court has time for hearings on a ‘sex change’ operation.

Meanwhile, outside the gates of Lahore High Court, people are being murdered in their own mosques. On this, the esteemed justices are silent.

The following poem was written by a German Christian Pastor named Martin Niemöller about the lack of action by Germans as the Nazis came to power and began attacking different minority groups.

THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist.

THEN THEY CAME for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.

THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

THEN THEY CAME for me
and by that time no one was left to speak up.

Could something similar be written about Pakistan also?

 

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5 COMMENTS

  1. THEY CAME FIRST for the Soviets,
    and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Soviet.

    THEN THEY CAME for the Northern Alliance,
    and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t from them.

    THEN THEY CAME for Americans,
    and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t an American.

    THEN THEY CAME for Pashtuns,
    and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Pashtun.

    THEN THEY CAME for the Services,
    and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a serviceman,.

    THEN THEY CAME for the Police,
    and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Policeman.

    THEN THEY CAME for the Civilians,
    and I didn’t speak up because my family was safe.

    THEN THEY CAME for Christians,
    and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Christian.

    THEN THEY CAME for Ahmadis
    and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t an Ahmadi.

    THEN THEY CAME for Every one Left.
    and by that time no one was left to speak up.

  2. Dear admin…
    I want to say that you are violating the Pakistan’s constitution ,according to that QADYANEES are non-Muslim. they have rights as other non-Muslim in Pakistan.

    then you called :MEDIA MULLAS:
    ….. i think you are not Muslim, if You are Muslim you must have strong faith in Islam.

    this is the point that i want to share with you.

  3. Dear Muslim,

    What constitution are you referring to ? The one distorted and disrespected by dictators time and again ? The one that has miserably failed to protect the rights of its citizens ?
    The one legislated by members having fake degrees ? The one that only protects the elite and ruling classes ?

    Besides, how can a parliament or group of people can interfere in some one’s faith ? It is for the individual to decide his faith and belief, who are we to dictate them and call them names ? It is only for God to judge and punish people on account of their faith, for only he knows the intentions. How would you feel if some one declares you a Kafir ?

    Why do we criticize Shiv Sena, BJP and other Hindu extremists for killing Muslims in India on the same grounds !!! Why do we call Nrindar Moodi a murderer when he provokes hatred against muslims, calling them traitors and rebels to Hindu faith ? simply because muslims are a minority in India !!!

    My dear friend, evil can never be eradicated through another evil, because if we fight evil through another evil, only the (greater) evil comes out victorious.

    Islam is a religion of peace and love, it will come out victorious only when its followers adhere to it’s real teachings. Other wise, what has this fanaticism brought us so far ? apart from hatred and terrorizing followers of all the other religions and thereby pushing them further away from Islam.

  4. Fawad, I agree with everything you’ve said. But I think muslim, in his own way, tried to make the point that Ahmadi’s do have some constitutional rights, regardless of how flawed the constitution is. Perhaps he is saying that by singularly focusing on the exclusionary provision, we may tend to take for granted that Ahmadi’s have no rights in Pakistan whatsoever. To the extent that I may be right about muslim’s intentions, I think he makes a valid point.

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