Also Equally Upset

By Dr Syed Mansoor Hussain, *The liberal conundrum* - Daily Times - Lahore, Pakistan; Monday, January 10, 2011

It is necessary for the liberal and conservative Muslims to find common ground and create a centrist coalition that can act against the increasing polarisation seen in Pakistan at this time. This is not a liberal or conservative issue nor is it about politics, but it is about the survival of Pakistan as we know it

The assassination of Salmaan Taseer must be condemned by all those who believe in the rule of law. Religious fervour is no defence for unlawful and illegal behaviour.

That said, it is also important to resist the temptation to condemn all those who are beholden to the blasphemy laws as an article of faith of being complicit in this act.

As a liberal I share many of the sentiments expressed by the late Salmaan Taseer and feel as many others in my position that this act of extreme violence will considerably decrease the ‘space’ available to discuss important political and social problems faced by Pakistan at this time.

Having lived in the US for most of my adult life, I have developed considerable respect for the concept of ‘pluralism’. In essence it is the idea that ‘your religion for you and my religion for me’. It is only because of the prevalence of this concept that Muslims like me are accepted as equals in the US.

During the time I spend in Pakistan I try my best to understand what motivates most of the ‘conservative’ Muslims that I get a chance to work with. Frankly, some of the people that I get along with the best are devout Muslims and surprisingly they accept me for what I am, a westernised liberal. The reason why they accept me is because I also accept them for what they are and in this I can say truly that I respect their religiosity as well as their devotion to Islamic ideals. Pluralism works both ways and that has allowed me to live and work productively in Pakistan.

Here I must admit that a major problem I see around me is the contempt demonstrated by many liberals for the believing sort, the reverse of this being the disdain that religious conservatives have for liberals and their presumably ‘faithless’ lifestyles. This is not a uniquely Pakistani phenomenon. Many liberals in the US demonstrate a similar sense of superiority when it comes to religious conservatives and the conservatives are equally disenchanted with avowed liberals. The important point to make for me as a liberal is that all conservatives are not the same and once they are drawn out of the realm of religious orthodoxy, there is much in common between them and political liberals.

Even in the US there are some high profile acts of violence committed by religiously devout people, most often when it comes to the pervasive problem of abortion. Abortion clinics have been attacked and physicians providing these services have been killed. It is possible that some within the anti-abortion movement have sympathy for these criminals but this does not extend to the entire spectrum of the Catholics who oppose abortion for religious reasons. Antipathy towards abortion for most of them does not translate into overt support for illegal behaviour.

Before I go any further, I must reiterate that I strongly condemn the assassination of Salmaan Taseer and I also believe that Taseer was absolutely right in his defence of the Christian woman condemned to death for alleged blasphemy. I also agree that the blasphemy laws have often been used to settle scores against non-Muslims. That said, I also want to present a particular point of view. The assassination of Taseer by an avowedly devout Muslim must not be conflated with the sort of terrorism that we see perpetrated against hundreds of innocent Muslims by the Taliban types as an attempt at undermining Pakistani society as we know it.

The members of the otherwise ‘moderate’ and generally pro-Sufi Hanafi-Barelvi Muslims of this part of the world, who are a majority in Pakistan, are extremely beholden to the memory of the Prophet (PBUH). As such they are extremely sensitive to anything that even remotely resembles blasphemy. At the same time, it is also important to realise that the Taliban types have repeatedly attacked Sufi shrines and have sought a confrontation against the followers of the Hanafi-Barelvi persuasion that follow Sufi thought and principles.

In essence, the real fight going on for the heart and soul of devout Pakistani Muslims at this time is not between the liberals and the orthodox Muslims but rather between the Deobandi-Wahabi-Salafi-Ahl-e-Hadees and the Hanafi-Barelvis.

The assassination of Salmaan Taseer has created an interesting situation. For the first time in many years that I remember, the liberals in Pakistan have been thrown together and have found a cause they can unite around. We the liberals must not waste this opportunity by railing against all religious conservatives. Let us choose what we must fight against.

What is needed is somebody who can articulate a coherent point of view that accepts the position espoused by many devout Muslims while also calling for the supremacy of the rule of law.

The important thing to remember in this situation is that many conservative Muslims who feel strongly about the sanctity of the Prophet (PBUH) are also equally upset about the assassination of Salmaan Taseer and condemn it as an act of violence outside the parameters of both the law of the land as well as accepted Islamic practice.

It is necessary for the liberal and conservative Muslims to find common ground and create a centrist coalition that can act against the increasing polarisation seen in Pakistan at this time. This is not a liberal or conservative issue nor is it about politics, but it is about the survival of Pakistan as we know it.

The problem of course is where to find a person that can lead us in this situation. Such a person or a group of people could come from either side of the liberal-conservative divide. I am sure that there are many people who could take on this role if only they were not afraid for their own lives.

I would for instance love to see people like Imran Khan and Aitzaz Ahsan joining hands to take on extremists from both sides.

The writer has practised and taught medicine in the US. He can be reached at smhmbbs70@yahoo.com