In the midst of the terrible sadness caused by the killings of so many innocent Ahmadis in Lahore, I cannot help but notice the glaring irony of the timing of the slaughter. After all, it was just a week ago that the pious saints in our country were outraged by the religious insensitivity of some random people on a couple of websites.
When the Facebook Fiasco broke, it was widely stated by oh-so-pious Jamaatis that we needed to show a demonstration against this website because the people behind it were clearly not respectful to our Muslim sensitivities. Islam may be a minority religion in America, but that simply makes it all the more important that these websites be constrained – to prevent an outbreak of religious hatred and discrimination against Muslims abroad.
Perhaps these self-proclaimed spokesmen knew what they were talking about. After all, they should know full well what can happen when you stir up hatred of religious minorities, no?
Fast-forward one week, and it would appear that all the worst stereotypes of anti-Islamic idiots are being played out for all the world to see. Rather than respecting the religious sensitivities of a minority, militant terrorists have slaughtered them as they were prostrate on the floor praying. What more cowardly act can there be?
The worst part of the act is the death of so many innocent Pakistanis. Senselessly killed while they were praying, our fellow Pakistani brothers were gunned down in cold blood.
But this act also shows the glaring hypocrisy and false piety of the religious extremists. How can they honestly complain about some stupid drawings on Facebook while they are polishing their Kalashnikovs and preparing to murder innocent people while they pray.
Insha’Allah we will learn an important lesson. These religious extremists cannot be trusted. Their piety is false, their appeals to the sensitivities of good people are merely a strategic tactic to convince us to lower our resolve. The militants have one goal, and that is to kill Pakistanis and destroy our way of life. They will stoop to any lies and deceit to make it happen.
We must not let them divide us. We are not Gojra Christians, Lahore Ahamadis, or Nankha Sahib Sikhs. We are not Sunni, Shia, or Sufi. We are all of these. We are Pakistan. And we will not let these terrorists destroy us.
Pakistan Zindabad.
