Taliban target secular parties in Pakistan

“If you shoot in the legs of three participants of a race, and then ask them to compete with the other contestants, would you call this a fair competition?“, asked Muhammad Hanif in a recent talk show. Definitely not. Three mainstream political parties of Pakistan are facing an organised and well planned terror campaign, running for their life when they should be out on the streets campaigning for the Elections. The Tehrik Taliban Pakistan released a video statement in April 2013 clearly stating that they will target ANP, MQM and PPP.  With this video, the Taliban launched their “election campaign”. TTP is not mere spectators watching Pakistan’s elections closely, they have become a major player. They did not have to file nomination papers or go through ridiculous scrutiny under 62/63 but are default Saadiq and Ameen. Like other political parties, they are speaking the language of election candidates or prospective rulers but using selective violence to rush opponents and further their agenda.

In a period of less than a month, more than 60 have been killed by Taliban in election-specific violence targeting the three said secular parties. It is also important to note that all of this violence was carried out outside of Punjab. TTP issued another message later clarifying they will NOT target PMLN, PTI, JI and JUIF making it as clear as Sun on the sky that they want to wipe out the secular liberal and progressive forces from the electoral process. In all the noise and chatter on approaching elections, I refuse to call them Elections.

Leaders of parties which passed scrutiny by Taliban and received Halal certificate

This is a selection. A selection on two levels. One, who goes to vote and two, who competes. An environment has been created where people of the smaller provinces in fear after a series of unending violence may not come out to vote thus leaving Punjab as the major deciding factor. Similarly, with three mainstream secular, liberal and progressive parties under attack, what options have Taliban left at the table? Its a choice between Taliban-friendly, Punjab-centric religio-political or center-right parties. There is no other choice.

What has been missing from the mainstream media is attacks on independent Shia candidates and threatening women candidates to withdraw. The notable incidents regarding Shia candidates include attacks on Noor Akbar Khan in Kohat which killed him and (first of its nature suicidal) attack on Dr. Ibrahim Jatoi in internal Sindh which he narrowly escaped. Similarly, JUIF’s Maulana Shirani, although not a Shia or member of secular parties but was attacked  for Shia connection just a day after he made his important speech on the issue of Shia persecution and held Saudi Arabia and their paid religious fanatics in Pakistan responsible for it. The TTP also reportedly visited the residence of Gullana Bibi in KPK and threatened her to withdraw from the next elections which she did after two threats received.

Pakistan’s centre-right parties continued their usual Cant-Name-Taliban anti-Americanism and didn’t do much other than hollow condemnations which always followed with a sugar coated justification of the violence as a response to poor governance and pro-Americanism of this coalition. One Jamaat-e-Islami leader on a recent talk show said the “grievances” of Taliban are genuine while Imran Khan blamed ANP for siding with the US and suggested they should face the music now. To sum it up, these parties seemed to suggest that Taliban would not have attacked secular parties if the governance was good and there was no military action against militants. Difficult to say if the next message released by Taliban was a response to this position taken by these parties or not but I see a relation. TTP released an important series of vidoes and pamphlets declaring democracy and electoral process as anti-Islam, warned against casting votes and vowed to fight secular politics. One statement read, “Kaafirs want to divide Muslims using democracy.” while another one is “We are not in favor of democracy, democracy is for Jews and Christians“. By this definition;  JI, PTI and PMLN are all full of kuffar.

The Taliban are playing a dangerous game and some urban politicians have unfortunately popularized their ideology. They are not jaahil, gunwaar random criminals as some would want us to believe. They have a political ideology and a vision for Pakistan – that is to take over the state and implement their version of Shariah in which not just progressive ideas, secularism or liberalism but even democracy or voting has no space. By saying they have genuine grievances or are only reactionary has only softened their image and made them slightly acceptable and democracy more vulnerable. Their target is secular parties today but will be centre right and even religio political parties tomorrow.

ANP campaign posters in response to Taliban threats. “Either we’ll save Pak making it progressive liberal democracy or die fighting but not surrender” – Asdandyar Wali on Hum Sab Capital TV

Pakistan’s only chance of survival lies in accepting the reality of extremism and an unflinching national will  and courage to defeat terrorism. How many more Benazirs, Taseers, Bilours and Bhattis do we need to sacrifice to identify the enemy within us? Do we want a Naya Pakistan where Taliban roam free enforcing their morality and stone-age laws on us?  Can the young urban revolutionaries imagine a Pakistan under Taliban where a Cricketer-turned-born-again-Muslim politician can “clean sweep” (unIslamic) elections?

Despite the performance of the last coalition government, each and every Pakistan need to appreciate and acknowledge the courage, steadfastness and bravery of ANP, MQM, PPP, Shia and women candidates who have refused to bow down to Taliban. They are standing for democracy. The are risking it for us, for Pakistan. So, keep calm and vote anti Taliban!

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Relevant Videos:

Taliban video message praising OBL and vow to follow him

Taliban threaten people not to join meetings of ANP, MQM or ANP

Taliban video statement against secular parties

PTI Lahore Jalsa – 23 March 2013

Fiaz Tariq’s brilliant photographs from the Jalsa can be seen here.

Second, and more importantly, the speeches were utter disappointment. Absolutely meaningless. Forget about Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Javed Hashmi as they were just content less, Imran Khan’s speech was bigger disappointment.

In his half hour speech, Imran Khan invokes Allah 15 times, Quran and Nabi a dozen times but fails to mention the word ‘Awaam’. Its fine he loves Allah and Allah loves him, alright if he wants to make it public but where was the real content? We were talking politics but that is precisely what was missing in his speech. The whole speech revolved around his 6 promises, which if you read, look like a hopeful groom trying to convince his to be father in law asking for his daughter’s hand. I won’t lie, I am very religious, Allah loves me and I love Allah, I will live in Pakistan so you daughter will be close to you blah bhah. All okay but what about the problems of Pakistan? Terrorism? Energy Crisis? Unemployment and poverty? Civil military relations? None of these were under discussion. Imran Khan has been saying for a long time that he will launch party manifesto and policies on this day but that is what I could not find.

Imran Khan’s Lahore Jalsa and his 6 promises

Listen to Imran Khan’s speech on 23 March 2013 Jalsa here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8_A3TzWRuE

Extremely disappointed at the speeches particularly and I hope PTI will quickly get over the celebrations and reflect. I hope someone in PTI was sane enough to notice the low crowds and content less speeches and gets back to work.

Imran Khan seems to understand the importance of ‘perception building’ in Pakistan politics. Non-Ideological voters in Pakistan normally vote for the most likely winner. Imran Khan has been trying to build a perception for a long time, a perception that PTI is going to form the next Government. IK has been criticised by many for being overconfident as he has repeatedly claimed that PTI will clean sweep Elections 2013 but this Jalsa was a key to build this perception. This is precisely where PTI needed a massive show, a crowd double what they had here, would have caused a lot of concern in Raiwind but I’m sure Sharifs will be at ease now. It was a good show but nothing extraordinary.

Understandable that speeches at such Jalsas are usually rhetoric but considering the fact that Imran Khan is not a gifted speaker like Bhutto, and so content was extremely important. This was a moment PTI has the opportunity to tap into the undecided vote bank. A large chunk of urban vote bank which normally votes for PMLN is undecided. Similarly  a large chunk of progressive, left leaning and minority vote bank (including Shia community, Christians and Hindus) who traditionally vote for PPP are extremely disappointed and are considering options. They understand very well that PTI is a centre-right party but performance or lack of it by the left leaning coalition of PPP-ANP-MQM has forced the minorities to consider alternative options. Attitude of this coalition specially PPP has been spineless on most issues and PPP appeared to be a centre-right party than what is actually is. Pakistan Peoples Party remained silent on Salman Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti as if they have disowned them, there was no meaningful action on Shia Genocide and minority persecution and it won’t be unfair to say that PPP resided over Shia Genocide; anti-terrorism bill delayed for five years, and taking a step back every time the right-wing funds objected like the case of amendment of blasphemy laws and finally PPP appeared overly subservient to the military establishment e.g. extension for Kiyani and wasted opportunity after OBL episode. Recent TV appearances by Imran Khan and other PTI members condemning Sipah Sahaba (see this and this) and violence against minorities; and their visits to Quetta had earned the party respect from the minorities. He had an opportunity to tap into this void using this Jalsa but he didn’t put an effort. The rain could not wash away PTI but the news of electoral alliance between PTI and JI the next day did it for sure. The minorities will have to think twice before considering PTI now.

Pakistan Peoples Party also need a reality check. The left-leaning progressives and minority communities specially Shia who vote almost unanimously for PPP do this because they expect something in return. Their votes do not come for free. When a Pakistani progressive or liberal votes for PPP, he expects the PPP to govern on the basis of progressive, liberal and left principles and not act as a centre-right party. He does not expect the PPP to disown the liberal heroes Salman Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti, he does not expect the PPP to reside over Shia Genocide as mere spectators, he expects the PPP to challenge the security establishment and do some liberal legislation. The party will lose this vote bank because the voters want to give a clear message to the PPP i.e. you get our vote because we vote a progressive liberal party, if you can’e be that and will act as a centre right party, this vote will go elsewhere too.

On the other hand, I hope PTI realises the political mistake they are making. Jamaat-e-Islami needs no introduction but as a reminder to the readers: AlQaeda No. 2 Khalid Sheikh Muhammad was captured from Naazim of JI’s house in Rawalpindi. 2 more listed AlQaeda terrorist were also found from JI residences in Pakistan. JI held funeral prayers of Osama Bin Laden all across Pakistan. Nazim JI Mirpur was killed in a drone attack in NW with other terrorists and Qazi led his funeral prayer in Mirpur. Samia Qazi calls Taliban killers her brothers. When Govt asked religious leaders and parties to issue statements condemning suicide blasts, JI refused to do so. Munawar Hasan in his famous interview with Shahzeb Khanzada from which he ran away mid way, said that TTP is also doing Jihad and its okay to blast away Pak Govt and people if need be. The same Munawar Hassan rejected women Protection Bill and claims if a raped woman should remain silent and sent to jail if she fails to provide 4 witnesses. PTI can definitely do better without the baggage of fascist Jamaat-e-Islami and I hope good sense will prevail in PTI.

Munawar Hassan says raped women should remain silent

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=490307894352471

Munawar Hasan runs away from interview with Shahzeb Khanzadeh

http://www.zemtv.com/2012/11/01/to-the-point-with-shahzeb-khanzada-munawar-hassan-interview-1st-november-2012/

Samia Raheel Qazi calls Malala a  CIA agent and JI leads anti Malala campaign

http://blog.ale.com.pk/?p=1979

Jamaat-e-Islami exposed

http://blog.ale.com.pk/?p=2043

Parveen Rahman in her Orangi Office

Steve Inskeep in his book Life And Death in Karachi writes about her relationship with Karachi:

Whenever I wondered what was happenining in the far reaches of Karachi – and the spring of 2010 was such a time – I met a woman who understood as well as anyone how the city was changing. She was the person to whom other experts deferred; if I started asking detailed questions about illegal housing they would say, You should talk with Parween Rahman….She had that priceless quality that marked so many people in Karachi: the worse the situation became, the more amused she seemed.

