When we saw the huge number of people out giving their respects at the funeral of Mumtaz Qadri, we were astounded at the size.
When it came to our favorite humanitarian Abdul Satar Edhi’s funeral, the numbers were in stark contrast and on the less side. This does not mean that just a few people love Edhi sahab, rather most of our love and respect for him starts and ends in the comforts of our own home.
We may care even a lot but we tend to stop just a little before doing something… anything that would actually make a difference or send a message. Except when we are exhibiting hate of course. In that case, all gloves come off from everywhere in some way or the other.
Look at the case of Qandeel Baloch. Enough people got together and had her page shut down on Facebook (after insulting her in every way possible) because they did not want her pictures to further “ruin the minds of our people.” This while scores and scores of pages promoting terrorism, violence, hate, etc go on getting stronger day by day.
When Orya Maqbool was singled out by PEMRA for hate speech inciting violence, he and a 100 of his goons attacked their office and the employees in retaliation. There has been silence since then. His Facebook page of course is still very much there.
Why?
When people talk or write things on their page highlighting issues, then others (family and friends included) barge in furious calling the person a traitor who only highlights a negative image of the country. You get called names like pseudo liberal, kafir, RAW agent, person who indulges in Jewish conspiracies, and whatnot before getting ‘unfriended’ from Facebook and in real life too from them.
They have all this energy and time to tell a person off, but where is the same excitement and zeal when it comes to saving someone?
On the 18th of September, a 16-year-old teenager Nabeel Masih was booked for blasphemy for liking a distorted picture of the Khana Kabah on Facebook. This has not been proven (as someone else made the claim by scrolling through his phone) even though later on a confession was beaten out of him by the police.
His first hearing was to be on the 1st October but was postponed till the 8th and the bail denied. On that day, a religious mob stormed the Pattoki session’s court. They verbally and physically abused and threatened the judge and Nabeel’s lawyers. The police and the judiciary did nothing.
Neither did we.
We point out every person who is killed or beaten for eating beef in India… but where are those people when their own are being treated this way? We cry rivers when talking about Palestine and Syria. But where are our words when our own are in trouble and need our help.
Shazia Marri brought up Nabeel’s case in the NA. Bakhtawar Bhutto tweeted about his case. As per sources, even Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is aware of the issue.
Then why is nothing happening? Why isn’t the teenaged kid saved? There have been murders in past, actual murders (carried out by 20-year-olds) and they have walked free. Yes they came from privileged backgrounds. So does this mean that if someone is a mere sweeper’s son, even if he has done nothing, he will go to jail?
Why do we do nothing?
If Nabeel is sentenced and/or killed by a mob, this is at least one murder that we will be responsible for.
We had the chance to save him but we didn’t.