Following World War II 12-14 million Germans, including women and children, were deprived of their belongings and expelled from East-central Europe. Amid this tragedy 500,000 lost their lives on account of neglect, violence, disease and aftereffects of impairing transport.
The victors triumphed and subjected the entire nation to the horrors of never ending miseries. Many women were raped and dishonored by the oppressors. The miseries and sufferings caused by an act of individuals were endured by friends, bystanders, lukewarm supporters and opponents alike.
Perhaps she thought her ancestors should have been treated the way she pledged to deal with the recent refugee crisis. The chancellor Angela Markel might have been criticized by many of her own people, but would undoubtedly be lauded by history.
This is an explicit explanation of an individual who carries the responsibility towards humanity regardless of its aftereffects. One should muster up the courage to stand against the violence and prejudice for the betterment of humanity.
What happened on New Year’s night in Cologne was atrocious. The sexual assaults have shaken the German society to its core. It is highly reprehensible and condemnable. This incident has prompted outrage among the people in Germany where women are supposed to enjoy liberty no matter day or night. Now they are afraid of venturing out when it is dark.
It is also pertinent to mention that the bigotry is not alien to the German society. They also have their own radical elements and neo-Nazis that remain hell bent on exaggerating the extent of the Cologne incident, in turn managing to instill the fear of unknown into the minds of the generally humane society.
The radical right-wingers of Germany are especially targeting the youths of their country with hope to one day exploit them for the execution of their violent and xenophobic goals. One reminder of how violent they could be is the Beatte Chappe case. A group of three people containing two men and a woman killed many foreigners mostly Turks.
Thanks to the vigilant German law enforcement agencies, active government and civil partnership that they could not do anything on a bigger scale. However, on January 12 six Pakistanis and one Syrian man were attacked amid escalating tension. According to the Cologne police, 153 people were checked. They also found 13 known members of far rightwing organizations and 80 members of rocker gangs among them.
But somehow the extremists have managed to get support and popularity by promoting hatred and prejudice among the people. Their popularity graph has risen up from 5 to 12%.
Coming from a country like Pakistan where minorities are suppressed day and night, where even school textbooks spread xenophobia at an unprecedented scale, the extremism of German radicals is of kindergarten level.
In the midst of all this chaos it really breaks my poor Pakistani heart – which was fed false notion of one ummah right from the birth – when I see a Syrian Muslim ready to kill an Afghan Muslim in a German asylum seekers camp merely over who will stand first in the row to get food; or an Afghan ready to fight with an Iraqi over who will plug their mobile phone charger in the switch first.
I watch the developments both in shock and excitement. Shocked to see how people were navigating oceans to survive the man-made disasters and excited to know that nobody can dare tear my country apart the way the Middle East has been. It’s the sacrifice of Pakistani people and wisdom of its leadership (whoever may that be) that we remain away from revolutions and springs that have been brought across the Middle East, especially in Syria. I also feel proud to see that our brethren Muslim countries, who used to treat us as slaves and subhuman, today are tossing upside down to get the backing of Pakistan for their survival.
However, the problems of Pakistani people are also far from over. I was wondering what would happen if a Cologne type incident would have taken place in Pakistan, even at a smaller scale. If an individual or members of a minority group would have insulted a member of the majority group.
The consequence is quite clear. Extrajudicial killings would take place on a large scale by agitated mobs. Furthermore, our executive and judicial system would not bother about such a felonious act.
I see division after division, quarrels, violence – everything but a united Ummah. Those who browbeat in the name of Ummah, are totally unconcerned about the plight of these people. This grand Ummah simply cannot contain enmity among its members for more than a second.
We see that the same superiority complex is bringing the Pakistani society close to intolerance and antipathy. Some evil forces are meddling in the way of peaceful existence of all communities in Pakistan. Without considering the fact that society is a cluster of different languages, religions, sects and customs we all share one thing in common: a quest to have peace and serenity around. A Machiavellian mindset that ‘end justifies the means’ can only make the world a battlefield.