Her office, the Orangi Pilot Project (OPP) was based inside the largest informal settlement of all, a section of northwest Karachi that is sometimes referred to as “Asia’s largest slum” but known locally as Orangi. Here she worked for one of the few organisations that seemed to have adapted to the realities of Karachi’s unauthorized neighborhoods, and even transcended them. She directed the Orangi Pilot Project – Research and Training Institute. The OPP is by far the most famous slum development organisation in Karachi and renowned and recognized the world over for its successful projects and dedicated team. Parveen Rahman knew the katchi abadis so well because the OPP-RTI helped people obtain services for their irregular homes.

She was threatened several times by land mafias, they even wanted to occupy her office. She continued to bravely work for the poor of the Karachi slums in a chaotic city. She changed the lives of several thousand poor of Orangi by setting up sanitation facility, water connections, severage setup, building or advising on house construction and dealing with issues related to land occupation. Her actual contribution lies in the fact that she educated the local communities to solve their issues for themselves even with little or no intervention of the Government. She as an expert provided technical advice (e.g. what angle of inclination is necessary for a sewerage pipe) and encouraged the locals to build it for themselves. This self sustained, DIY method with locals funding collectively for their projects changed the lives of thousands in a city fighting for resources and land.

She makes an appearance in this documentary “City by the Sea” at 12:36:

She can also be heard in this audio clip at 1:30 where Steve Inskeep interviews her on OPP:

Below is excerpt from Steve Inskeep’s book on Parveen Rahman:

Parveen Rahman – Steve Inskeep – Life and Death in Karachi – 1

Parveen Rahman – Steve Inskeep – Life and Death in Karachi – 2

Parveen Rahman – Steve Inskeep – Life and Death in Karachi – 3

Parveen Rahman – Steve Inskeep – Life and Death in Karachi – 4

PMLN has been claiming recently that their track record in terms of terrorism/ law and order has been good. Some of the anchors on the mainstream media have also been touting the same line but nothing could be farther from truth. There has been a trend of violence against minorities in Punjab including Christians, Hindus and Shias. The worrying fact is that Punjab administration has overtime and as a trend ignored the communities identified at threat and has not acted despite alarms raised by the Police, specially in cases of blasphemy. The Chief Minister has relied on suspending a few officials after every incident but (i) the administration refused to take action in presence of threat and (ii) the PMLN continues to support terrorist organisation Sipah Sahaba aka Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ).

PMLN and Punjab Government officials were held responsible after the 2009 Gojra massacre when eight Christians were killed and several dozen houses torched. Sipah Sahaba (ASWJ) militants were arrested when they were found responsible for the massacre but no meaningful actions were taken and prosecution of Sipah Sahaba ASWJ militants was not progressed. The investigation report submitted by Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman following the Gojra massacre made several recommendations which included the comment that the Punjab administration was irresponsible and did not liaise well with the Police or give necessary orders to take preventive actions.

What happened at Badami Bagh and what was PMLN’s responsibility?

As per law, the Police is required to conduct an investigation by a SP level officer after a blasphemy complaint is lodged, and register an FIR or arrest only if sufficient evidence is found. Saawan Masih, the Christian resident of Joseph Colony Badami Bagh Lahore falsely accused of blasphemy was arrested by the Police after a complaint was lodged against him and an FIR registered. There was no investigation carried out, but this has become a standard practice of the Police considering the sensitivity of blasphemy cases as the life of the accused is in danger. There have been several incidents when accused have been killed out of court or the judges killed after the decided in favour of the accussed and set them free. The Police intends to protect the accused and normally arrests them as soon as a complaint is lodged to avoid any violence courtesy mob mentality.

Since there is serious threat of violence and arson in such cases, at this stage after arresting the accussed, the Police normally expects orders from the administration (Punjab Govt in this case) for preventive actions which may include imposing section 144, reinforcements sent, permission to use tear gas if needed, arrest possible suspects who may be involved in violence.

The Police did arrest Saawan Masih which according to them ensures the individual’s security but no orders of preventive measures were given by Punjab Government to the Police. The Police vacated the area to ensure no life is lost knowing the threat of violence but expected orders from administration to take preventive measure like which never came. The Christian community was left at its own and 36 hours after the arrest, the mob torched more than 178 houses in Joseph Colony. 36 hours is more than enough time to take actions and steps to avoid the potential violence.

The Police can not be expected to take such decisions on its own but they need political backing. If they do take such actions without orders from the administration, they can face suspensions or court orders against them. It was the responsibility of Punjab Government solely but they watched the Christians being persecuted as spectators. They could have deployed Police in Joseph Colony, the CM could have issued a strong statement, the Police could have been given political backing to march around the area and arrest the suspects but the Punjab Government did nothing at all. This is not a single incident, it has become a trend with Gojra massacre a similar case. The Police officials were held responsible by the Punjab Government in both incidents of Gojra and Joseph Colony and suspensions and demotions were used as the post disaster solutions trying to cover up the failure of the Government itself.

Watch Najam Sethi explain this in Aapas Ki Baat 12 March 2013 – YouTube Link, Facebook video Link 

PMLN MPA Muhammad Riaz /other leaders directing responsible for inciting violence resulting in houses torched

A report published in DAWN on 9th March 2013 documents the statements of the Christians of Joseph Colony Badami Bagh Lahore who were eyewitness to the developments in the area before the torching of houses actually took place. They tell DAWN:

 James Rehmat, a Christian worker, openly accuses the PML-N government of actually patronising the mob. “Some top leaders of the N-League, including Malik Riaz (local MNA) led the procession. On Friday night, another local PML-N leader came and had banners put up against blasphemy,” he points upwards to freshly put up cloth banners saying ‘The penalty of blasphemy is only beheading’.

Bishop Akram Gill, of the Emmanuel Church also stands and makes an official complaint against the Sharif-led Punjab government. “The Shantinagar and Gojra incidents too happened during the Sharifs’ rule. How is it that when they are not in power, we tend to live more peacefully?

PMLN MPA Muhammad Riaz led the anti-Christian rally in Joseph colony and another PMLN leader had banners put up inciting violence – this lead to the violence reslting in 178 houses torched.

PMLN MNA Malik Muhammad Riaz and MPA Dr. Asad Ashraf responsible for torching Christian houses

PMLN backed land mafia, traders and political leaders staged the violence with PMLN not stopping them

GEO News reporter Ahmed Faraz reports in Capital Talk dated 11 Nov 2013 that the locals believe that some of the traders and industrialists of Badami Bagh region backed by PMLN wanted to take over the land (Joseph Colony) to build godowns. He adds that FIR  had been registered, Sawan Masih had already been arrested and situation was at calm but 36 hours later violence erupts which shows there was someone else inciting violence. A traders election is scheduled on 20th March 2013 and those who registered the blasphemy case (PMLN backed traders, industrialists and political leaders) also nominated six of the opposition trader party in the case to make it difficult for them to contest the elections against PMLN backed traders. The locals claim that PMLN national/provincial assembly candidates Asad Ashraf and Ghazali Saleem Butt were directly involved in this episode.

Watch Capital Talk’s 8 min section – Facebook Video Link or YouTube Video Link

PMLN tries to manipulate public opinion through “paid content” on media and deploying party workers in Joseph Colony intimidating Christians to speak well of PMLN or buying them off

PMLN had rough days following the Joseph Colony attacked and their direct involvement in the attack was exposed by Capital Talk, Aapas ki Baat and DAWN News on 10/11 March 2013 (see videos above). Sana Bucha’s show in 12th March 2013 appeared to be Paid Content promoting PMLN. The party deployed their workers in the area, bought off the locals and intimidated them. A Christian Bishop exposed this as MNA Malik Muhmmad Riaz speaks saying PMLN is trying to manipulate public opinion by buying off Christian community leaders and locals; but is attacked by PMLN workers. See this short 3 min video:

YouTube Link  -  Facebook Video Link

Amir Mir writes in another report published in The News on 11th March 2013:

The anti-Christian violence in Lahore where 100-plus houses and shops were ransacked, looted and finally set ablaze by a group of fanatics has further blemished the already depressing record of the PML-N government which has mostly failed to protect members of the minority communities from the wrath of the extremists and terrorists.

This is not the first time PMLN has been blamed for inciting violence against the minorities. The Gojra massacre of Christians also had fingers pointed on PMLN. Amir Mir writes in the same report how citizens belonging to Christian and Ahmadi community or those speaking for them have been targeted as a trend in Punjab with no meaningful actions taken by the administration.

According to careful estimates, during the five-year tenure of Shahbaz Sharif as chief minister of Punjab, over 200 Ahmadis, Christians and Shias were killed in the province in hate-drive attacks, with some of the horrific attacks targeting the minority communities taking place in Lahore. In an almost similar incident, hundreds of hooligans belonging to the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) attacked a Christians’ locality in Gojra city on July 31, 2009 and burnt alive eight members of a family besides setting ablaze over 100 houses. The failure of the Punjab government to prosecute any of the 70 accused held responsible for the gory incident had compelled the family head to leave Pakistan after the Punjab police failed to arrest the culprits who were hurling death threats to him for pursuing the case.

The anti-Christian attacks were triggered by reports of desecration of the Holy Quran by some Christians, which eventually proved false. Five of those burnt alive were women and children who could not run to save their lives.

A total of 72 people were nominated in the Gojra attacks’ FIR who were set free one by one because the complainant in the murder case, Almas Hameed Masih, a resident of the Christian Colony, decided against pursuing the case and left Pakistan to save his life. Almas had actually nominated the president of the Toba Tek Singh chapter of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the FIR as one of the accused who was held responsible for the July 31, 2010 incident along with the local leadership of the SSP which had been renamed as the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ). Those nominated in the case registered under section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act included Abdul Qadir Awan of the PML-N and Maulana Abdul Khaliq, Qari Abidur Rehman Shah and Hafiz Muhammad Imran of the ASWJ.

Ten months after the Gojra tragedy, two fidayeen squads of the Punjabi Taliban targeted two Ahmadi mosques in the Model Town and Garhi Shahu areas of Lahore and killed over 100 people who were offering Friday prayers. Claiming responsibility for the May 28, 2010 twin terrorist attacks, Mansoor Maawia, a spokesperson for the Punjabi Taliban, had said, “No Ahmadi would live in peace in Pakistan. Our war against them will continue till their complete elimination because they are as bad infidels as Jews are.” It later transpired during investigations that the master planner of the twin attacks was in fact a doctor of the Jinnah Hospital, Dr Ali Abdullah, who was also the president of the Jamaatud Daawa Medical Wing. He told his interrogators that while pursuing his medical degree at Allama Iqbal Medical College, he had received armed training in Azad Kashmir at a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LT) training camp being run by Hafiz Saeed’s Jamaatud Daawa (JD). His arrest showed for the first time that the LT was a part of the Punjabi Taliban who have let loose a reign of terror across Pakistan, especially targeting the minority communities. However, none of the accused in the twin attacks has so far been taken to task.

