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The tragic killing of a Muslim family in Canada in an apparent hate crime is heartbreaking as the killing of a single person of any religion is highly reprehensible.
The suspect who killed four members of a Canadian Muslim family by running them over in his pickup truck targeted them in an attack motivated by hate. This has once again raised concerns about the rising trend of Islamophobia in the West.
The current government has also raised concerns about the rising Islamophobia in Western countries and the targeting of Muslim communities. This seems to have become the catchphrase of Prime Minister Imran Khan just like his favourite ‘I will not give an NRO.’
While there is no doubt that Muslims are being discriminated and vilified in the West particularly in Europe and United States, we should be concerned about the minorities in Pakistan.
Those wailing over the incidents in the West have never bothered to raise their voice against inhumane atrocities against minorities in Pakistan. The Christians living in Pakistan did not come by accident or division but have lived in this land for millennia which can be observed in the history of Taxila.
The Christians participated in the establishment of Pakistan but today government institutions keep vacancies of menial jobs for them which prevents their growth and development. Isn’t this just like Islamophobia?
The Christians have provided education and health but all their institutions were taken over under a well-thought conspiracy. The recent takeover of Edward College is an example of such attitudes towards minorities in Pakistan.
In the history of Pakistan, you would not find an esteemed jurist like Justice Robert Cornellis who served as the former Chief Justice of Pakistan. But today, a Christian cannot hold a high position and can’t either become the prime minister or president.
In Pakistan, you can kidnap, rape and then forcibly convert a minority girl and walk away with impunity. Christian settlements are set ablaze on false accusations of blasphemy. Innocent children buying snacks are beaten at kiosks and forced to recite the Kalima. Isn’t this the same as Islamophobia?
The oppression inflicted on Christians and minorities in Pakistan can only be compared to the atrocities in Kashmir and Palestine. The flag of Canada was hoisted on the murder of a Pakistani family, but if we mourned the atrocities against minorities in Pakistan, then our flag would be hoisted 365 days a year.
The state must condemn such incidents and brings the perpetrators to justice. No Christian feels safe in Pakistan as their honour, life and property are insecure. The attack on a Muslim family in Canada is reprehensible and the culprit must be given an exemplary punishment.
The supremacist who attacked mosques and killed Muslims in New Zealand was punished and we saw the kindness and empathy of the prime minister. Meanwhile, fanatics in Pakistan have shed blood in Shantinagar, Rimpa Plaza, Gojra but the state remained in deep slumber. The blasphemy law in Pakistan only applies to minorities. Muslims can use derogatory words against Christian saints, desecrate sacred objects, burn the Bible or destroy churches.
Why do Muslims still want to live in Europe despite the incidents of Islamophobia. Thousands of Christians have left Pakistan and millions are waiting for a messiah to rescue them. The son of a truck driver in Britain can become the mayor despite being a Muslim, but in Pakistan, no Christian is allowed to hold any important position.
Those raising the drum beats of Islamophobia forget that the West has always sheltered the oppressed and is imposing sanctions by declaring us as an inhumane society. No one is allowed to use violence against Muslims or any other religion but we should look at the fire which can burn down our own house.
