Fragmentation exists in all societies, but these societies have the choice between tolerance and violence. In the first case, coexistence results in a “melting pot” scenario – where all the constituents benefit from each other’s diverse experiences. However, the latter happens in intolerant societies as done in Quetta in 2013, when 83 members of the Shia community were killed in a bomb blast. This was done by the terrorist outfit Lakshar e Jhangvi. When the event is looked in retrospect, there is inevitability as to what had happened. With the criminals for this heinous crime reprimanded, we must still realise the state and Civil Society’s responsibility that conditions conducive to such extremist factions rising don’t come up. Everything – from civic society activities pertaining to tolerance and the government cracking down the financial support of these organisations – will ensure that we actually learned from the pain of history.
“You are free; you are free to go to your
temples. You are free to go to your mosques or to any other places of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any
religion, caste or creed…”
–Quaid e Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah