Descent into Despair

During the rule of Nazis in Germany many different communities were targeted on the basis of their beliefs. Martin Niemöller gave a famous statement in which he described the indifference and apathy of German intellectuals and public towards the plight of their fellow citizens. Today his words resonate in my mind and by changing the names of the communities we can describe the way different groups have been targeted in Pakistan since 1947:

First they came for the Hindus, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Hindu.

Then they came for the Ahmedis, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t an Ahmedi.

Then they came for the Christians, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Christian.

Then they came for the Shias, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Shia.

Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.

The irony is that the country which was created to protect and give equal rights to the minorities of India couldn't provide safety and security to its own people. Remaining fearful in today’s Pakistan means surrendering to those extremists who challenge our way of life. Our people have showed immense resilience in the last decade and there are many grave issues that we as a nation have to tackle in order to succeed in 21st century, but first we all must get over our religious and political prejudices and unite against all kinds of terrorism and extremism. 

If we don't force the state to take action against those who are killing Shias today then tomorrow they will be after the lives of our loved ones because they are determined to disintegrate our country into different factions. The state knows the identity of the perpetrators, but apparently it doesn’t have the will to take action against them. No negotiations succeed unless they are done from a position of strength and we have seen the horrific results that this policy of appeasement has produced.  

There will be protests, sit-in, roads will be blocked, but terrorists will continue to kill innocent people unless our nation gets united and demand action against those organizations which are responsible for this bloodshed. 

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter," - Martin Luther King