Seven months later (on January 4, 2011), Punjab Governor Salman Taseer was shot dead in the federal capital by Malik Mumtaz Qadri, a bodyguard from the Elite Force of the Punjab Police. The killer later explained that he had assassinated Taseer because of his criticism of the blasphemy law and his efforts to secure a presidential pardon for Aasia Bibi, a poor Christian woman already condemned to death by a Pakistani Anti-Terrorism Court for having committed blasphemy. Qadri had admitted in his confessional statement that he was actually provoked for the murder by the fiery speeches of two Rawalpindi-based clerics Mufti Hanif Qureshi and Qari Imtiaz Hussain Shah. Mufti Hanif is the ameer of a Rawalpindi-based religious outfit, Shabab-e-Islami Pakistan while Imtiaz Shah is the imam of a Rawalpindi-based mosque called Amna Masjid.

Two months later (on March 2, 2011), Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti, a Roman Catholic and an outspoken critic of the blasphemy law, was shot dead in Islamabad. The responsibility for the assassination was placed on the Punjabi Taliban because of a pamphlet found at the place where he was killed. Written in Urdu, the leaflet claimed that Bhatti had been killed because of his opposition to the blasphemy law. His killers have yet to be arrested.

The next in line to be killed by the Punjabi Taliban was Bargeeta Almby, a 72-year old female Christian charity worker from Sweden, who was shot in the Model Town area of Lahore on December 3, 2012 for allegedly backing two Christian priests who had been accused of committing blasphemy, the preliminary police investigations have indicated. Bargeeta Almby, the managing director of the Full Gospel Assemblies (FGA), a church fellowship founded in the United States with congregations worldwide, was returning home from her Kot Lakhpat office when two unidentified motorcyclists shot her in the Model Town area of Lahore where she had been living since long. The day Bargeeta was targeted in Model Town, another significant incident took place in the Q Block area of Model Town where over a dozen masked men carrying arms and digging tools, vandalised the tombstones of 100-plus graves at an Ahmadi cemetery. Three months before this incident, Warren Weinstein, a 71-year old Jewish American US Aid official, was abducted from his Model Town home in Lahore (on August 13, 2011) by armed men belonging to the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) who eventually sold him to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The ugly episode in the Badami Bagh area of Lahore took place at a time when the PML-N government in Punjab was already under fire from its political opponents for trying to strike a seat adjustment deal with the ASWJ in south Punjab for the upcoming general elections. However, a Punjab government spokesman refuted the impression that it has failed to protect members of the minority communities because of a soft corner for the banned militant or sectarian outfits.

Some of the media reports stating Al-Qaeda linked Sipah Sahaba ASWJ behind Gojra massacre are listed below. PMLN has formed a political alliance with Sipah Sahaba ASWJ and probably that explains why there has been no action despite a trend of violence by them against minorities.

Daily Times, 5 August 2009 – Link

Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), an outlawed pro-Taliban sectarian group, and its Al Qaeda-linked offshoot, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, were suspected of orchestrating the attack in Gojra, Rana Sanaullah told Reuters by telephone. He claimed “masked men” had come from the nearby Jhang district, birthplace of both organisations, to incite the anti-Christian rioting in Gojra.

Reuters, 4 August 2009 – Link

Islamist militants from groups linked to al Qaeda and the Taliban are suspected of being behind the mob violence that killed eight Christians in centralPakistan over the weekend, a senior government official said on Tuesday. Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), an outlawed pro-Taliban Sunni Muslim sectarian group, and its al Qaeda-linked offshoot, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), were suspected of orchestrating the attack in Gojra town, according to Rana Sanaullah, Punjab’s law minister.

The News, 3 August 2009 - Link

Gojra city police arrested more than 65 persons on Saturday night and Sunday for their alleged involvement in Saturday’s riots.The arrested persons also include a former Sipah-e-Sahaba leader Qari Abdul Khaliq Kashmiri, while father and two brothers of another Sipah activist, Abid Farooqi, were arrested after the accused was not found at home.

DAWN News, 3 August 2009 – Link

The arrested men include Qari Abdul Khaliq Kashmiri, a leader of the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan.Police also raided the house of Sipah-i-Sahaba activist Abid Farooqi but he escaped and police took his father and two brothers into custody. Federal Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti said 40 Christian homes had been torched on Saturday by the banned Sipah-i-Sahaba group, which is accused of attacking security forces and of staging bombings at public places in recent years.

Sipah Sahaba aka ASWJ (Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat) caught by Daily Asaas photographer torching Christian houses in Lahore Badami Bagh Joseph Colony – March 2013

 Snapshot of the frontpage of Daily Assas dated 10 March 2013 showing the said photograph

Snapshot of the Daily Assas which published the photo of Sipah Sahaba ASWJ worker torching Christian houses

Sipah Sahaba ASWJ main Facebook page Ulma-e-Deoband inciting hate/violence against Christians and Saawan Masin falsely accused for blasphemy

 Sipah Sahaba ASWJ main Facebook page, instead of condemning their members for torching Christian houses and condemning this act of vandalism, blaming the oppressed and persecuted Christian community.

 Sipah Sahaba ASWJ not missing a chance to show their blatant hatred for the Shia. A message of support for the persecuted Christian community by Shia leader Ameen Shaheedi is used to label him anti-Islam and an agent of Jews. Pakistan’s Shia community, leaders and social media platforms show2ed exemplary solidarity with the Christian community. Jaafria Disaster Relief visited Joseph Colony and distributed relief cheques while Shia Killing Team actively covered, protested and condemned the violence.

 Amir Mir writes in Daily Jang about Lahore Joseph Colony (Badami Bagh) and Gojra massacre saying Sipah Sahaba ASWJ militants with backing of PMLN directly responsible for these incidents.

Amir Mir writes in Daily Jang…

With clear evidence of Sipah Sahaba ASWJ militants torching Christian houses and killing them in Gojra massacre of 2009 and Lahore Joseph Colony incident of 2013, why PMLN does not give powers and orders to the Police to take preventive measures? Why PMLN relies on suspending and demoting Police officials when the failure is of administration? The only answer one can think of is PMLN’s alliance with Sipah Sahaba ASWJ. A report published in DAWN 2 June 2012 complained that PMLN is reluctant to take action on Sipah Sahaba ASWJ and LeJ militants operating in Punjab despite strong evidence available at hand. The PMLN has sold off minority blood for a few seats, for the votes of ultra-right militants. Unfortunately other parties like PPP and MQM have also been found showing closeness to Sipah Sahaba ASWJ. PPP’s Qamar Kaira in one talk show defended talks and getting support from Sipah Sahaba defending them saying “are they not Pakistani?” Well, they may but so are TTP, so were the killers of Benazir Bhutto. Would you want them in the Parliament too? The MQM also visited the Sipah Sahaba’s Karachi office. Pakistan’s mainstream political parties need to realize that Sipah Sahaba ASWJ is the name of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, TTP and Jaish-e-Muhammad . They are feeding the militants which will eventually come back at them.

Imran Khan in his Peshawar Jalsa in March 2013 blames PMLN for alliances with terrorist organisation Sipah Sahaba ASWJ which results in Shia Genocide and Ahmadi Persecution

Facebook Video Link  –  YouTube Video Link

Shafqat Mahmood of PTI says Sipah Sahaba ASWJ is frontline organisation in Terrorism and PMLN has an alliance with terrorists

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A session was held in British House of Commons on 25th February 2012 where hazara and Shia genocide was discussed with Lord Eric Avebury. The session was called by Parliamentary Committee of human rights which is chaired by Lord Eric Averbury himself.  The session lasted for nearly 2 hours and was attended by members and leaders of Shia community, Hazara Shia community, Sunni community, legal community and representatives from some political parties, journalists and human rights activists.

Lord Eric started the session with a brief talk on Hazara and Shia Genocide which is now available at Liberal Democract blog LibDemVoice. He recognized that the Shia community in Pakistan (including but not limited to the Hazara Shias) face a genocide and have been target of endless violence. He also criticised the role of some political parties in Pakistan who were striking an electoral pact with the militant outfits to contest the forthcoming general election. He warned that such electoral alliances will almost certainly have MPs in the next Parliament belonging to those parties who spread hatred and finance to meet their goals. Lord Avebury expressed concern that extremist mindset has infected the mainstream Barelvi sect and the hate mongers are destroying the national fabric of the country.

Spokesman of he Central Association of Sunni Muslims UK & Europe said:

I am shamed of what is being done in Pakistan in the name of Ahle sunnat wal Jammat. I would like to categorically put this on record that these terrorists have got nothing to do with Ahle Sunnat wal Jammat. There is no Shia Sunni divide at a common man’s level in Pakistan or there would be civil war. Shias have been an asset for Pakistan. Many Pakistanis still don’t realize that the man they worship for creating their nation, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, was a Shia himself. Jinnah envisaged a Pakistan in which all citizens irrespective of religious identity, colour, caste, gender and social status would enjoy equal rights.The same people who called Quaid e Azam Kafir e Azam are now trying to break Pakistan. None speaks about killing of the Shia, all they say is its proxy war. No, its not. Saudi Arabia is exporting Wahhabism and funding terrorism.

Syed Ali Reza Rizvi, Chairman Majlis e Ullema Council, referring to Lord Avebury’s speech said:

 just as the Lord has acknowledged the is Shia Genocide in Pakistan, we would urge all Pakistani community and British Government to ask Pakistani Government to acknowledge that the atrocities against Shia Muslims are tantamount to Genocide. If Hazaras were Salafis they would not be targeted. They are killed only because they are Shia. We request the British Parliamentarians to pressurise Pakistan to stop this Genocide. These killers are taught Shia are infidels at the madressahs funded by Saudi Arabia and when they grow up, they blow up themselves to kill Shia. None of them is ever prosecuted, the judiciary is completely baised. They take suo moto notices on as many things as you can imagine but are all silent on this Genocide. We are also concerned about the role of media – either they are scared or they are dishonest. Are they being threatened by these terrorists or are they being paid by these Shia killers?

Representative of the Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party said:

British Parliamentarians must ask Pakistan to show evidence that they are not involved in Shia Genocide. I believe the Pakistan military is fooling the West to gain more and more funds but actually they are doing nothing to stop terrorism in or outside Pakistan. I am sure they know the sources of Shia Genocide but they consider these killers as assets. The military, the courts, the judiciary and media, they are all playing a partial role.

Dawood Mashadi, Director & Trustee Minhaj Ul Quran said:

condemnation is not enough, we need to take further steps. Terrorists released should not be able to say a word outside prison. Any Organization should be aware that if they engage in hate speech they will be made an example. Today it is Hazaras and Shias, tomorrow it can be anyone. Pakistan needs to take constructive and solid steps to confront terrorism.

 Mustafa Qadri, Pakistan Researcher at Amnesty International said:

It seems although killings have been going on for years with every attack they are going more and more brutal.Although there are many problems in Pakistan the state has capacity and should bring killers to justice. One key issue is the politicization of institutions both military and civil.The security forces aren’t geared to protecting society. Also, the structural issues in Pakistan need to be resolved and the killings of Shia can not be seen in isolation. The dignity, courage, patience and non violence which the Shia community has showed is something to be proud of as human beings.

I was invited to speak on a special talkshow on Hidayat TV focused on shia genocide in Pakistan hosted by Tehsin Haider. Hidayat TV is a Birmingham based satellite TV channel. Others who spoke on the show include Raza Rumi, Ali Abbas Zaidi and Haider Zaman Qureshi of PPP. The recording of the program can be watched below and I highly recommend to circulate this to English speaking audience specially the overseas Pakistanis as this can serve as a good tool for campaigning on Shia Genocide, considering there is little on the issue in English talk shows.

