Pakistan is a strange country, it calls itself Islamic republic. We have been hearing since childhood that the country has 97 % Muslims. A big proportion now considers Shias to be non Muslims, we are left with 77 to 82 percent Muslims. The buck doesn't stop here a growing number of people consider barelvis as non Muslims too. Remove them and we have a non Muslim country masquerading as a Muslim one. What have we become?
Pakistan for all realistic reasons is a multi religious society. Different sects which exist between different kinds of muslims have a lot of different interpretations even to basic level. They just share a common muslim name with common scripture which is interpreted in totally different ways. To call them one religion is totally delusional. The ultimate solution is to separate state from the religion totally.. with state working towards the idea of co existence.. instead of imposing one interpretation of religion on entire population.
State must clearly distinguish between crimes and sins, and concerned only with handling crimes. State should not be concerned about the religion of the people. Parties which have declared religious agendas which can create religious apartheid should not b allowed to contest elections. Moreover the ECP should ensure that a party in which members of other religious groups do not become office bearers should be totally banned from national politics. For example in a party like Jamat Islami-JUI.. an Ahmadi or Shia can not become the head of the party. This kind of religious apartheid should not be allowed.
Unless we make these structural changes in our electoral process.. this declared policy of trying to create religious apartheid in the country will not come to an end. In my opinion there should be no declared religious minority in the country. In place separate electoral quota for minorities in the parliament.. every party should be audited to give representation to every religious group in the country.
Pakistan for all realistic reasons is a multi religious society. Different sects which exist between different kinds of muslims have a lot of different interpretations even to basic level. They just share a common muslim name with common scripture which is interpreted in totally different ways. To call them one religion is totally delusional. The ultimate solution is to separate state from the religion totally.. with state working towards the idea of co existence.. instead of imposing one interpretation of religion on entire population.
State must clearly distinguish between crimes and sins, and concerned only with handling crimes. State should not be concerned about the religion of the people. Parties which have declared religious agendas which can create religious apartheid should not b allowed to contest elections. Moreover the ECP should ensure that a party in which members of other religious groups do not become office bearers should be totally banned from national politics. For example in a party like Jamat Islami-JUI.. an Ahmadi or Shia can not become the head of the party. This kind of religious apartheid should not be allowed.
Unless we make these structural changes in our electoral process.. this declared policy of trying to create religious apartheid in the country will not come to an end. In my opinion there should be no declared religious minority in the country. In place separate electoral quota for minorities in the parliament.. every party should be audited to give representation to every religious group in the country.
I agree with basic premise of your post. But the solution you suggested is not going to help much. Why? Because this country is probably the ONLY country which came into being on religious grounds. This is why we are struggling to date. Couple that with parliamentarian system and we have reached the mess we are in right now.
We are not india. That country did not come into being because of religious grounds. Thats why democracy worked better there. Its about time we acknowledge our limitations when it comes to democracy. And our electoral process actually contributes to the hate because it promotes corruption and manipulation.
The changes you suggested in electoral process will never materialize sadly.
when it comes to disintegration, I think nationalism is the biggest issue with pakistan. today people are proud to be Sindhi, Punjabi, Baluchi, Pashtun and Pakhtun and Politicians are doing with it.
^ that was the case since Pakistan was created. We have about 5 uprisings in Balochistan since independence. There has been a Sindhudesh movement in the 70's and 80's and Pakhtunistan in the 60's and 70's. Islam was used to hold the different ethnicities together. The problem now we have is that killings have begun with the name of Islam too (which was supposedly the glue to hold the country together). The situation is far more complex now.
Sindhudesh in the seventies? Wasn't a sindhi in power then that ruled sindh and punjab?
I think that the bigger issue in the long run might be unshackling sindhis, though they don't like any "outsiders" to help them in that, and fixing NWFP. Balochistan can easily be pacified if enough development work is done which would attract capital and people to the province. I think that this the reason that BLA, BRA (run by sardars) are against any movement from the status quo as that would mean their end when demographics work against them.
Whats evident and obvious is not what I think, its ground reality... Do you honestly think im wrong on this or are you simply assuming im wrong because you dont want to admit otherwise?
Whats evident and obvious is not what I think, its ground reality... Do you honestly think im wrong on this or are you simply assuming im wrong because you dont want to admit otherwise?
there are all sorts of arguments, one chooses to support what he believes.
please...you guys seriously believe this is a religious hatred? I don't believe that. there is something more underlying to that I think.
Terrorists have to be creating terror somewhere about something. As these nuts find it harder and harder to act against India and as the drones are making the other border crossing riskier, they just go to the next item to hate in their list of things to hate. But there simply aren't enough Hindus or Christians or Sikhs so they have to go against Ahmadis Shia etc. Failing all of which they even go against military encampments!
I know this is painting this with a very broad brush but terrorists have their own religion and it is called terrorism. Thanks the famous agencies that created them and are still not letting go fully with the fond hope of one day regaining the glory days of 'missions' in Kashmir!