Govt. indifference towards public hate speech against Shia and Ahmadiyah communities

On 28 May, 2010 massacre of Ahmedis took place in Lahore. The media and Pakistani officials allege it was a random Al-Qaeda or Pakistani Taliban attack, having no connection to the Ahmadiyya faith, public knows that it is result of a long constitutionally supported hatred that has been spread-ed since the independence of this country.

Although sectarian violence had always been the part of Pakistan history, its has become norm for Shia, Ahmadi and Christian minorities to be centered of this sectarian and religious hatred. Two years ago on 28th May an Ahmadi mosque was attacked and hundred of innocent human beings were brutally murdered and now Swat is burning under fire of sectarian violence, in February 2012 gunmen disguised in military fatigues had hauled 18 Shia Muslim men off buses and shot them dead in cold blood in the northern district of Kohistan, which neighbors the Swat valley, a former Taliban stronghold. This lead to arrest of a Sunni leader suspected to be involved in the incident. Earlier this month a grenade thrown in a Sunni protest against the arrest of their leader caused many causalities. This started a sectarian war among these two sects. Army was called in swat to take control of situation.

It is the duty of a country to promise every citizen atleast safety and security on the terms of equality, Pakistan has not only failed to provide that security to Shiates, Ahmadies, Christians and other minorities but left these constitutional lapse to favor extremists carry our these brutal killings without fear of authority. These constitutional escape routes that are robing minorities with their basic human right. While the majority Shites believe that the Sipah-e-Sahaba and LeJ is involved in the targeted attacks. Still leaders of these extremist organizations like Sipah-e-Sahaba (Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat) and LeJ have open presence in cities.

Government fueling these sectarian violences by showing negligence to hate speech which grows into hate crime and ultimately to these tragic massacres. Last time I checked these government subsidized killing are were called Nazism, minorities are suppressed and terrified to raise there voice against this discriminatory laws cause of massive intolerance in the society. Allowing extremist to spread hate speech against a minority, it is considered normal in our country to find banners in busy markets spreading religious prejudice and some times even provoking people commit killings in the name of region.

Pakistan country with approx 15-20% people from minority groups live every day in fear of their lives. There are Muslim countries having more religious diversity than Pakistan that still had made their laws concrete enough to stop the hate crimes against any group irrespective to ethnicity, religious believes and majority of population.