Re: Thrill for Malala haters : An anti-malala day day observed!
Maybe not Malala, but you can’t say that about Qadri. MQ is hero of 75% (who in recent poll opposed changing blasphemy laws). And that is not limited to illiterates masses, but even education ones, too. Ex CJ of LHC was one of the guy who was defending MQ’s actions. That says a lot about the society…
http://www.dawn.com/news/1143198/the-old-and-the-new
Blasphemy is bad news. Worse — horribly so — for those at the sharp end of it. But, for all the wailing and gnashing of teeth and beating of chests, the blasphemy issue isn’t going anywhere.
Reason A is the one few like to talk about, and that some may only vaguely be aware of: the blasphemy issue is not a Taliban cause; it, in large part, flows from the radicals among the so-called moderates, the otherwise warm and fuzzy and likeable Barelvis.
Which kinda complicates things, even though everyone knows reductionism is so much sexier. It complicates things because the principal agitators on blasphemy pre-date the Taliban, and Zia too. And everyone knows that all that ails this country on the religion front flows from Zia and the Taliban.
But the Taliban are usually quiet on blasphemy. Ever hear one of their ever-changing spokesmen talk about blasphemy or cheer on the killers? Not really. Not surprising either.
Blasphemy victims are disproportionately the marginalised: often poor, mostly the wrong denomination and always vulnerable.
The scholars can explain the intricacies, but, loosely, it comes down to denominational differences in focus and emphasis in some areas, like intercession.
So what do you do when you realise you’ve got a big religion problem and it has little to do with the Taliban? You don’t talk about it.
But not talking about it doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its own, quirky effects. When blasphemy is in the news, the so-called moderate Muslim faction gets a boost. It becomes more visible. And that doesn’t sit well with the Taliban.
So the T tend to do something to grab the headlines back. Which leaves the rest of us that much less safe.