The daily Dawn: An op-ed titled ‘Shiver…’ written by Mr. Fahd Hussain was published on December 11, 2021. It is factual, loaded, useful reading. It is reproduced as annex to this monthly report, so that it remains in archives for reference. This article records national situation on the ground at the end of this year, and opines, “We are fast transforming into a society that is corroding from inside” It describes the state and society as, “What is this if not a sign of a system growing fat by eating its own children?”
According to Hussain, “The schism within us — we seem to tell ourselves should be deep, and it should be dark” This schism is a multi-headed dragon, however its most heinous form took shape in 1974 in post-1971 war era, in the shape of anti-Ahmadiyya Amendment II to the Constitution. It morphed manifestly in 1984 in the shape of General Zia’s Ordinance XX. It is still cherished and upheld by the pseudo-religious lobby, which put up a huge billboard in Lahore with warning written in bold: “If attempt is made to make a change in the 1973 Constitution, Chenab Nagar will be colored red with the blood of Qadianis, and the world will forget even Tamerlane”. Therefore, the disease mentioned in the op-ed is most relevant to Ahmadis’ plight in Pakistan. That makes it a historic essay, fit not only for record but also for introspection and remedial action.
The writer opines, “Something deeper is required from the leadership in order to convalesce our society back to health.” He is not very hopeful when he concludes, “Something somewhere is terribly wrong when the only thing moving forward at the end of the year is the calendar on our wall”.
However, let us not lose hope. Start with the Ahmadiyya issue. Initially do what is doable and easy. Remove your partisan lens, think, plan and act right — courageously. Don’t forget, the Holy Quran that you claim to hold so dear and holy, tells you that killing one person is, as if killing all mankind. (However, when 86 Ahmadi worshipers were killed in Lahore, the Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his entire administration did not have the courtesy to even extend their condolences to the families of the slaughtered.
Well, perhaps there is still time to ‘change’.
