25 September 2013, 05:34 AM IST
The Peshawar church bombing left behind a familiar trail of death and destruction the north-western Pakistani city seems to have learnt to live with for years.
Once known for its cultural vibrancy that has given Bollywood some of its finest actors, Peshawar is now a terror scarred city, which has taken the brunt of frequent Taliban attacks over the last few years.
The latest attack in the city was particularly brutal as it targeted the marginalised and impoverished Christian community and left 80 men, women and children dead in the most barbaric fashion. The attackers struck when the worshippers were lining up for food after finishing their prayers.
The attack is significant as it comes days after Pakistan offered to have talks with the Taliban and is seen as the government's failure to protect minorities.
But the Pakistani state has failed to protect its citizens irrespective of their ethnic, religious and sectarian affiliations in this brutal war -- without any rules -- the Taliban have waged to overthrown the state.
Shias – roughly over 10% of the population -- and Hazaras particularly have been the worst sufferers of Taliban's savagery. Hundreds of them have been killed most brutally in the country that a Shia, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, had founded for 'subcontinent's minorities'.
The majority among Sunni Muslim sects in Pakistan – Barelvis or Ahle Sunnat wal Jamaat – have not been immune to the attacks either even as they account for roughly 60% of Pakistan.
At least 50 devotees were killed and over 200 wounded when two suicide bombers blew themselves up at Sufi Saint Syed Ali Hajwaria's shrine in Lahore in July 2010.
The attackers struck on a Thursday evening when Sufi shrines attract the maximum number of devotees while Yousaf Raza Gilani, a descendent of a Sufi saint, was the Prime Minister.
Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan started his election campaign earlier this year from the saint's shrine while Sharif had concluded his electioneering there ahead of his historic victory. This explains the extent of devotion these melting pots command. But the Taliban have shown no respect to religious sensitivities.
Earlier, Sufi saint Rehman Baba's shrine was bombed near Peshawar in March 2009. Three years later, at least 10 people were killed in an attack on the shrine of Karachi's patron saint Abdullah Shah Gazi.
Muslims across the world and particularly in South Asia revere Sufi saints as Islamic missionaries, who spread the message of love, peace and compassion.
The Taliban have not even spared places of worship in their backyard in Pakistan's tribal northwest.
At least 55 Friday worshipper, including children, were killed and nearly 100 injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up inside a mosque in Darra Adam Khel in November 2010. Many were killed after they were buried under the ceiling of the mosque that caved in after the bombing.
Over a dozen Friday worshipper were killed in attacks on two mosques in the Malakand division. The second mosque's roof caved and many people were buried under the rubble in a series of attacks in the run-up to the national elections in May.
Friday congregation prayers have special significance for Muslims and signify Islamic egalitarianism.
Yet these things have meant little to the Taliban, who are blinded by the pre-Islamic tribal code of revenge and honour. They often cite American drone attacks as the reason for such attacks, but no excuse can ever justify killing of innocent civilians not even remotely connected to the US.
Even the country's influential armed forces and the ISI have seemed helpless in dealing with the menace. A major general, a brigadier, two lieutenant colonels and two majors were among 40 people killed in a gun and bomb attack on Friday worshippers at a mosque near Pakistan's army headquarters in Rawalpindi in December 2009. The dead included 17 children.
The more audacious attacks on military installations included the ones on the army headquarters, Kamra air base near Islamabad and Karachi's Mehran naval base.
The civilian victims of Taliban terror include high profile clerics, who were silenced for daring to oppose them. A suicide bomber killed cleric Mufti Sarfraz Ahmed Naeemi in June 2009 for condemning the Taliban's actions as un-Islamic. Scholar and ex-Jamaat-e-Islami member, Javed Ahmad Ghamadi, was forced into exile for echoing similar views.
The shooting of 14-year-old Pashtun child rights activist Malala Yousafzai remains Taliban's most cowardly act of terror.
But the October 2009 Mina Bazar bombing in Peshawar remains among the worst attack on civilians mostly women. At least 137 people were killed and over 200 wounded in the car bombing at the market that women and children frequent.
Almost as many people were killed as Benazir Bhutto had a narrow escape in an attack on her motorcade in Karachi upon her return to Pakistan in October 2007. The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader was eventually assassinated in Rawalpindi three months later in an attack blamed on the Taliban.
The loose coalition of criminal, terrorist groups have killed dozens of workers and leader mostly belonging to the PPP, Muttahida Quami Movement and Frontier Gandhi's Awami National Party. Even Imran Khan, accused of being soft on the Taliban, has lost at least two legislators to Taliban violence.
In the tribal areas, the Taliban's brainwashed and misguided suicide bombers have butchered even tribal elders opposed to them.
The elders have traditionally been an important pillar of authority along with the political agents and clergy in the tribal areas. The brutalities of the Taliban have demolished these structures.
The western media may call the Taliban 'Islamist' but the apt Islamic terms for them are Kharjites and Takfiris, who have targeted all Muslims except those of their ilk after having first rebelled against the Prophet's companion, Caliph Usman, and even killing him.
They branded a number of the Prophet's companions as infidels. Some of the Kharjites were brought back into the mainstream Islamic fold due to the efforts of Caliph Imam Ali. But a majority of Kharijites did not mend their ways and have continued targeting fellow Muslims and others for centuries..
Islam has a long history of resisting beasts like the Taliban, which pose the greatest danger to the faith more than any real or imagined enemy.
As the church bombing has highlighted again, the Taliban are unfit for any civilized engagement with a democratically elected government voted to power after the highest turnout ever in the country.
They pose an existential threat to Pakistan and the policy of appeasement reflected in the talks offer could only end up strengthening them with more disastrous consequences even beyond the country's borders.
Sharif's statement that his government would be unable to 'proceed with the talks' in the aftermath of the church bombings is a positive development.
But it is not going to be sufficient. Sharif's dream of making Pakistan the 'Asia tiger' with focus on economy and peace with the neighbours is unlikely to fructify as long as Taliban brutes are allowed to overrun the country.
The Prime Minister has to follow words with decisive action before it is too late as the Taliban's war is not on a religion, sect, race or a nationality. It is a war on humanity and deserves a fitting response. It is now or never.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Taliban’s war isn’t on a religion, sect but on humanity
Dengan url
http://osteoporosista.blogspot.com/2013/09/talibanas-war-isnat-on-religion-sect.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Taliban’s war isn’t on a religion, sect but on humanity
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Taliban’s war isn’t on a religion, sect but on humanity
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar