Contrasting Tales of Two Namaj-e- Janaja, Bhutto and Khadim Rizwi : Irreparable Pakistani Society

Contrasting Tales of Two Namaje Janaja, Bhutto and Khadim Rizwi : Irreparable Pakistani Society

Rajiv Upadhyay 

The date of 21 st November will not be easily forgotten in Pakistan . At Minar – e Pakistan  in Lahore, lakhs of people collected at the namaj e Janaja of Pakistani cleric Maulana Khadim Hussain Rizwi who suddenly and mysteriously died of heart attack in a hospital . Apart of being a cleric, Maulana Khadim Rizwi was also head of his political  party Tahreek- e- Labbait which got about 22 lakh votes in the last election . The party was formed just after the hanging of Mumtaz Kadri who had assassinated the governor of Punjab Salman Taseer ,who opposed the blasphemy law . Rizwi had supported the assassination because Salman Taseer had allegedly called the blasphemy law as a black law . He travelled all over Pakistan for raising support for Mumtaz Qadri and Blasphemy law. On October 24 th Rizwi had asked for dropping nuclear bomb and declaring jehad on France . He supported the recent beheading of the teacher in France on the controversy about Prophet Mohammed cartoon .

Earlier in 2017 he had organised a long march from Lahore to Islamabad asking for resignation of law minister Zahid Hamid for alleged sympathy with Ahmedia muslims .The government had to surrender .In 2018 again he organised massive protest against release of Asia Bibi , a christian woman , on blasphemy charges .He in a public meeting asked for assasination of all the three Supreme Court judges who had ordered  release of  Asia bibi !He was admitted to be an inspiration by the two assassins of Two professors Khalid Hameed and Sareer Ahmed in Pakistan.

The last Namaj e Janaja of a man with such a history of lack of respect for law , attracted lakhs of people in Lahore as can be seen in the photographs . His popularity is an indication of the  mindset of present Pakistani society because in TV debates no one could question his call for nuclear attack on France for just a cartoon ! In contrast no one was initially ready to read Namaj e Janaza of the late prime minister of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto , who was hanged by a military dictator Zia ul Haq in what is now admitted as a  judicial murder .Barely ten to twelve close family members attended the namaj e janaza of the man who gave Pakistan its sole item of pride i.e. the nuclear bomb and who after Jinnah , was the most brilliant politician of Pakistan  (although a hater of India) . A nation so proud of its bravery , could not even come out to mourn the murder of its most brlliant leader after Jinnah .

India and Pakistan were identical societies in 1947 . Karachi was as modern as Bombay . Most of the leaders of Pakistan including Jinnah , Liaqat Ali Khan , Huseyn Surabwardy , Ayub Khan , Bhutto  were foreign educated and by no stretch conservative Islamists . Even Zia ul Haq was educated in Delhi university’s best known college , St. Stephen . Ultra islamization was a political need of a military dictator seeking ground for acceptability with masses .The mullah military alliance was a marriage of convenience , suiting both . The cunning low cost American Afghan war against Soviets needed cheap mujahids and so radical Islam became a necessity in Pakistan and  also of USA.

Unfortunately there was no way of returning the ginny to bottle when Afghan war was over . The history books had been changed , education became poisonous and a tool for spreading disinformation and hate. Saudi money had established a large number of extremist madarsas which turned out budding mujahids who only could became terrorists once the Afghan war was over .

Pakistan army and ISI in their zeal for being ‘ The state above the state ‘ used these madarsas and maulvis to destablise the democratic governments . This radicalisation will only increase from now onward because both the main stream parties ie PMLN and PPP are dependent on another maulana Fazlur rehman for survival . The competition between the radical parties for public support will speed up radicalisation which no political force can oppose . The military the best secular organisation is also being increasingly radicalised due to defective education and text books . Even such well read Generals like late Hamid Gul , ex ISI Chief , talked of incorporating the role and wish of  of Allah’ in constitution !

The liberal media is fast shrinking and stalwarts likes of Asma Jahangir , Najam Sethi and Hassan Nissar too are relics of the lost era who like dinosorus will not be replaced . Extremists and His Master’s Voices like Dr. Fija, Dr Shahid Masood , Zaid Hamid etc. are the new normal in TV anchors . The nation is now seeking solace in the Turkish era of Islam while Jinnah had once opposed the Khilafat movement . Pakistan’s  new colonial master ie China , like Britishers before, will not interfere unless its interests are jeopardised .

Pakistani society and the nation cannot therefore come out of this unfortunate situation unless Allah sends a Mustafa Kamal. In our language Pakistan can now only be saved by an Avtar like Gita’s Krishna!