Daily Motion Video

Shia Genocide in Pakistan with Ale Natiq, Raza… by alexpressed

YouTube Video

Transcript

I have quickly transcribed what I said on the show just in case if the sound quality is not very clear.

Since inception of Pakistan, the state rejected the shrine or saint based interpretation of Islam which celebrates Sufi saints and instead it adopted the madressah based more rigid interpretations of Islam because the low church traditions of Sufi Islam were no help in law making and legislation. Before the creation of Pakistan, the same kind of Muslims and clerics who opposed Pakistan, were all of a sudden extremely important for the new born state of Pakistan because it wanted Islam as an ideology and guiding principle for legislaton and law making. Hence from day one, the Shia Sufi or Barelvi Muslims have been victims of this state ideology.

- Two main factors responsible for Shia Genocide in Pakistan:  Takfir which has roots in history (Abbasid/Ummayad/ Suspicon/ Traitor) and two state patronage to anti Shia militants.

- Pakistan context of Takfir: fatwa Alamgiri collection of fatwas still used prime importance, still used.

- Its true that the killings of Shia took a more organised form after Zia era but …

- First recorded incident in 1963 Therih massacre 118 killed in one day, in 78 processions attacked, several more

- Zia close ties to KSA and personal taste for KSA style Sharia laws result radical Islamisation of Pakistan including patronage and funding of Jihadi madressahs specifically of Deobandi sect.

- KSA asked Zia to start Zakat system and promised seed money on conidtion a part of Zakat goes to Ahl Hadees madressahs.

- Out of total madressahs of Pakistan, Deobandi make up 71% although they make up only 15% of population. Barelvis make up 55% of Pak population have only 16% share in madressahs and Shia who are 20% make up only 4%.

- So Demographics were changed by state patronage, funding and all kinds of support.

- 1988, in the most gruesome incidents of Shia killings in Pakistan, 800 Shia were killed in one day Gilgit Massacre – Zia wanted Shia free pocket on weapon supply route to Afg. 6000 Shia have been killed in Parachinar after this…

- Then in 1985 Sipah Sahaba was formed based in Punjab and according to Mariam Abou Zahb which initially received its funding from local business men and traders in return for providing them protection

- Sipah Sahaba manifesto: Declare Pak a Sunni state, death penalty for blasphemy, restrict Shia processions indoors, implement caliphate

- LeJ breakaway faction of SSP created in 1995 and since then they have worked closely together and have known links with Taliban and AlQaeda.

- Since then, regular incidents of targeted killing of Shia, attacks on mosques, processions etc

- We’ve data of more than a 100 incidents of attacks on Shia processions or Imam bargahs.

- total 200 doctors killed

- total 21000 Shia have been killed

- Amnesty report : 1992 – 2002, Only in Karachi, 70 Shia doctors were killed

- Shia killed includes academics, educationsts, olympic gold medalists, scientis,s entrepreneurs, poets

We can not blame one partiular state institution, its like the whole state appratus is working in partnership to exterminate Shia from Pakistan. They butcher Shia every day, the police can not protect them or arrest the culprits and if they do, the investigation officers are killed. If somehow the culprits reach the courts and cases are registered, the Judiciary is inapable to to prosecute. There are reports published telling us leader of LeJ and self professed shia killer Malik Ishaq was offered tea and cookies in he court, in another session the judge covered his face, in another Malik Ishaq tells the judge make a judgement the kind of which you can digest for himself. So basically they wipe out all evidence and eye witnesses and so roam free. And Pakistan’s security agencies and military has turned a blind eye to the genocide of Shia because they use thesa same Shia killers in India, in Kashmir, in Afghanistan, against Baloch wherever they need, and so if Shia are the collateral damage, so be it.

As far as the Hazara Shia of Quetta are concerned…

- Out of total 21000 Shia killed in Pak, nearly 1500 are Hazara Shia.

- They migrated to Pakistan in 1890s when the Afghan ruler Abdur Rahman was ruthlessly killing them because of their Shia faith. He says in a letter which he sent to Sunni clerics and prayer leaders that Shia infidels are living amongst us, asked them to take over their land, and demanded either they convert to Islam or be killed. This is the same language SSP and LeJ use today.Thousands of Hazara Shia were killed in 1880s and 1890s and so they migrated and settled in Quetta Pakistan.

- They lived in peace here for 100 years and were first attacked in 1985, the same year Sipah Sahaba was formed.

So that’s the sad state of affairs for the 40 million Shia of Pak…

Sectarian war or Genocide?

- The word sectarian war implies that it is two-way war.

- that this is tit-for-tat violence i.e. Shia are killing Sunni and Sunni are killing Shia.

- This is gross misrepresentation of the issue at several levels.

- One, not all Sunnis are killing the Shia, Only Takfiris of Sipah Sahaba LeJ Taliban are killing the Shia and they enjoy state patonage and support.

- Two, there is not even a single example of an indiscriminate attack by the Shia of Pak on Sunni Muslims or anyone for that matter. Not even a single.

- Yes, there was a time when a militant organisation named Sipah Muhammad was active and in response to the Shia killings, it retaliated with targetted attacks on individuals or leaders of these Takfiri organisations but there has been no indiscriminate attack.

- In the last 15 years or so, even those retaliation attacks have been non existant but the Shia killings have not stopped but have instead escalated.

- If it was indeed a two way war, then there would have been killing en masse of Sunni Muslims, they would have been doing mass burials too.

- The UN Covention on Genocide has clraly defined what a genocide is and what is happening with Shia in Pakistan is nothing short of a genocide – they are being killed all across the country for their Shia faith and they have not resorted to any violence whatsoever.

- I think not just Pakistan but the world at large needs to appreciate and acknowledge the steadfastness, patience and courage which the Shia of Pakistan have displayed in such depressing times when they face a genocide and only protesting peacefully without even damaging any property.

Why media narrative is so different?

- Media has its own pressures.

- There is this tendency to mantain neutrality which, for some reason, they believe is achived by not mentioning that victims were Shia.

- Even in Chillas or Mastung massacres when Shia were identified and then killed, the media refused to use Shia word.

- There is a tendency in society at large to avoid using the words Shia Sunni as if its sectarian or something bad.

- If a Muslim identity is acceptable, then Shia or Sunni identity should be acceptable too as all of them are religious identities.

Ayesha Mir writes in Express Tribune blog about Junaid Jamshed appearning in Good Morning Pakistan

I knew this could not be all and JJ must have added a lot more nonsense as he has been over the year after his reincarnation as Tablighi Junaid Jamshed Kurtay Wali Sarkar. Few years back he was found giving fatwas in favor of Lays chips declaring them Halal which ended up in a Mullah-fight (read cat-fight) and earlier last year he was cashing in on Halal vaccines; YES! you heard it right – now medicines need a certificate of Halalnees from Raiwind.

Mullah Fight – Junaid Jamshed Halal certification for Lays chips rejected by Muftis

Amir Liaquat also reportedly cashed in certifiying the Halalness of Lays chips by eating them in public and being photographed

Junaid-Jamshed-Novartis-Meningitis-Halal-vaccine-Halal-healthcare-pakistan

Nida Yasir’s show Good Morning Pakistan is not more ridiculous and meaningless than any other morning show – its the usual time waster but stands out for overt display of expensive fancy clothing, seems like advert for makeup brands and is filled with new bollywood dance moves. It is a presentation of luxury, lifestyle modernity and lifestyle liberalism. She has done series of shows on Wedding, Mehndi and Love theme and a Valentines week is lined up.

Having said that, she invites Junaid Jamshed and he puts the condition that she has to cover herself and put a Hijab on her head – guess what? She does it. Why? TRPs matter my friend. Money matters. Mullah JJ starts the show telling her to ask her audience how does she look now. Now some readers might object saying this is her personal choice, well I don’t believe so. The reason for a personal choice is triggered from within you. Here, we have a Mullah forcing a host to dress up in a certain way and the host bows down because she wants more viewers.

This is a personal choice in a way, YES. The personal choice to sell off religion to buy TV ratings.

I have several objections on the show, which can be watched here, but would like to summarize a few statements which Maulana Lays made on the show:

Beating up your kids regularly is critical for their growth. – “Maan baap ki maar bachay keliye aisay hay jese khait keliye paani“

The more a mother covers her body, the more her daughter will respect and obey her. - Narrating a personal story he tells the audience that once a mother complained that her daughter doesn’t obey her and the response was that she needs to cover herself better.

A wife should be quiet  and the husband shouldn’t joke with the wife when the husband’s mother is present in the same room. - Unsolicited marriage advice by Maulana Lays which makes no sense at all.

A husband only involves himself in extra marital affair because his wife isn’t doing enough. She is to be blamed. - As one would expect, misogyny of the worst order but the host continues to giggle.

A man by nature wants to stay indoors and a woman by nature wants to go out so she can show off herself to others. - Nida Yasir seemed to agree because he didn’t object to it but I would ask other female readers if this is the case?

If you want a happy life, do not teach your wives how to drive a car, do not let her go outside. She might leave you. - Narrating his personal experience Mullah Halal says that his wife was a beautiful woman and he would not trust her and didn’t teach her how to drive. He was insecure someone might flirt with her and so always kept her indoors and advises the same to all male audience.

No woman would ever need to drive a car or go out. This is a hypotethical scenario and all Muslims should avoid hypothetical scenarios and be real. - The only time on the show when Nida Yasir countered Junaid Jamshed was when he said that women should not be taught to drive cars. She responded saying what if a woman has no male member in the family and has to go out to for necessary day to day tasks? Maulana Lays completed rejected this calling it hypotethical, basically, all women have a male family member to do stuff for them. 

I am writing this to put the blame on Nida Yasir, ARY Digital’s management and Pakistani media in general for allowing such content to go on air. I do not blame Maulana sahab much because he sincerely believes in this nonsense. What better platform will be get to publicize his nonsense than national TV accessible to millions of people? Maulana Sahab has overtime sold off religion for money, he has spill misogyny time and again, he has overtime shown no empathy or sense. Not long ago, when 19 poor women were killed in a stampede trying to get free food, the Maulana who enjoys a luxurious lifestyle by selling Islam blamed the women demanding “Ghareeb ka Iman” should be strong. He added the poor should not ask anyone for help, wait for three days and food will be sent by Allah. I wonder if Maulana Sahab can do the same; instead of cashing in on Halal chips and vaccines, see if God send Man-o-Salwa for him. A demonstration always help, doesn’t it?

First, Nida Yasir, hungry for TRPs; bowed down to the demands of Maulana Sahab to dress up in a particular way, and then throughout the show she silently took all the misogyny and nonsense unchallenged. Not just that, she seemed to agree with all that, continued to respond in affirmative and adding giggles here and there. In short, she glamorized misogyny, child beating and utter nonsense – all in the name of Islam. What tortures me is the fact that is this is a woman with a long career spanning more than 15 years in showbiz. She has worked as a fulltime professional media person in capacities including but not limited to producer, host, actor and model.

I would like to ask Nida if Maulana sahab will approve of her career as a media personality?

Apologies for saying this but I would also like to know if Yasir Nawaz is someday found having an extra-martial affair; should we all put the blame on Nida for “not doing enough”?

