Coming in the midst of the conscious effort President Pervez Musharraf has launched to neutralise the West's menacing identification of the Muslim peoples as given to extremism, intolerance and terror, the manner in which we commemorate Hazrat Imam Hussain's supreme sacrifice today, for a change, can go a long way in strengthening his hands.
This, of course, has reference, despite various contradictory pointers in their behaviour pattern on occasions, to the observance of the Ashura by the two sectarian groups - the Sunnis and Shias - though both appear to believe that they alone represent the true message of Islam, have evolved their own philosophies, and even have their own histories.
It will, however, be noted that sectarian clashes have continued to betray not only a glaring lack of unity in the Ummah but also an unmistakable evidence of intolerance on which the common people have been fed by the religious leaders on either side of the divide.
The unity of the Ummah and sectarian harmony, therefore, is a task, gigantic and arduous no doubt, for the men of the cloth to attend to.
One had expected that learning the right lessons from the too many grim incidents of sectarian terrorism in the country, the government would, as far as possible, avail of the opportunity of this year's Ashura day to drive home to the people its real significance, the motivation and meaning of Hazrat Imam Hussain's epic sacrifice on the sands of Karbala about fourteen centuries ago. This does not appear to have happened.
The administration in every part of the country, evidently, remained seized with the traditional effort to ensure peace and tranquillity simply by resorting to routine methods.
These included imposition of ban on the entry of various Ulema in pre-marked cities and districts to ensure against 'mischief-mongering'.
All this will be seen as having been motivated by the usual urge to maintain law and order. Indeed, this is quite understandable, irrespective of the measure of success or otherwise of the tame effort.
It has been done year after year, and vigorously since Pakistan's prompt participation in the global coalition's US-led war on internal terrorism in the aftermath of nine-eleven incidents in New York and Washington, but it has made no dent yet in the deep-rooted prejudices and tendencies that lead to terrorism.
Now as that war still continues and newer and more horrendous dimensions have been added to it, Pakistan has rightly intensified its role in it, as a religious duty and a matter of national interest.
The country is trying its utmost to wipe out not only its own image of extremism, terrorism and intolerance but also of the entire Islamic Ummah. Needless to point out, a great deal of responsibility, in this regard, has fallen upon us, in view of the unfolding issue of nuclear proliferation.
Thankfully, the efforts being made by Pakistan in the desired direction have lately been lauded by the world community, as should become increasingly evident from the credibility President Musharraf has been earning for his heroic stand.
As such, it would be in the fitness of things for Pakistan to put in extra effort in remoulding the people's behaviour pattern for which the observance of Ashura provided a perfect opportunity.
An imaginative nation-wide campaign should have been launched to eulogise Hazrat Imam Hussain's martyrdom as a rare example of tolerance and self-sacrifice in the true Islamic spirit.
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