Pakistan’s minorities, majority scared today — mosque-military alliance decides all, including Pathankot: Farahnaz Ispahani
Pakistani writer Farahnaz Ispahani is author of ‘Purifying the Land of the Pure’. Speaking with Srijana Mitra Das, Ispahani, who’s married to former diplomat Husain Haqqani, discussed how Pakistan’s minorities were systematically marginalised, persecution politics, Preambles – and Pakistan’s fears over Pathankot:
You say Pakistan started by being liberal.
Well, Jinnah was a pretty secular man, a Shia Muslim from Mumbai, which is very pluralistic. Not even a year after Partition, Jinnah made a very powerful speech about religious minorities being equal citizens – but in his lifetime, that radio address doesn’t make air! Powerful bureaucrats and politicians gave orders not to run it – to this day, the tape hasn’t been found. But that script was found.
Very early, it was clear that for Pakistan’s religious minorities to be equal citizens was going to be very difficult. The first major sign was PM Liaquat Khan giving the Objectives Resolution soon after Partition, talking about a Muslim nation. Right off, the Preamble was not secular – anyone who’s not Muslim was already not being addressed in the same way.
In 1947, Pakistan had a healthy 23% non-Muslim population. Today, that number’s 3-4%. That’s counting the poor Ahmadis – now, every Pakistani who needs a passport must sign a form saying you consider Ahmadis non-Muslims.
There’s religious hatred everywhere. In America, Donald Trump says put Muslims into camps. But what makes Pakistan different is laws – the state itself is discriminating against people.
Why did Pakistan’s politicians begin persecution politics?
People like Liaquat had come from India. They didn’t have natural constituencies in Pakistan, no hometowns or voters – they turned to the mullahs for support.
There was what i term ‘Muslimisation’ from 1947-51 – a massive decline in Hindus and Sikhs because of Partition, making Pakistan more Muslim demographically. Then came ‘Islamic Identity’ over 1958-71, with statesponsored textbooks rejecting pluralism, trying to forge Pakistani identity purely on Islam. Mohenjo Daro, Taxila, Sufism – all were marginalised.
From 1974, stage three Islamisation was legislation against minorities, the first law by Bhutto which made Ahmadis non-Muslim. Bhutto was under great pressure between clergy and military. He thought this was a temporary measure. But it wasn’t – and it didn’t help him either.
From there to 1988, Zia does the rest. Stage four is terrorism and organised violence from the 1990s.
Organised by?
Jihadi groups, organised by the mosque-military alliance which owns everything now. They decide.
Things were going well with Modi and Sharif. But these groups have no interest in good relations with India. Anyone who knows this, like my husband and i, saw something like Pathankot coming.
JeM was banned 13 years ago – now, they’re saying, we’re closing their offices. What offices? I thought they were banned. People are being killed. And there’s no justice for 60,000 Pakistanis either who died in terrorist attacks on churches, mosques, temples.
I was there when Benazir Bhutto, Salman Taseer, Shahbaz Bhatti, died. I wanted to record the truth. My Pakistan had Faiz, qawwalis, poetry, Marx. It wasn’t this.
But it was where 1% practically owned the nation?
Of course – and 1% now pays tax. The middle class can’t afford being middle class anymore, it’s been wiped out. And the way the rich live is amazing.
There’s no relationship between these realities today.
Do Pakistan’s minorities live in fear now?
Minorities are in a bad place. Shia massacres have been ongoing. Hindus, Christians, everyone who could leave, left. Those remaining are the poorest. No one’s looking out for them.
Is there no social support?
Many people who spoke up for a more liberal country were killed, like Saleem Shahzad and Sabeen Mahmud. Recently, NYT’s correspondent was apparently raided. Now, even people from the majority think differently.
People are really scared to speak.
When you suppress freedoms, you take away natural ways people come together and find something bigger than themselves.
India also suffered Partition – but your Preamble is secular. That was such a gift from your leadership.
But India’s leadership follows its citizens laying down the secular line – why not so in Pakistan?
We had our first democratic election only in 1970 – and Bhutto was hanged. Benazir wasn’t allowed to finish her terms. Nawaz Sharif wasn’t allowed to finish his terms.
The 2008-12 regime was the first democratically elected civilian government that finished its term.
Imagine, we’re just on our second democratically elected government. And look what’s happening already to Nawaz Sharif. Look at Pathankot.
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