Would Nida tell us what methods she employs to beat up her lovely kids Silah and Farid?

Does Nida also like to be on the roads all the time to attract men, as Maulana sahab claimed on show and she apparently liked it with her giggles?

Would Nida respond by covering herself in head-to-toe black Niqaab and Burqah to ensure her daughter Silah does not disobey her, taking the advice of Maulana sahab?

Will Nida cancel her Valentines shows planned for the upcoming week now that she is a born-again Muslim thanks to Maulana Lays sahab? And what about those Wedding and Mehndi shows with latest bollywood dance moves? Will those be replaced by Maulana sahab’s Naats?

Junaid Jamshed’s misogyny and nonsense on Nida Yasir’s Good Morning Pakistan show

Dont teach your wives how to drive – Junaid Jamshed

Junaid Jamshed Lays Parody by alexpressed

Dr. Shazia Nawaz’s piece on this issue can be read here. She has also uploaded a video which I have reuploaded to DailyMotion to avoid the Halal ban on YouTube:

Junaid Jamshaid gave us a life changing advice. by alexpressed

While the statements made by Junaid Jamshed are so absurd that they do not deserve a reasoned response, I would like to recommend him to go see a psychiatrist. The memories of his dad beating him up to ensure proper growth and his insecurities about his young wife driving away from him (all in his own words) are haunting him now in his middle age. He needs a good psychiatrist to ensure a good life ahead.

But on the more serious side of the issue, such irresponsible programmes being on aired have a very high cost. Nida Yasir and ARY Digital might have been able to have raised their TRPs and viewership for a very short period of time but they are not realizing what the are promoting. This is very anti-thesis to the lifestyle Nida Yasir and people in ARY’s management most likely have subscribed to – the modern urban luxurious lifestyle. Giving free license on air to such dangerous mullahs to spill their hatred against women will come down to haunt these women who are promoting them now for money. In Junaid Jamshed’s Pakistan, instead of modelling, acting or hosting Valentines shows, Nida Yasir will be restricted to the boundaries of her house by Yasir Nawaz while he will have the luxury to have extra martial affairs while blaming Nida for “not doing enough.” Her kids will be regularly beaten up for proper upbringing and all women will be looked down upon as suspicious and “fitna“. Seriously Nida Yasir, is this what you want for yourself and other people of Pakistan?

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT?

Please send your complaints or feedback about the programme, including a link to this blog, using following:

Twitter

• Salman Iqbal, Founder and CEO, ARY Digital Asia - https://twitter.com/Salman_ARY
• ARY Digital Asia - https://twitter.com/arydigitalasia
• Good Morning Pakistan Official - https://twitter.com/GMPakistan

Facebook

• ARY Official – https://www.facebook.com/arydigital.tv
• Nida Yasir - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nida-Yasir/122196961178660?fref=ts

Email

• info@arydigital.tv
• feedback@gmpakistan.tv

For decades Shia Muslims have been killed in Pakistan and the issue has either been pushed under the carpet or obfuscated using blanket terms such as ‘sectarian violence’. Both the print and the electronic media have on purpose hidden the Shia identity of the victims. The victims are often reported as mere ‘afraad’ [persons] randomly killed, not targeted for their faith.

Most Pakistanis have been silent on the issue, not uttering a word as if speaking for the Shia will make them a Shia. However, they do have time and energy to protest for Palestinians, Burmese or Syrians. The civil society and activists on social media, or otherwise, hesitate to use the word Shia – apparently they condemn the bloodshed but are shy of using the word Shia, like the mainstream media. This does not help. This is rather part of the problem.

#ShiaGenocide in Pakistan – 5 min Intro video [Watch on YouTube, Watch on Facebook Video]

This comprehensive essays aims to discuss all dimensions of the issue in a FAQ format with rich use of multimedia and aims to serve as a 101 on Shia genocide in Pakistan.

Who are the Shia?

Shia (Shi’ite) are a denomination of Islam who rely on allegoric and metaphoric interpretation of Quran as preached by Ali Ibn Abe Talib and the other 11 Imams. They interpret the Islamic sources including the Quran and Hadees through the Ahl-e-Bayt i.e. the people of the House (of Muhammad). The Shia believe that Muhammad had declared Ali has his successor at Ghadir after his last Hajj (see Ghadir-e-Khum) and consider the 12 Imams as the rightful leaders of the Muslim community. They do not consider the Muslim caliphs legitimate and this has been a bone of contention between the Muslim sects.

What is the Shia population in Pakistan?

According to reliable estimates by CIA World FactBook and Middle East Institute Shia constitutes nearly 20% of the population of Pakistan. Pakistan’s official records and UNDP’s estimates put Pakistan’s population (as of 2011) at 187 million. Considering a 1.6%¹ population growth, citizens not recorded/registered and the fact that the official figures and estimates are lowered down; 200 million serves as a good figure for country’s population. This puts the Shia population of Pakistan at 40 million. This is second only to Iran’s Shia population of nearly 70 million.

Shia in Pakistan are geographically spread across the country. The highest concentration is found in the Gilgit Baltistan province in northern Pakistan where they form the majority of population. Kurram Agency (with Parachinar as capital) is particularly a Shia stronghold in the tribal belt. Similarly, all urban capitals Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta have a sizable Shia population. Saraiki belt (stretching from Southern Punjab to North Western Punjab) in particular hosts strong Shia population – cities of Dera Ismail Khan (Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa), Bhakkar, Layyah, Jhang and Multan deserve a specific mention. Hyderabad and Larkana region in Sindh also have large Shia population. A historic town named Uch Sharif in Southern Punjab hosts several Shia shrines and cemeteries and is one of the host cities of Shia Syed migration from elsewhere into Indian subcontinent.

Other countries with considerable Shia population are Iran (95%), Azerbaijan (75%), Iraq (70%), Bahrain (70%), Yemen (40%), Kuwait (35%), Lebanon (35%), Saudi Arabia (22%), Syria (20%); while Afghanistan, Turkey, India, Tanzania and Qatar have nearly 15% Shia of their Muslim population. According to CIA and PEW global Forum, Shia make up between 10 and 20 percent of the world’s Muslim population of 1.6 billion – that makes nearly 250 million Shia in the world (using 15% figure). According to Vali Nasr; in the Muslim heartland from Pakistan to Lebanon, there are almost as many Shia as Sunni.

history of Takfir of Shia, suspicion of Shia in Muslim lands and violence

The Shia Revival by Vali Nasr

Throughout Muslim history, Shia have been persecuted under all Muslim empires and caliphates – the hundred year reign of Ummayds, five hundred years under Abbasids, the Ottomans ruling from Istanbul and the Mughals from Indian sub continent. Vali Nasr writes about the threat the Sunni caliphs faced from the Shia in his book The Shia Revival:

“The notion of the Prophet’s blood kin asserting their right to rule and standing up against monarchs always had the potential to capture popular imagination. The great (Abbasid) caliph Mansour (d. 792) had to suspend the construction of Baghdad twice in order to put down Shia revolts. The fear that the Shia imams instilled in the caliphs resulted in, not surprisingly, in persecution

The Ummayd and Abbasid caliphs imprisoned and killed the Shia Imams and encouraged Sunni Ulemas to define Sunni orthodoxy in radical terms to contain the appeal of Shiism. By the tenth century the Sunni jurists of Hanbali school, known for their intolerance of Shiism, held sway over Baghdad and fear of Shia revolts supported their penchant for purifying Islam. The last decade of that century witnessed anti-Shia violence in Baghad and its environs – mosques and Ashuras were attacked, and Shia were killed or burnt alive. When in 971 C.E. Roman forces attacked the Abbasid domain, the first response of the caliph’s forces and the angry and terrified Sunnis was to blame the Shia. Shia houses in al-Karkh (today’s Iraq) – which had become a refuge for Shias who escaped persecution in Baghdad – were torched as the attackers chanted, “You Shias are cause of all evil”. In a pattern of behavior that would be repeated throughout the centuries down to present, the Shia bore the burnt of popular frustrations with the failures of Sunni rulers. Treated as an enemy within, they were the first to come under suspicion when there was an external threat to the ruling Sunni establishment. By the middle of the eleventh century, persecution of Shia of Al-Karkh had become a custom; every Saturday, Sunni mobs would show up at Shia mosques and shrines before looting them down saying, “You blasphemers! Convert to Islam!”

By the eleventh century these attitudes had also been canonized by Hanbali jurists, who condemned the Shias as rafidis, or rejecters of the Truth. They said that Shia should not lead prayers or marry Sunnis, and that any meat that Shias slaughtered was not halal (permissible) for Sunni consumption. In short, the Shia were not to be treated as Muslims. After the Mongol sack of Baghdad and the destruction of Abbasid caliphate in 1258, attacks on Shiism grew even sharper. Hanbali characterisation in recent history found a reflection in the extremist Sunnis’ demonizatin of Shiism, which regards the faith as heresy and a bigger threat to “true” Islam than Christianity and Judiasm. “

The first Shia Imam, Ali was killed by the Kharji’ites in the Kufa mosque attack; second Shia Imam , Hassan was poisoned on orders of Ummayad caliph Muawiya; the third Shia Imam, Hussain was killed by Ummayad caliph Yazid’s Army at Karbala and all the rest 9 Shia Imams were poisoned on the orders of Ummayad and Abbasid caliphs. Several thousand, if not millions of Shia were killed during Ummayad and Abbasid eras while oppression, persecution and suspicion of them as traitors was a part of social psyche of the time.

The Ottomans who ruled from Istanbul were nothing better than the Abbasids as far as oppression and persecution of the Shia is concerned. Chris Morris in his book The New Turkey discussing the Ottoman treatment of minorities writes that it was the Shia who suffered the most at the hands of the Ottomans and not the non-Muslims like Jews and Christians. He writes:

Treatment of the Shia in Ottoman empire by Sunni Ottoman caliphs/sultans

fatwa Alamgiri

In context of Indian subcontinent, Mughal Emperor Alamgir crystallised anti-Shia sentiment in the psyche of Indian Muslims. Fatwa-e-Alamgiri compiled during the reign of Mughal emperor Alamgir under the supervision of Shah Waliullah and several hundred Sunni jurists from all over the world was the first comprehensive volume which collected several hundred fatwas declaring the Shia infidels. It went as far as to say that anyone who does not accept the Muslim caliphs is an infidel. It also made it binding upon Muslims to call Shia Rafidah, a derogatory term meaning defectors, deserters, and traitors. All fatwas used against the Shia since then refer back to this collection. A close examination of the fatwas used by Sipah Sahaba and similar anti-Shia militant groups makes it clear that the source of them is Fatwa-e-Alamgiri collection.

A recent anti-Shia fatwa by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi can be seen here which calls to kill the Shia, while another by Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband India can be read here which disapproves of any kind of contact with Shia and declares them murtad. A collection of similar fatwas is available here. See one of several Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband India fatwas below:

Darul Uloom Deoband India – Fatwa of Kufar on Shia Muslims

History of Shia Genocide in Pakistan: Pre Zia

The general impression is that killing of Shia is a post-Zia phenomenon and there were no incidents as such before the freelance Jihads were let loose. This is true to the extent that violence against the Shia was not taking place in an organised fashion before Zia and there is little record of anti-Shia organisations existing before the 1970s. It would be fair to say that the killing of Shia escalated post-Zia but saying there was no violence before Zia is not factually true.

