We Would Not Tolerate Injustice Anymore Now!

Now-a-days, MQM is protesting against PPP`s Khurshed Shah over calling “Muhajir” an abuse. In this respect, it appealed to the people not only to observe a peaceful black day on 26^th October, but also to gather at Shahr-e-Quaideen. . The Pakistani media covered how people expressed their sentiments on the matter.

Although Khursheed Shah`s statement was very clearly a blasphemous act, however political especially religious parties did not raise their voice as was required from them. Some termed MQM`s protest as an act of using this matter to attract people, while the other rivals blamed it of bringing religion into politics.

First of all, it should be cleared to everyone that the word “Muhajir” emerged from the migration of the Last Prophet (PBUH) and his companions from Makkah to Madina. This was the reason and that was the time since the word “Muhajir” and the people denoted by this word have been respected religiously in Islam. God has emphasized their importance in the holly Quran several times. So, the people causing any sort of disrespect to the word or the relevant people (Muhajir) can be considered the ones going against Islam.

Secondly, it should also be kept in mind that unlike other ethnic communities whose identity is based on their language (such as Sindhi, Punjabi, Balochi, Pashtun, Kashmiri etc), the people whose mother tongue is Urdu did not like to be called “Urdu Qoum” or “Urdu speaking community”, but “Muhajir” as their identity. According to MQM`s founder Altaf Hussain, “After having received various titles like “Bhaiyya, Makkar, Hindustorey” ”Muhajir” etc from the racists for Urdu speakers in hatred, we chose the word “Muhajir” as our identity because the Urdu speaking community also struggled and migrated from the undivided India by following the foot step of the Last Prophet (PBUH)”.

In essence, choosing “Muhajir” for Urdu speakers is just like a case in which parents name their son ”Muhammad” on the basis of their respect or love with the Last Prophet (PBUH). Then, what if someone, due to rivalry with the boy so named, expresses his enmity for him by uttering “The word Muhammad is an abuse for me”? Does such a sentence not fall in the category of blasphemy? Taking into account both the above-stated aspects, should anyone ever be allowed to call the word” Muhajir” an abuse?

Importantly, even after Khursheed Shah`s shameful act, Shehla Raza`s once again terming “Muhajir” as an abuse, obviously prove that PPP leaders are ready to disrespect even the Last Prophet (PBUH) just in the enmity for MQM and Urdu speaking community. But, very unfortunately, all the religious and political parties as well as the non-political religious scholars have been silent over this nonsense act. Our political history also contains the shameful remarks of PPP`s Zulfiqar Mirza by which he also committed blasphemy saying, “I would not leave Karachi due to any fear as the Last Prophet did (migrated from Makkah to Madinah)”. Yet ever body very easily digested it as he was targeting MQM and Muhajirs. How strange this is that our religious parties, which do not hesitate to stage rallies and shout loudly over whatever deliberately or unwillingly happens even in a farther part of the world by calling it a blasphemous act, have now completely sealed their lips over Kh. Shah`s blasphemy that took place under their nose!  

What a hypocrisy it is that when Altaf Hussain asks for sectarian harmony in the country, he is termed as “Shia”; when he urges the need of religious harmony among all the Pakistanis, he is considered as secular. In the same way, when he condemns the killings of Ahmadis on religious basis, our religious scholars ask Altaf Hussain for the clarification of his statement! But, when MQM is targeted by the rivals even by hook or crook, these so “active” religious scholars go offline from the scene completely.

The similar case with non-religious elements too who, instead of joining hands with MQM in the protest, criticize it saying, “How can a secular or liberal party talk about religion?” These critics must understand that struggling for religious or sectarian harmony in the country is not “being irreligious” at all. These people altogether ignore that fact that it was so-called a liberal Muslim (Quaid-e-Azam M.A. Jinnah) who struggled and got an Islamic estate for the Muslims of sub-continent.

In addition, we know that our religious parties, with the collaboration of other political parties, had called strikes on 5^th of February each year so regularly in the name of “expressing solidarity with the Kashmiri Muslims” that it has now been made our “Qoumi Hartal” (National strike day). But, no one ever termed it as “Islamizing the Kashmir issue”. In the same way, all these “liberals” and “secular” people seemed to be standing with PPP`s Zulfiqar Mirza when he was leveling absurd allegations on MQM and trying his best to instigate ethnic violence by holding the holly Quraan in his hands. Was his evil act not “misusing Islam for his dirty politics”??

As per a Hadice, the Last Prophet urged Muslims not to see the speaker, but give importance to what is being stated by him. However, the anti-MQM political and religious elements do not consider what is being stated, rather, first see who is the speaker and against whom the thing is being uttered, and then, they react accordingly. That is the reason why we not do not see any strong voice of protest over the long-prevailing victimization and injustice that Muhajirs have been facing for decades.  

Taking into account all this hypocrisy, Muhajirs should not expect others to speak for them anymore. Instead, they need to raise their voice of protest over all injustice to them and must not let any racist, no matter he is in the disguise of a democratic leader, religious scholar or a human rights activist, try to justify their insult, victimization or genocide at all.