EDITORIAL: In yet another incident of religious frenzy a Chinese national working at the Dasu hydropower project in Upper Kohistan faced a life-threatening moment over alleged blasphemous remarks. According to initial reports, labourers at the place were enraged because of his grumbling that “precious time” was being lost due to prayer breaks, and an ensuing heated conversation.
Accusing him of making sacrilegious comments, some of the workers fanned out to nearby villages whipping up religious sentiments.
A mob also tried to force its way into the Chinese camp to get hold of the man inside it. Luckily for him, while the local elders tried to pacify the crowd the police rushed to the scene and took the man into custody. An FIR was registered against him on blasphemy charges and he was sent to prison on a 14-day judicial remand by an anti-terrorism court in Abbottabad.
He has reportedly told a joint investigation team (JIT) formed by the government to investigate the matter that “I can’t even contemplate offending sentiments of Pakistanis and Muslims, but whatever I have been facing here is nothing but a lie.” The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman also said his government has always required overseas Chinese citizens to abide by the laws and regulations of the host country and respect local customs.
Meanwhile, the accused man’s local interpreter, on whose testimony the FIR has been lodged, apprised the JIT that he was “doubtful” about the sacrilegious remarks the Chinese man had uttered.
Furthermore, he stated that the labourers who accompanied him during the incident were compelling him to stand firm on his previous stance.
Quite likely he is genuinely ‘doubtful’ about what he previously told the workers, considering that Chinese is a nuanced language with subtle differences in word meanings which can be misinterpreted by someone who does not have good command over the language. This should be an instructive lesson for employing translators for Chinese nationals working on several development projects all across the country. The episode is a sad reminder of how easy it is in this country to provoke righteous anger in the name of faith.
Mere pointing of a finger can lead to horrific consequences. The usual motive is a personal grudge or a property grab.
About a year-and-half ago, Sri Lankan manager of a Sialkot factory accused of committing blasphemy was beaten to death and his body set on fire by a mob on the instigation of a disgruntled worker. Before that a student of a Mardan University, similarly accused, was lynched by fellow students for exposing the wrongdoings of university staff.
Then there is the unforgettable ghastly mob lynching of a Christian couple working at a brick kiln near Lahore and burning their bodies in the kiln chimney for alleged desecration of pages of the holy Quran.
Not long ago, in an incident sparked by the same allegation a huge crowd set homes on fire in a Christian neighbourhood of Gojra, leaving six people, including women and children, dead. It later turned out to be a case of land grab. There have been dozens of such horrendous extra-judicial killings.
Countless others languish in prisons unable to seek justice in the prevailing environment. Many think that such appalling incidents can be prevented if the man-made blasphemy laws are amended to include punishment for false accusations — vehemently resisted by the religious parties. That though won’t help unless and until the state stops using religion for political purposes, of which there is no sign. Instead, new sectarian outfits sponsored by certain quarters have come up to rein in the leadership of major political parties.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023