The first recorded Shia Genocide incident is from 1963 when in a remote Sindh village Therih (near Khairpur), 118 Shia were brutally killed, some butchered – using rifle firing, axes, knives and stone pelting on the day of Ashura. This included several children.

Similarly, at least a couple of incidents are recorded from the year 1978 when Shia processions were attacked in Lahore and Karachi killing at least 22 people.

Since the incidents were not frequent as they have been post-Zia and many of them happened in semi-urban or rural areas, only a few of them could be found in the records but it is clear from independent sources that and the recorded incidents that there definitely were incidents of Shia killing and/or violence even before Zia’s era.

History of Shia Genocide in Pakistan: Post Zia

General Zia’s policy of Islamizing Pakistan and his support for the Takfiri Deobandi Jihadi organisations; both for his personal leanings and for the strategic depth policy Pakistan Army adopted under him, sowed the seeds of Shia Genocide in Pakistan. This was the turning point for the Pakistan as gradually anti-Shia sentiment was injected into the psyche of Pakistani Muslim society.

General Zia’s close ties to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and his personal taste for KSA-style Sharia laws resulted in radical Islamization of Pakistan. Khaled Ahmed writes in Sectarian war:

Saudi Arabia funding madressahs in Pakistan and lead role in Islamisation of country under Zia’s rule

Using Zakat as part of Islamizing project was a clever move by Saudi Arabia who saw a great potential in populous Pakistan to export their Wahabi ideology. Zakat collected by the state, handed over to the KSA certified Wahabi madressahs/mullahs made them powerful and influential. The increase in the number of madressahs and influence of Wahabi mullahs meant rapid spread of the ideology challenging and replacing the dominant Sufi Islam of Pakistan. On the other hand, knowing that the Shia and Sunni jurisprudence differ on the issue of Zakat, this was a clever move on the part of KSA as they challenged the Shia of Pakistan through this ordinance. However, this turned out to be one of the most significant incidents in the history of political activism of Pakistan’s Shia.

A 100,000 Shia marched in Islamabad against the ordinance insisting that Shia jurisprudence does not require paying Zakat to the state but considers it a personal duty to help the poor. As a result, Islamabad Agreement was signed in which General Zia agreed to introduce separate syllabus for Shia students in public schools and declared the Shia exempt from the state collection of Zakat. The radical Deobandi militant groups took this opportunity to further their agenda of Takfir of the Shia and branded them heretics and apostates.

See Raza Rumi explaining Shia Genocide in Pakistan in BBC Urdu interview.

Changing demographics through Madressahs under Zia ul Haq

The table below summarises the growth of madressahs in Pakistan across different sects between year 1988 and 2002.

According to the Interior Ministry as per latest available information:

• the number of madrassas in Pakistan is 20,000 with over three million students.
• this number stood at 2,861 in 1988 and 246 in 1947.
• Of these, 11,000 madrassas belong to the Deobandi sect and have been declared “sensitive”.

Using the information above; and adding up the estimates of Global security statistics and recent newspaper reports on the distribution of Pakistan’s population, we conclude the following:

Sect-wise percentage of population and share in total Pakistan’s madressahs shows Deobandi sect received state patrongae and funding

It is clear that despite being only 15% of the population, the Deobandi sect was given a free license and state patronage to spread their ideology through the madressahs replacing the dominant Islam of Pakistan. Under the watchful eyes of General Zia, Deobandi madressahs took control of the religious education and ideological discourse of Sunni Islam in Pakistan. The state, through textbooks, media and all possible means spread the same ideology.

Sectarian War Khaled Ahmed

It should be noted here that the Barelvi/Sufi Muslims were in favour of creation of Pakistani while the Deobandi Muslims opposed it. However, after the creation of Pakistan, the country’s ruling elite aligned with the Deobandi and patronised them. Dr. Khaled Ahmed explains, “because the mazar-based Barelvi tendency to celebrate eclectic saint cults militated against two-nation nationalism and because it was no help in law-making, whereas the madrassa was”. The low church traditions of Barelvi/Sufi Islam (and Shia Islam of the time) was not ‘useful’ for the state. This belief of Pakistan’s establishment in the Deobandi interpretation continues to date and so they continue to patronise them at the cost of Shia, Ahmadi, Barelvi/Sufi Muslims and other minorities.

During the Afghan war, this state patronage took a new dimension as they were given military training, weapons and funds to wage a war (‘Jihad’) against the infidel Russians and in Kashmir. After the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban (‘manufactured’ in the Deobandi Madressahs in Pakistan) and usefulness of Deobandi militants in Kashmir, they became more influential and key for Pakistan’s security agencies. Since then, their political front i.e JUI (Jamiat Ulama Islam) has been part of every government.

Anti-Shia militant organisations, hate speech and organised killing of Shia

After the Iranian revolution in 1979; there was a fear of spread of revolution to Pakistan. Country’s security establishment and radical Deobandi militants wanted to contain this perceived challenge. Although there was little ground to this fear other than the fact that the Shia of Pakistan constituted a sizeable minority and were close to majority population i.e Barelvi Sufi Muslims in terms of their beliefs. State patronage for Deobandi madressahs grew stronger and militant organisations were funded and given free license to operate in the country to counter any potential Shia uprising. This was purely pre-emptive move as the security establishment did not want any challenge from the Shia during a time when radical Deobandi ideology was a great tool at hand to cash in Afghanistan, Kashmir and elsewhere. The state thus helped setup militant organisations.

The notorious Sipah Sahaba Pakistan is also alleged to have been set up at the behest of the then Zia-ul-Haq regime as part of the efforts to build an Islamist counter to pro-democracy forces ranged against the military regime of the Eighties and to counter the potential ‘Shia Uprising’.

Khaled Ahmed, on authority of French writer Mariam Abou Zahab who has done extensive work on SSP while residing in Jhang close to SSP leaders and workers, writes in Sectarian War:

The initial days of Sipah Sahaba Pakistan and who funded them

As clear, Sipah Sahaba formed in 1985 was funded by local businessmen, politicians and traders in return for security and protection. Overtime, they gained enough influence to contest general elections and win a few seats under the party banner. Only a few know that in 1993 PPP Government, they held a ministry too. The organisation has worked under the names of Anjuman Sipah Sahaba (ASS), Sipah Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), Millat-e-Islamia Pakistan and recently as Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal-Jamaat (ASWJ). Among the founding members of SSP are Haq Nawaz Jhangvi, Zia Ur Rehman Farooqi, Eesar Ul Haq Qasmi and Azam Tariq. Other than countless incidents of violence against the Shia, SSP is also responsible for killing Sunni Tehrik leader Saleem Qadri, April 2006 bombing of Barelvi congregation of Eid-Milad-Nabi wiping out Sunni Tehrik leadership and August 2009 Gojra riots against Christian community among others.

Sipah Sahaba is inherently anti-Shia. The SSP demands Shia to be declared constitutionally ‘kaafir’ and extend the blasphemy laws to cover Shia under the excuse of abuse of Sahaba (companions of Prophet). SSP Leaders including all founding members and current leadership like Ahmed Ludhianvi and Augangzeb Faruqi are on record to have said that Shia are worst kind of infidels, should be declared kaafir and that a war will be waged against them in Pakistan. The pamphlet below issues by SSP lists their manifesto and demands some of which are:

• -Legal protection for sanctity of Sahaba and Ahle Bait
• -Implementation of system of caliphate
• -Death penalty for anyone insulting Sahaba, Caliphs or Ahle Bait
• -Declare Pakistan a Sunni (Deobandi) state
• -Annual holiday on days associated with Caliphs
• -Put an end to interference by Iranian Consulates into Pakistan’s internal affairs
• -Restrict the mourning processions to their mosques (places of worship)

Pamphlet isues by Sipah Sahaba Pakistan listing their demands

Being a supporter of Taliban, having sent members for Jihad and being an ally of Deobandi parties and organisations which participated in Afghan/Kashmir Jihad, the SSP wants a Taliban government in Afghanistan and strongly opposes any kind of Pak-US relations or ties. As modus operandi, SSP has killed Shia in mass attacks on mosques, Imam Bargahs, public gatherings and also targeted individuals including professionals, scholars and leaders. SSP also joined the Afghan Jihad Council in 2001 to launch anti-US/NATO attacks.

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) formed 1995 headed by Malik Ishaq is a breakaway faction of Sipah Sahaba Pakistan which is currently headed by Ahmed Ludhianvi. Both groups have targeted foreign nationals/citizens/diplomats including Iranians and Americans. According to several reports (including Stanford), both of these organisations have links to Taliban and Al-Qaeda. SSP, LeJ and most other Deobandi militant groups in Pakistan gladly accepted financial support from the security agencies, but cooperated only when the government’s goals coincided with their own. According to Amir Mir, throughout its history, LeJ has reportedly maintained ties with a number of high-profile terrorists, including Ramzi Yousef, Khalid Sheikh Mohammad and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi

Other then the funding by state security agencies, LeJ gets additional resources from the narcotics trade and other criminal activities.  LeJ has also received money from several Persian Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the evidence of which appeared in one of Wikileak cables. These countries funded LeJ and other Sunni militant groups primarily to counter the rising influence of Iran’s revolutionary Shiism and to export the Wahabi ideology to populous Pakistan.

The only difference between SSP and LeJ is that LeJ is exclusively militant with no political background except that Riaz Basra, the organisation’s founder run for a national Assembly seat once. SSP, the parent organisation of LeJ, is not exclusively militant but also a political organisation which indulges not only in violent attacks but hate speech, incitement too violence, threats etc and seeks legal action against the Shia and other minorities, campaigns for declaring them non-Muslim and seeks extension of blasphemy laws.

Other than SSP and LeJ, recently Tehrik Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Jandullah have been involved in anti-Shia violence too. LeJ also has ties to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), a Deobandi group formed by Masood Azhar in 2000. The groups cooperate in part because of their common ideologies.   JeM fighters have allegedly received military training in LeJ camps in Afghanistan. LeJ also has links to Central Asian militant groups. In 1999, SSP and LeJ fighters joined IMU leader Juma Namangani in Afghanistan and took part in the IMU kidnapping of Japanese geologists. LeJ members also fought in Afghanistan alongside the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). It will be fair to say that almost all terrorist groups operating in Pakistan and Afghanistan specifically SSP, LeJ, JeM, TTP, Taliban, Jandullah and Al-Qaeda coordinate in one or other way – they are all inherently anti-Shia and all subscribe to a radical interpretation of Deobandi Islam.

Anti-Shia Militant Organisations in Pakistan- Sipah Sahaba SSP ASWJ, Tehrik Taliban Pakistan TTP, Lashkar e Jhangvi LeJ, Jaish Muhammad JeM, Jandullah, Harkat ul Mujahideen HuM, JuD and AlQaeda

A few examples of fatwa and threats by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi can be seen below. For more, refer to this link. Details of organised intimidation campaign by anti-Shia militant organisation is documented here.

