Muslim Intelligentsia must pay immediate attention to the issues related to interpretation of Islam by Muslim individuals and groups in the background of  incidents of violence by Muslim mobs against Christians of Pakistan, and its implications on democratic culture, state institutions, and the very existence  of Pakistan as a State.

The following incidents need to be reflected upon for the purpose of our analysis of the topic under discussion here:

1. Sufi Mohammad gets up and declares the region of Swat and Malakand as his territory, he behaves like a Caliph, and the commander-in-chief.  He makes it clear in his speeches that democracy is anti-Allah, and is un-Islamic.  Sufi Mohammed’s followers set up their own Islamic courts and flogged men and women publicly in bazaars.  They also cut the body of a female singer into 18 pieces without any trial, as a punishment for being an artist.
2. Naimat Ahmer, a Christian school teacher was murdered few years ago by one of his Muslim students.  The student had been instigated by another Muslim school teacher, Master Allahditta of the same school.  Master Allahditta was eyeing the headmastership of the school, which was going to be given to Naimat Ahmer for being the most senior teacher.  So Master Allahditta motivated the young boy, son of a butcher, to kill Naimat Ahmer.  The murderer boy, although arrested on the murder charges, but, was applauded by many Muslims and was hugged and kissed by the same policemen, who had arrested the murderer. 
3. Some 12 years ago, a mob of 20 thousand Muslims burnt and raised to the ground a Christian village named Shanti Nagar.  The culprits were never arrested and punished because state machinery comprised of Muslims and they were happy over the burning of Shanti Nagar.  The policemen, who motivated the crowed to burn Shanti Nagar, were reinstated in their jobs after few weeks.
4. A few years ago Church schools, convents, churches, and parish houses of Sangla Hill were burnt and the Punjab government headed by Chaudhry Pervez Ellahi did not take any action against the culprits or the police personnel, who were silent observers during the attacks.
5. Salman Rushdie, was declared to be a Shatam-e-Rasul (the one who insults the Prophet Mohammed), for writing a book titled “Satanic Verses”, and Iranian government had announced that whoever kills him will be given millions of dollars of cash prize.
6. Now a days, many banners are displayed in Lahore.  The banners say that RS.20 million will be paid to the person who kills Shahrukh Khan.  This head money is announced because Shahrukh Khan has allegedly insulted Prophet Mohammed by categorizing the Prophet among the bad personalities of the history. 
7. According to a news item, “Over six hundred Muslims attacked Christians in village Bahmani District Kasur on June 30, 2009.  Angry Muslims’ mob, after accusing of blasphemy, destroyed Christians’ houses, looted valuables / jewelry and tortured Christian men and women ruthlessly. The police supported Muslim attackers and arrested many Christians on the charges of blasphemy.
8. Again in July, thousands of Muslims attacked Christian slums in Gojra near Faisalabad and burnt dozens of homes of Christians and burnt several persons including women and children alive inside those houses, for allegedly desecration of the Koran.  The police remained a silent observer during the attacks. Members of banned jihadi organization Sipah-e-Sahaba and Lashkar-e-Jhangavi were, reportedly, specially invited from South Punjab to carry out the attacks on Christian homes.   
9. Hundreds of Hindu and Christian girls are forcibly kidnapped, raped, forcibly married to a Muslim man, and then the family of the girl is told that the girl has embraced Islam.  This is done because the Muslim man and his family know that police will support them.  The Muslim religious leaders and policemen support the kidnapper because they have concept that conversion of a non-Muslim will ensure entry into heaven for all those who participate in that conversion.
10. Whenever the government of Pakistan tried to collect a data on religious seminaries, and tried to register them, and reform their syllabus, the owners of the seminaries forcefully reacted and refused to cooperate with the government.  All the above incidents must raise many questions in the minds of thinking persons.  For instance:  Why Muslim mobs are always ready to attack, kill, burn, loot on the motivation of some extremist individuals?  Why don’t they bother to adopt a legal procedure?  Does every Muslim have a right to interpret Islam and particularly interpret the concepts of jihad and wanahi unn ulmunkar and implement these concepts?  The concept of wanahi unn ulmunkar says that every Muslim should stop sin by force, and if he/she cannot stop sin with force then he/she must stop it by word of mouth, and if he/she cannot stop it by word of mouth, then he/she must feel bad about this in his/her heart).  If Islam gives a right to every Muslim to carry out violent and aggressive acts against the perceived offenders of Islamic Sharia, then what is the role of law-enforcement institutions like police, and judiciary, in an Islamic society?  If every Muslim has a right to correct society the way he/she likes, then there is no need of law enforcement institutions in an Islamic society.  But Islam has an institution of a Qazi (judge) who is a learned person and expert of Islamic law and fiqh (interpretation of Law). Such free for all interpretations of Jihad, and other Islamic concepts will push society towards anarchy.  Then anyone can attack anyone.  Whoever has more men and guns will declare himself Caliph, and will implement Islam according to his own interpretations.  Just the way Sufi Mohammed said that democracy was un-Islamic and all the state institutions like schools, police, and judiciary were all un-Islamic.  That is why his followings i.e. the members of Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi suspended police and judicial courts in the Swat region, and burnt or had blown up girls school with explosives, for; they saw education of girls as un-Islamic.

Recommendations:

1. Religious seminaries, which are more than 2.1 million in Pakistan alone, must rethink their role.
2. They must focus on Sunnah of the Holy Prophet, who smiled in reaction to the woman who threw garbage at him.
3. The seminaries also must teach the concepts like “La Ikrah Fildeen” (The religion should not be imposed with coercion).
4. A Hadith of Prophet should also be taught to students, which says, “For you, your religion, and for me, my religion”.
5. The Muslim scholars must teach Muslims that no one has a right to take law in their own hands, and that they must respect the sanctity of state institution.  And that forced conversions of non-Muslims, and burning of their homes is barbarianism and not Islam. 
6. And that no one goes to heaven by forcibly converting others to Islam or by using violence and aggression against anyone.

         Yunis Khushi is a Lahore-based sociologist. For feedback you can contact Yunis Khushi.

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