Sialkot attack

By now we should have learned that appeasement only emboldens extremists. After years of tolerating – and even stoking – hatred against minority groups, attacks like the one on an Ahmadi place of worship on Wednesday come as no surprise. A mob of hundreds destroyed the place of worship; among those who carried out the attack were local government officials and members of political parties. The chief instigator of the attack is believed to be one Hamid Raza, who is reportedly linked with the PTI. The party itself has denied any association with him and its spokesperson has decried attacks against minority communities. But it has hard to ignore reports of a documented history of Hamid Raza being a member of the party. The problem does not lie only with one party. Every political party in the country has at one time or another had ties or alliances with extremists who then go on to perpetrate anti-minority acts. The police often turn a blind eye to such attacks and even encourage the mob. The judiciary is scared of punishing those involved, out of fear of reprisals.

If we as a country are serious about tackling militancy and bigotry, this Sialkot attack should be the last straw. The identities of most involved in destroying the place of worship are known. So too it’s the alleged ringleader. All of them need to be arrested, have charges filed against them and then be convicted in a court of law. Even though the founder of the country promised everyone would be free to worship as they please and the constitutions guarantees freedom of religion, this right exists only in the abstract. Not only is official discrimination practised against minority groups, mobs like the one in Sialkot enforce their hatred through violence. In all too many cases, such mobs are riled up against members of minority communities by unscrupulous elements who want to seize their property or businesses. The blasphemy laws have also been weaponised to cower into submission not just minorities but anyone who dares stand up for their rights. It is long past time for rule of law to be upheld and for the state to show that it treats everyone equally regardless of creed.