Lashkar-e-Jhangvi-Takfiri-Fatwa-calling-for-open-violence-against-Shia-in-Muharram-2012

Old-Takfiri-Fatwa-by-Lashkar-Jhanvi-on-SHia

A good collection of evidence videos for this section on anti-Shia militant organisations is here, a selection below:

Aurangzeb Farooqi calls for Shia to be declared non Muslim

Saudi Arabia and UAE funding anti-Shia groups in Pakistan (WikiLeaks)

LeJ funding and operations

Aurangzeb Faoorqi (SSP) anti Shia message

Some incidents of Shia Genocide – post Zia

• The tragic of all incidents of Shia Genocide in Pakistan was the Gilgit massacre (also called ‘Lashkar attack’) when 800 Shia were butchered in a single day. In the predominantly Shia region of Kurram Agency, closer to 800 Shia were killed according to unofficial estimates (Aase, 1999: 60; ICG, 2005: 19), in a raid on the city by Takfiri Sunni activists, mostly from North West Frontier Province (NWFP) tribal areas. These were assisted by local Takfiri Sunni militants from Chilas, Darel and Tangir, with the compliance of Pakistan Army. The Oct 2011 FCC Quarterly published from Centre for Public Policy & Governance notes that, “The 1988 violence in which 12 villages were burnt, 800 Shias killed, animals were slaughtered and trees were cut down was one of the worst incidents of sectarian violence in Pakistan, but had not been properly documented. Still ev­eryone in GB remembered it and it was part of the psyche of the region.”

Khaled Ahmed writes in Sectarian War:

Violence in Parachinar a result of state policy of intervention in Afghanistan

• There were several incidents in year 2011 and 2012 when Shia pilgrims enroute Iran or returning from Iran were attacked and killed enmasse. The only entry point from Pakistan to Iran for Shia pilgrims to visit Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad is through Balochistan which leads to Zahedan and further. Several hundred Shia have been killed in several incidents of direct attack on Shia for which LeJ and Jandullah accepted the responsibility.

• There have been multiple incidents in Northern Pakistan (enroute Gilgit, in Kurram Agency etc) when passengers were offloaded from buses, identified as Shia using their identity cards/names or marks of self flagellation (zanjeer) left on their backs and then shot dead. February 2012 Kohistan massacre is just one of such incidents.

• Ashura processions, Arbaeen/Chehlum processions and Majalis have been routinely attacked in almost all regions of Pakistan by opening fire, hand grenades, bomb attacks or suicide bombings killing several thousand Shia so far.

• The total number of Shia killed as per independent estimates is over 21,000 which includes several thousand children and professionals.

See some important videos of violence against Shia: here, here and here and TTP’s HakimUllah Mehsod’s anti-Shia message here.

Is it appropriate to call it Shia-Sunni conflict?

Probably not. Both Shia and Sunni have different sects amongst themselves. The Sunnis are divided into Barelvi, Deobandi, Salafi, Ahl-e-Hadees etc. The Shia are divided into Twelvers (who form overwhelming majority of Shia in Pakistan), Ismaili (mostly based in Gilgit Baltistan and Karachi) and Dawoodi Bohras (based in Karachi) etc. However, since the Shia are a (sizable) minority in Pakistan, the militant anti-Shia organizations see all Shia as just Shia and do not care about what sub-sect they come from. It is the overriding Shia belief which is cause of their killing. All Shia of Pakistan have been victim of persecution – the Ismaili Shia of GB have been repeatedly attacked, Twelver Shia have been attacked on routine basis and recently we had incidents of Bohras under attack too.

When it comes to the Sunnis, it will be a blanket term, too wide to be accurate to describe the conflict. Not all Sunnis have killed the Shia. The Barelvi Sunnis, who form the majority in Pakistan have been attacked by the same organizations/mindset which kills the Shia. For example, Data Darbar shrine, Rehman Baba shrine, Ganjshakar shrine have all been bombed. The Sunni Tehrik leadership was wiped off in a bomb attack at their meeting.

Sunni Tehrik was formed in 1990 to by Pakistan’s majority Barelvi Sunni Muslims to counter the influence of Deobandi sect and state patronage granted to them. ST rose as primary Sunni opposition to Deobandis and specially the Deobandi Banuri Mosque and Madressah based in Karachi. ST has overtime objected to the state patronage to Deobandis, appointment of Deobandis in important positions including state mosques like Badshahi Mosque of Lahore. They have also criticised the forced implementation of Shariah in Swat and rejected all religious militants as anti-Islam. ST’s leader Saleem Qadri was murdered by Sipah Sahaba and the organisation openly criticized Musharraf and his military regime of patronizing Deobandi militants. Between March 2005 and April 2011 alone, one independent study has counted as many as twenty-nine attacks on Barelvi shrines. Moreover, in 2009, a suicide bomber from the Tehreek-e-Taliban, a Deobandi movement, was responsible for the assassination of the leading Barelvi scholar Mufti Sarfraz Naeemi, who became well-known for his anti-Taliban teachings. Barelvis commonly point to the “Nishtar Park Tragedy” of 2006 as a prime example of the Deobandi effort to eliminate Barelvism entirely. In that attack, a suicide bomber hit a high-profile congregation, wiping out the Sunni Tehreek’s top leadership. It was later discovered that Lashkar-e-Jhangvi was involved in the act.

Data Darbar Sufi Shrine attacked by Deobandi militants

It is the Deobandi militants who have the support of the Pakistan’s security establishment who enable Shia Genocide. If this was a Shia-Sunni conflict, it would have been quite impossible for the 40 million Shia of Pakistan to survive with more than 150 million Sunnis. Using the term Sunni provides cover for these Deobandi militants as they have themselves started using the Sunni identity cleverly giving an impression that the 150 million people of Pakistan are anti-Shia. This trend will gradually seep deep down into the psyche of Pakistan’s Muslim society if left unchallenged. It is not a mere coincidence that the Sipah Sahaba Pakistan changed its name to Ahl-e-Sunnat-Wal-Jamaat. They are hiding behind the Sunni identity, the identity of the majority of Pakistan and by this cosmetic change, they get the ability to reach out to the masses with their anti-Shia message.

Sipah Sahaba pamphlet declaring almost all Pakistani Muslims as Kaafir

Lionel Baixas, the author of Thematic Chronology of Mass Violence in Pakistan, 1947-2007, Online Encyclopedia of Mass Violence says it is inaccurate to describe it as a Sunni-Shia conflict and describes the phenomena as Deobandi-Shia conflict, adding “the former (Deobandis) somehow appropriated the term Sunni for themselves and is supported in its anti-Shia struggle by Ahle Hadit organization”

Is this a Sunni-Shia war or a sectarian battle? Is this Shia Genocide?

The mainstream discourse on the killing of Pakistan identifies it as either ‘sectarian war’ or a ‘Sunni-Shia conflict’. This is gross misrepresentation of the issue and provides a useful cover to the terrorists of Sipah Sahaba, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and other anti-Shia militants. The mainstream discourse propagated through media has created an impression as if it is a tit-for-tat violence which is incorrect to say the least. The easiest way to debunk this claim is to look at the number of Shia killed in Pakistan and compare than with their share in population i.e. only 20%.

The killing of Shia in Pakistan can only be described by one term and that is Shia Genocide. If this was sectarian violence, I would like to know how many suicidal attacks the Shia have launched on Sunni Muslims and how many indiscriminate bombings have the Shia carried out in Pakistan? There is not a single suicide bombing attack by the Shia of Pakistan in the history of the country. There is not a single example of an indiscriminate attack by the Shia using any method on anyone in the country. Targeted retaliation attacks in response to Shia Genocide can not be compared to an organised campaign of violence launched against the Shia. The Shia of Pakistan have been a victim of a genocide; the state has not only refused to protect them but is party to this genocide by patronizing Deobandi militants in various ways – by giving them cover, by funding them, by giving them free license to operate in the country. In such conditions, self defense is a basic right of the Shia. One can not expect 40 million people of a community to continue to suffer with no end to violence in sight. Over time, Shia organisations like Sipah Muhammad have retaliated in response to Shia Genocide. The organisation formed in 1993 operated for a few years but has been inactive in recent years – pretty much throughout after the turn of century. This is to be noted that SM only did targeted attacks on individuals (Deobandi militants of anti-Shia organisations) as retaliation tactics and did not do any indiscriminate attacks killing innocent men, women and children. Even the targeted retaliation attacks have been absent in the last few years as SM has been dysfunctional but Shia Genocide has not stopped but instead grown exponentially. If this is tit-for-tat violence, why has it not stopped and has instead gone more violent?

The United Nations Convention on Prevention and Punishment of Crime of Genocide adopted the Resolution 260 (III) A of the United Nations General Assembly on 9 December 1948 which defines genocide as:

In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethical, racial or religious group, as such:

• (a) Killing members of the group;
• (b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
• (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
• (d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
• (e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

21,000 Shia dead, mass killings, targeted killings, high profile killings, killing after identification as Shia…. Strong evidence of state patronage, support and funding to the anti-Shia militants groups… and with leaders of anti-Shia militant organisations like Sipah Sahaba on record having called for killing of the Shia and that they will make Pakistan hell for the Shia, what does the world wait for before recognizing this as a Genocide? Who do the blanket incorrect terms like ‘sectarian’ and ‘Sunni-Shia conflict’ serve other than the militants who kill Shia? Are we waiting for the Shia death tool to a higher number before recognizing this as a genocide?

Do we need to remind the media, academic, human right organisations and activists that the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), established by the UN Security Council, in 2001 sentenced a Bosnian Serb general to 35 years in jail for “complicity in genocide” in connection with the massacre of 7,000 Muslim civilians in Srebrenica in 1995.

Shia Genocide in Pakistan – 21000 killed

Obfuscation and Role of Media

International media have usually described the Shia killing either as ‘sectarian’ or as ‘Shia-Sunni conflict’. A lot of this remains lack of knowledge as many international journalists do not clearly understand the details of sectarian divide in Islam, the history and politics around it and dynamics of it in Pakistan’s political scene.

The local media, both print and electronic, either obfuscate the Shia killing by using the said terms or completely ignore it. Two methods are used to ignore Shia genocide i.e. not publishing/airing the news or by hiding the Shia identity of the victims and calling them mere ‘afraad’ (persons) killed while clearly the intent to kill them was their Shia belief. A prime example of this was Kohistan massacre when passengers enroute Gilgit were offloaded their buses, identified as Shia (using names on NIC or physical marks on back) and then killed after identified on spot. The news was aired on media but none of the TV channels mentioned the Shia identity of the victims, so much so that they did not even use the word sectarian.

Similarly, to report the killing of Hazara Shia of Queta, the media have repeatedly hidden their Shia identity and called them Hazara, building a discourse that they are killed for their ethnicity and not their Shia belief. Again, completely incorrect and done on purpose. This helps none but the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militants who have been active in Baluchistan and have taken responsibility for almost every attack on the Hazara Shia. They kill them for their Shia belief and media make everyone believe it is an ethnic issue. The little chance of any pressure on LeJ through public or authorities is non existent because it is not presented as violence based on Shia belief but mere ethnic violence which has become somewhat acceptable in Pakistan’s psyche.

Without doubt, the media have played a dangerous role by obfuscating Shia Genocide and pushing it under the carpet which has resulted in more Shia killings and a discourse being built in mainstream that Pakistan goes through a tit-for-tat Shia Sunni violence which is incorrect.

