There is much written about injustice in Haiti and Guatemala, Colombia and Brazil. There is much written about injustice in African countries from Nigeria to Namibia to Angola. Outrage erupts and pictures of starving children are posted on Facebook walls and blog posts. We decide what merits our outrage, and much of what is seen and written does merit outrage.
But rarely is anything written about injustice in Pakistan. Rarely does injustice in Pakistan merit anyone’s outrage. The only thing Pakistan merits is a biased screen production that gets awards.
Because Pakistan is not sexy.
Pakistan breeds radical Muslim terrorists.
Pakistan is an enemy state.
Pakistan is not a ‘go to’ destination at any level.
Such is the thinking on Pakistan – and injustice doesn’t really matter when we don’t like something or someone.
So let me tell you about injustice in Pakistan today.
On the evening of March 8th a mob of around 3,000 people attacked a Christian colony in Lahore. More than 175 houses were set on fire. The report goes that this attack was the result of a quarrel between a group of Christian and Muslim men. At the time the fight was not religious but later, one of the Christian men was accused of committing blasphemy of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Here is a report from a group in Pakistan:
“Thank God that no loss of any life took place as people saved themselves by fleeing from their houses before the mob reached. This incident has left all the inhabitant of this colony homeless as well as deprived of all their life savings. They have lost everything they had. Though our Government has started to take action against the culprits yet people are still under fear.
Please keep all these people in your prayers that may God be with them in such a difficult time.”
The media has been curiously quiet – you have to search hard to find this on any of the major networks. There is no outrage. Yet we see hundreds who have lost homes and everything they have.
Because they are minority Christians in a Muslim majority country and frankly, no one cares.
So where it the outrage?
We in the west are funny about outrage aren’t we? The Susan G. Komen foundation decides to defund Planned Parenthood and we are outraged! Where is justice we cry!
Really?
Really?
Chick-fil-A president makes a personal statement about gay marriage and we are outraged!
Anne Hathaway smiles too big at the Oscars and we are outraged!
Someone criticizes another someone for writing a book and we are outraged!
And here I will drip with sarcasm and anger – our outrage about these things is just so very important isn’t it?!
Wake up people! Choose your outrage carefully.
And with that I wish you a Happy Monday.
Related articles
- Pakistan’s minorities are under attack and blasphemy laws share the blame (independent.co.uk)
- Christian Homes Set Ablaze in Pakistan (voanews.com)
Marilyn R. Gardner 
This is atrocious. Any attack on people is atrocious and race, religion, colour, etc are the flimsiest and most disgusting reasons to attack anyone. How can anyone justify harming another’s life or property in the name of God, when the other person is also a creature of the same God.
For years now Shias have been targeted and killed systematically in Pakistan. The educated among them are the prime targets. Where does so much hatred and violence come from? Are our hearts not designed for love? Then how does hatred find so much space available to reside in and spread its poison?
Sometimes I despair that this world will ever know peace. It hurts even more when they do this in the name of the Prophet who was a man of peace. I think the self righteous might be the most dangerous people on Earth.
Pakistan is in such a vulnerable position, it truly needs all the prayers it can get. Perhaps due to weak defences, it has been infiltrated in such numbers that it is impossible for the government to control. It is not just the infiltration by dangerous people but the propagation of dangerous ideas and new levels of intolerance in the name of religion, which is more frightening, as it finds a home so easily and is not limited to the uneducated masses.
Personally I feel that the Muslim community should make reparation for the losses of the Christians and give them assurance of safety and security. When one people have hurt another, then true remorse and efforts of reparation from the side of the perpetrators and forgiveness from the side of the victims, is the only way to continue to coexist peacefully.
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I’m shocked about the news of March 8th. I haven’t heard any mention of it either but then I’m notoriously bad at watching the news. That’s truely awful! People get so desensitized to what is Real News and what is just tabloid fluff. Love this post Marilyn and I had to laugh at your postscript … Happy Monday to you!
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Yeah – I thought I’d add the Happy Monday to soften it – but I guess that didn’t really work. I’ve heard more news today that is a heartache. Thanks for passing it on. So sad.
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Marilyn, I hope you don’t mind. I posted a link on my blog. This just reminds me of so many times that my heart has broken over these sorts of incidents. That frustration and sense of powerlessness is palpable for me.
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I’m so glad you did – I thought about you when I wrote it – the words of that person to you “You can’t cry every time a cow dies in Pakistan…” or something like that and I thought “Oh yeah – Jenni and I can – just watch us!” But this is so much more than cows. Have you read any of Teju Cole’s stuff? I just read something today – in fact a couple of minutes ago – http://www.motherjones.com/media/2013/03/teju-cole-interview-twitter-drones-small-fates – in fact I’m going to link up this article on Saturday’s link up. But this paragraph struck me: Killing a bunch of people in Sudan and Yemen and Pakistan, it’s like, “Who careswe don’t know them.” But the current discussion is framed as “When can the President kill an American citizen?” Now in my mind, killing a non-American citizen without due process is just as criminal as killing an American citizen without due processbut whatever gets us to the table to discuss this thing, we’re going to take it.
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You would think something like this would be talked about in the media in America. I am glad you are talking about it.
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Thanks Nathan – and thanks so much for reading! Really appreciate it.
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The story was in our newspaper 2 days in a row. I guess they figure that people who bother to read the newspaper care more about the world than those who just get their news from TV. A half hour news program is too short to fit in all the necessary stories about local sports teams, cute puppies who need adopting, celebrity news and atrocities committed overseas, so let’s just cut out the international stuff. God loves Pakistan, even if the rest of us don’t seem to care.
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I think you may have something there on print news holding different news from around the world. When my kids were younger I wouldn’t allow the TV news to be on in the house – it was terrible journalism and I felt like here I was trying to appropriately protect my kids from sex, violence, etc. when the nightly news cared not about it’s 6pm family prime time. The messages were ridiculous. But on to the most important point of your comment….God loves Pakistan. How I love those words. Thank you.
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I received an email this morning informing me of the attack on Christians in Pakistan. I could hardly believe the silence on the subject in the news sites I checked. I’m so sorry Pakistan that you are so often overlooked, so often forgotten. We remember you when we need you to defend our case in Afghanistan. But we quickly forget you when your pain and your vices are an inconvenience to us. I’m so sorry. We remember you when we perceive that you’ve neglected us….but we forget you when the moment passes. If you had oil, or beautiful beaches we might remember you more often. Pakistan I am so sorry.
Today I remember you and I weep. I pray for justice and restoration. I pray for hope and healing. I pray for homes. I pray for peace. I pray against fear and the great temptation to retaliate.
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I love this prayer. I love your longing for justice. And I so appreciate your prayer against fear and the temptation to retaliate.
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Marilyn, I can’t find a word to actually describe how I feel about this terrible injustice. Thank you for bringing this event to our attention. Mis-placed outrage indeed. Minorities in Pakistan must have a voice that is heard around the world.
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Yes! I long for their voices to be heard. My Heart hurts for the injustice and as I said in my email – thank you for your words on my FB account – they were so encouraging.
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