Following article was originally published in print edition of express tribune pakistan and its website. It was later removed from the website and an apology from the editor today. It can no more be searched on the website.
It is still available or the following website..here is the link
I am also copying the article,alongwith writer’s note, so that you can read it here too.
Shia-Sunni Reconciliation and Rituals
By Saleem H. Ali
Can such rituals be criticized?
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This article created a firestorm of anger when it was published by the Express Tribune (ET) in Pakistan
who ended up removing it from their web site. It was a test of free speech in Pakistan and it is clear that
the country is still stuck in a time warp of religious hypersensitivity. I wrote a rejoinder to address the
choice of language and to clarify (and to apologize if hurt was caused) but that has not been published
yet. I have made some minor edits to the language in original article out of respect (but not out of fear).
In the rush to write we can all be sometimes negligent and I recognize that the choice of words in
describing some of the rituals was insensitive but certainly not hateful. To show due respect and in a
spirit of, I have removed the language which described the state of the mourners in the procession. ET
have said on their site that they will not take any more articles from me. In my view we will never be able
to resolve religious conflicts if both Shias and Sunnis continue to show such theological rigidity and not
question each others’ rituals. I will keep working on constructive confrontation as a means of
peace-building. Holding hands and singing will not birng peace – we need to deal with the toughest
issues no matter how painful. I will publish the rejoinder article here in a few days. Also, culture needs to
change in all religious societies. It cannot be used as an excuse for ossification of rituals. I would do the
same for many other rituals in other Faiths as well. My goal is not to disparage any faith and I have
always respected the rights of minorities which is clear from my record as a writer, including one of my
books on Islam and Education. My goal is rather to challenge the ritual manifestations that go against
basic humanity. We need to develop a common humanistic culture as well.
Muharram is a time for reflection on many accounts. It is the start of the Islamic New Year but also a
time of remembrance and renewal. Unlike most other faith traditions, the start of the new year for
Muslims is somber and even melancholic in tone. The martyrdom of Imam Husain was a tragedy by any
standard but let us also reflect on how this historic event has been distorted at the behest of culture to
take on new heights of absurdity and masochism. It is high time Shia scholars address the malaise that
has struck Muharram processions and the educated elite should not remain silent just because Shias
have sadly been a persecuted minority in Pakistan.
Horses being paraded through streets with mobs of men, and even children as young as 5, bleeding
themselves to unconsciousness, is an utterly embarrassing spectacle. I dare say the noble Imam would
not have wanted his sacrifice to be remembered with such customs, which are indeed a danger to
public health and communion. The same expression of sorrow can be shown in more civilized terms
through prayer and reflection. Even if there is to be a procession, it can be undertaken with a certain
degree of composure and respect for the spirit of the occasion. Indeed, in Iran, the headquarters of
Shia tradition, using knives or chains (Tatbir or Qama Zani) for Maatam is strictly regulated. The origins
of this practice in its current form can be traced to the Safavid period in the sixteenth century and is thus
a relatively recent cultural corrosion.
Of particular note was the ritualistic invective (Tabarra) that evolved during this period, which was
hurled on those companions of the Prophet Muhammad that Shias consider to be “enemies” of
inherited succession such as Umar and Abu Bakr. Much of the sectarian violence between Shias and
Sunnis in Pakistan can be traced back to the issue of whether or not these companions are to be
respected or abused. It is high time that both Shias and Sunnis agree on mutual respect. Even if there
is disagreement over history, we can move beyond such provocative displays of disfavor for each other.
Thankfully there have been some mainstream ulama who have tried to build bridges between Shias and
Sunnis within a theological and historical context. For example, Maulana Ishaq’s sermons on
Shia-Sunni unity (given in Urdu) which have hundreds of thousands of hits on Youtube are heartening.
They discourage Shias from hurling abuse but also admonish Sunnis from being emotional about
respect and adoration for the Sahaba which translates into the kind of madness we saw exhibited in the
Kabul suicide blasts this past week. At the same time, such unity should not come at the cost of framing
the issue in terms of adversarial relationship with non-Muslims (which is what has also happened in
some of the recent displays of ostensible amity among the various madrassa ulama).
At the end of the day, what we need is a major pan-Islamic reconciliation process between sects,
particularly Shias and Sunnis. Hate speech laws must also be clearly enforced to prevent incendiary
information from spreading. Whether it is the acerbic strife between the Hazara or the Pakhtuns or the
insanity of Shia-Sunni violence in Iraq, there needs to be a pact for peace from the grassroots. Peace
education is also desperately needed in Islamic schools – clear lessons on how to deal with dissent
without getting violent. The work of Palestinian scholar Dr. Mohammed Abu Nimr on nonviolent
approaches to dissent within Islamic societies may be particularly helpful in improving ways in which
Muslims improve their relations with other faiths.
Let us hope that the tragic events in Kabul this past week will galvanize Pakistanis to work just as hard
in resolving Shia-Sunni differences, rather than being complacent about a “peaceful” Muharram on this
side of the border.
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