Pakistan’s media hides the Shia identity of victims even when they are killed after identifying them as Shia [YouTube, FB Video]

Role of judiciary

Pakistan’s Judicial System and superior judiciary have been complacent to Shia Genocide by releasing convicted terrorists for “lack of evidence”. Malik Ishaq has reportedly accepted the responsibility to killing several Shia in court room but he roams free today because the court released him on the basis of no available evidence. Where does the evidence go? They kill all witnesses. Haris Bin Munawar’s excellent investigative piece on Lashkar-e-Jhangvi published in DAWN discusses in detail the “lack of evidence” theory.

Pakistan’s courts release terrorists for “lack of evidence” after they wide-off all evidence [YouTube, FB Video]

Role of Pakistan Army and associated institutions

We have already discussed how Pakistan’s security establishment helped create Sipah Sahaba and other similar groups in the 80s. We have also discussed that Pakistan’s security establishment funded and setup thousands of radical Deobandi madressahs with direct funding from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and indirect from Zakat fund and redirecting the US Jihad money flowing in. Pakistan Army has provided logistic, financial, ideological and administrative support to all Deobandi militant organisations as discussed in detail.

These organisations were bound to come back at Pakistan Army one day and that did happen. In 2009, Pakistan Army’s GHQ in Rawalpindi was attacked and was under siege as terrorists of Sipah Sahaba or its associated militants kidnapped a few soldiers inside GHQ. Malik Ishaq, the leader of LeJ who was in Kotlakhpat jail in Lahore back then was flown on a military helicopter from Lahore to Rawalpindi GHQ. He talked to the terrorists to negotiate a deal between Pakistan Army and those terrorists who had held soldiers as hostage. Doesn’t it tell a lot about the connection?

No surprises, not too long after this Malik Ishaq was released from the jail and given a free license to kill Shia in Pakistan. The number of Shia killing in Pakistan escalated like never before and the Shia saw the highest number of killings ever recorded in the years that followed. More than a 100 Shia were killed in a single day in Quetta, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi accepted responsibility while its leader Malik Ishaq was roaming free on the roads of Karachi. Not just that, he addressed a huge gathering of SSP and chanted anti-Shia slogans.

Are the Shia in Pakistan a proxy of Iran?

Following up from the ‘Shia-Sunni sectarian war’ obfuscation theory, there is a popular accusation on the Shia of Pakistan that they are more loyal or attached to Iran than to Pakistan. This has its roots in the same suspicion of Shia which became part of Muslim society during Ummayad and Abbasid times as discussed.

Shiism has this tendency to assimilate into local cultures and traditions wherever it goes. It is inclusive in nature because of the excessive use of symbolism, imagery and its basis on allegoric and metaphoric interpretation of sources. The Shia expression from Iraq to Iran and Pakistan to the Caribbean Islands has its own flavours borrowed from the local culture. The Shia tradition and expression of Pakistan is rooted in the culture of Central and Northern India – in the cities of Hyderabad, Lucknow, Delhi and the Shia state of Audh/Awadh. Lucknow can safely be called the capital of Shia literature in the Indian subcontinent – it hosts the largest Imam Bargah of the world, was capital of the Shia state of Awadh and is home to legendary poets like Mir Taqi Mir, Mir Babar Ali Anis and Josh Maliahabadi. This region defined the art of marsiyah which is central to Shia expression in Pakistan. The taziyahs lifted in Shia mourning processions in Pakistan have also their roots in the same region. The Shiism of Pakistan is closer to India than to Iran or anywhere else in the world.

Lets make it clear that concept of Velayat-e-Faqih (oh which Iranian Revolution was based) is an innovation in Shiism and was not accepted by all Shia (in Pakistan or elsewhere) and there was and has been a division between the Ayotullahs on this ever since. Over time, the Qom (a city near Tehran famous for its religious seminaries) school of thought and Najafi (Iraq) school of thought established themselves as distinct centres of Shia learning and scholarship and both differing on Velayat-e-Faqih and the role of religion in politics. The later rejected the Velayat-e-Faqih and called for a version of Secularism which came to be known as Sistani’s Secularism (see academic papers on topic).

Khaled Ahmed writes in his book Sectarian War:

Shia of Pakistan rejected Velayat-e-Faqih of Qom Iran and aligned with Najaf

This makes it clear that the connection of Pakistani Shia was established to Iran and its Ayotullah regime as a result of Pakistani state patronising anti-Shia Deobandi militants. TJNF was formed as a result of this – there is some evidence suggesting Shia leaders from Pakistan went to Qom for training (or were invited) but little evidence of financial suppor. However, it can not be ruled out. It also needs to be made clear that Pakistani Shia have remained loyal and devoted to the local expression of their faith and have over time rejected directions of Qom Ayotullahs which they felt collided with their expression of Shiism – case in point: Ayotullah Khameini’s fatwa on zanjeer maatam which was rejected by Pakistani Shia as it is deep rooted tradition in local Shia expression.

Khamenei Fatwa

Are the Shia killed because they abuse the Sahaba or caliphs? 

The common argument states that the Shia are killed because they abuse the Sahaba i.e. companions of the Prophet. It is a futile debate if they abuse or not but a few factors need to be considered:

• There is evidence that printing press were discovered in Pakistan which were found to printing books on behalf of Shia with abusive content against the Sahaba. These printing presses did not belong to the Shia.

• The same groups which kill the Shia have been killing Sunni Barelvis, Ahmadis and Christians. I do not know any Sunni Barelvis who abuse Sahaba but yet they are brutally killed at shrines. The Ahmadis are a denomination of Sunni Islam who hold all companions of Prophet in high regard yet they are persecuted and killed in all Muslim countries. Deobandi militants only use the ‘abusing Sahaba’ as an excuse to further their agenda of Shia Genocide.
• Even if we assume that the Shia abuse the Sahaba, what justification is there to kill them? It is depressing to see even many of the social activists blaming the Shia (victim) saying they bring death upon themselves by abusing the Sahaba. This Blame-The-Victim tendency has to end. There is no justification to take the life of any human being without ifs and buts.

How have the Shia reacted to Shia Genocide?

Shia women participation in Shia Genocide protests

Peaceful Global Protest Movement by Shia – 2011/2012 [YouTube, Facebook Video]

Shia of Quetta refused to bury their dead and protested with 86 dead bodies in Quetta and thousands protest with them globally

Global Protests by Shia in response to Quetta Massacre

Shia leaders take on Pakistan security establishment in response to Shia Genocide

Notes:

¹ official estimate, the actual figure from 1981 to 1998 was nearly 3%

Political Activism of Shia women

More than 20,000 Shia have been killed in Pakistan while the death toll for the running year is above 570. What is the crime of the victims? being Shia and refusing to bow down to intimidation and violence by Takfiri Deobandi terrorists of Sipah Sahaba (aka ASWJ), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Taliban. Despite organised intimidation campaigns and unending violence against the Shia facilitated by state institutions of Pakistan; the 40 million Shia community of Pakistan has shown exemplary courage, patience and steadfastness. They continue to refuse to bow down to the demands and harassment of the terrorists and continue to remain steadfast to their Shia identity, belief and their lifestyle. Azadari, the Shia tradition of mourning and protest in Muharram continues unabated despite Shia killing across Pakistan. When the state has failed to and refused to protect the Shia community of Pakistan; and some state institutions like the Judiciary and security establishment facilitate Shia Genocide; the Shia have so far refused to retaliate with any form of violence. So far, there is not a single example of an indiscriminate attack by the Shia of Pakistan.

The Shia of Pakistan exemplify resilience and a peaceful non-violent struggle for defense of their rights. The year 2012 saw country wide peaceful protests by Shia community spread across cities, towns and villages. Similar protests were held across the world spread from Australia to the EU and as far as American and Canada. Hundreds of people have protested peacefully in Washington, NYC, Toronto, Vancouver, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Canada, London, Kargil in Indian Kashmir, Lucknow and elsewhere. In Pakistan, over a 100,000 Shia protested for 8 days at Parliament House Islamabad in April 2012 and a same number protested for 39 hours in Karachi. Similar protests were held in cities and towns of all provinces of Pakistan.

Shiism owes its existence to a woman: Zainab.

The question I want to ask is: what is Pakistan and the world waiting for? How long will Pakistan and the world let Shia killed by these terrorists? Yes, Shia have not retaliated so far but how long will the remain peaceful? They do have the right to self defense, don’t they? What is the state expecting by letting Shia Genocide in Pakistan go unabated, unnoticed and unreported on media? Too many lives have been lost, too much blood has been shed, too many coffins have been lifted, too many have been made orphans and widows. Shia have stayed steadfast, resilient and protested peacefully demanding the most fundamental of the rights: right to life in Pakistan. This is not too much to ask for.

Please see a video compilation of worldwide peaceful protests against Shia Genocide:

This video is also available on YouTube here.

Thousands of Shia women participated in not just 39 hour Karachi Dharna but all #ShiaGenocide protests worldwide.

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According to CIA statistics, BBC reports and other reliable estimates, Shia make up 20% of Pakistan’s population. Assuming a 200 million population of Pakistan, that makes 40 million Shia in Pakistan. Unfortunately, Pakistani Shia community has been persecuted for far too long. The first major incident of violence against Shia was recorded in 1963 when 118 Shia were butchered in Therih (Sindh) in a single day. Similarly in 1988, nearly 800 Shia were killed in a single day in Kurram Agency as General Musharraf led the operation under directions from Zia Ul Haq to clear the weapon supply route to Afghanistan of any Shia pockets. Takfiri Deobandi terrorists of Sipah Sahaba, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Taliban routinely massacred Shia in the last two decades of last century but it didn’t stop over the turn of century. According to estimates, nealy 20,000 Shia have been killed in Pakistan which includes 200 doctors, a 100 law professional like lawyers/advocates/judges and countless other notables like entrepreneurs, businessmen, professionals, writers, academics, poets, scholars, clerics etc.

The Shia in Pakistan are not just a victim of violence at the hands of terrorists who are supported by state institutions and security agencies, they are also victims of an organised obfuscation campaign which creates fog around the issue. The issue is presented as Shia-Sunni sectarian war or an Iran-Saudi proxy war but it is none of the two. There is not a single example of a suicide bombing attack by a Shia on anyone in Pakistan; or an indiscriminate attack by a Shia killing men, women, children alike at mosques, markets or anywhere else. It is also disappointing to see Sunni Muslims being blamed for Shia Genocide in Pakistan while they are themselves victims of violence by Takfiri Deobandis. Attacks at shrines like Data Darbar, Rehman Baba, Ganjshakar and others have killed scores of Sunni Muslims. Further, the claim that Shia Genocide is result of a proxy war between Iran and KSA holds little water. The Ayotullahs took power in 1979 in Iran wheraeas there are countless examples of Shia Killing before this. Also, what is the excuse to kill hundreds of Sunni Muslims at shrines?

The short video below is an attempt at narrating the issue in graphic terms. This is first of a series of proposed videos on the issue. Please watch and share.

This is best viewed in Full Screen (HD) with volume turned ON. WARNING: Contains explicit graphic content.

The video can also be watched at YouTube here or DailyMotion here. Remember to change the quality to 720p HD and go full screen.