Dear Friends:  

  

Kindly accept my apology for not responding earlier. I have been busy on my day job  for very long hours everyday.

  

My write up about young girl's murder by her father has prompted few friends to acknowledge that the crime had a religious and social dimension. But others wish to keep that crime strictly in legal arena and still some others feel that violence is prevalent in all cultures and religions. So, what's the big deal if a Muslim girl has been killed by her Pakistan-Muslim father?

  

Portraying murder of young Pakistan-Muslim girl as domestic violence would effectively shove it under the rug. It is certainly a way of defending the sacred religion but it is not the way of human emancipation that all religions so proudly claim – Islam in the case of our current discussion.  

  

The murder was undoubtedly perpetrated by a male against a female. Therefore, it was a gender issue too.  

  

And, not to forget the family was Muslim and culturally Pakistani … for which I leave it to the readers to decide what adjective to use, if there is one that really captures the horror of that crime. I am at loss of words to express my disgust.  

  

On this sad juncture, I am convinced nothing can capture grief and nothing can fathom angst among Muslims.  There is no easy way to explain brutal murder of that little teen-age girl who I believe would not have died but for violence.  

 

Neither historic accounts of crimes during times gone-by nor crimes committed by other communities provide any justification for death of poor little girl who should not have died.

 

I am keenly aware of this defence technique called - generalization. That was the reason I had specifically hinted in my first write-up that speaking in general terms is a way to dilute the reality. It is a sophisticated mode of denial but in my books, two wrongs never add up to one right.

  

I am perplexed by the method of analysis of some friends who narrate history without recognizing that it is just another expression of denial of reality. By the way they shift ground imperceptibly from cold-history to inflamed-emotionality, to reassure themselves as if everything is fine with Muslims. It is not fine. For those good Muslims who are in denial of violent social dimension of Islam, neither murder of a young girl in Toronto nor bomb blast in a mosque in Pakistan yesterday  is Islam (December 21, 2007 TV news).

 

For them, responsibility for violence rests on everything else but Islam. I wish I could ask somebody on this discussion forum one simple question: Is there anything wrong with Islam the way it inspires believer to action (Please don't repeat the argument that other religions do the same thing – Two wrong are not going to make one right).  There is no point in going back to history. It will be a circular argument that Islam is the best religion but Muslims are at fault.

 

If, and I say it again if violence is part of human nature, Islam's failure to root out violence among Muslims is tantamount to failure of first proportion because the name Islam means – Peace; (By the way, other religions are an equal failure in my eyes). Can any of mullah or liberated Muslims friends accept any ideological culpability?

  

Beyond sacred scriptures, lets not forget that religion (Islam in this case) does not exist but in the hearts and actions of its faithful who have more control on the destiny of their religion than, dare I say, even God.  

  

I would most sincerely suggest to my good Muslim friends, please wake up. This is the time! You don't have to embrace rationality but stop "rationalizing" religions for any number of emotional reasons, identity being the prime one. Since we had stumbled upon history lessons in this discussion, do I need to remind that religion has been one of the biggest divisive and violent forces in human history? And, Islam has also done its due share to divisive consciousness of humans.  

  

Please realize that an identity [religious] that is in needs to be constantly defended, is in fact insecurity. Consider, casting away insecurities and divisive identities to ride the tide of common human identity. Only rapture of human-experience can liberate from national, communal or gender ghettos that religious tempers tend to cater.

 

Season greetings and regards,  

 

Tahir Qazi