Karachi: Non-Muslims in Pakistan’s Sindh province have been apprehensive since November 2, when two blasphemy cases were filed against Hindus within 24 hours.
The blasphemy cases were filed at a time when the province was dealing with reports that minor non-Muslim girls had been abducted and converted to Islam.
On November 3, in Shahdadpur, Sindh, a man from the Meghwar community allegedly burnt pages of the Quran. This led to mob violence and Hindus were allegedly told not to step out of their homes. When the accused was arrested, the local Hindu panchayat held a press conference to show the community’s solidarity with Muslims.
A day earlier, on November 2, a mob had suddenly appeared in the Lyari area of Karachi, demanding that the Hindu community hand over a man who had allegedly committed blasphemy by painting offensive words on a dog. The mob entered the temple in Lyari, vandalised idols and threw them out of the temple. Though the Hindu community had no idea who might have done this, they gave in to the mob in an attempt to bring peace to the area and handed over the man named by the mob to the police.
Since the beheading incident in France on October 18 and the terror attack on a church in Nice on October 29, Pakistan’s non-Muslim communities have been apprehensive of volatile reactions from the majority community and nervous about arguing blasphemy cases in the country.
According to Kanjee Bheel, an activist from Mirpurkhas, Sindh, nine cases of blasphemy have been reported in Sindh so far this year. He told The Wire that he found it difficult to believe so many cases had been filed since Pakistan’s Hindus are a secular people who respect Islam, even participating in Muharram and visiting dargahs. He demanded that the state investigate these cases thoroughly as certain blasphemy cases in the past were found to be personal cases of revenge or to instigate a takeover of property.
‘Thorough investigation needed’
Over the last 20 days, three temples have been attacked and vandalised in Sindh, in Badin, Nagarparkar, and Lyari.
According to Iqbal Asad Butt, member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, even non-Muslims can file blasphemy cases under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. “Muslims have also had blasphemy cases filed against them, but have you ever heard that the homes of Muslims were attacked?” asked Butt.
Ravi Dawani, secretary general of the All Hindu Pakistan Panchayat, said that cases of vandalism of temples must be registered with a first information report under the blasphemy laws.
Lal Chand Malhi, member of the Pakistan National Assembly from the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf (PTI), said he cannot understand why a community is punished for one person’s action.
“Indeed, none of us know the true picture of the incident in Shahdadpur. The accused in that case was known to suffer a mental illness and his statement should be investigated,” Malhi said. “No innocent should be punished; nor should the Hindu community be forced to live in fear.”
