Religion and Sects in Pakistani Society

Introduction

First of all I want to define the religion. Religion is the set of beliefs and feelings that the people of a specific society or a community or a group of people have and spend their life and do practices of routine life according to their beliefs. People of specific community or a society may have a single religion or there may be the people of different religion living in the same society. If we talk about Pakistani society the majority of the people are Muslims while there also live the people of other religion.

Pakistan is a country which came to existence on the name of Islam. But as I have mentioned earlier there are many other religions in Pakistan but Islam is the major religion in Pakistan. According to a survey 97% of Pakistani population is Muslim and 3% is other religions. Other religions are Hindu, Sikh. Christians and others. Major religion of Pakistan is Islam but there are many sects in Islam. Each sect of Islam has the same basic rules of life and beliefs but they have some issues with each other in their ideology. Major sects are Shia and Sunni. There are many sub sects of each sect like Deobandi ehl Hades and Brailvi and many more who have the same basics but they have little bit differences in their beliefs.

So the Pakistani society is such a society where there live the people of various mindsets and beliefs and they have to enter in the daily life activities together. They do interact with each other in different fields of life. If there are people of different mindsets beliefs and religions it is necessary to keep harmony among them so that they could go well with each to make the society and ideal society where the peace prevails and people respect each other. While if the people do not have understanding of each other and they do not respect each other there may arise different issues in every field of life. So in Pakistan as I have mentioned there are people of various mindsets beliefs and religion there are also some issues here. Mostly the people respect each other and go well but there are some extremist group too that exist in every community who creates problems between the sects and religions. Except different religions sects and religions there also exist another division in Pakistani society that is Liberalism and Islamism. According to my opinion both the liberal and the religious groups are on the extremes. Both claim that they are right while the others are wrong. Only a few people are balanced who think rationally about the issues and try to take the whole divisions of the society alongside. But because of the diversity of thoughts and beliefs there are many issues that arise on the religious basis in Pakistan. Pakistan has suffered a lot because of these differences. This article will explain all those issues that have been mentioned above.

Religious intolerance in Pakistan

<p>As we know that there are different religion in Pakistan like Muslim Hindu Christian Sikh and others. But majority is Muslim and in Muslim there are different sects. Major two sects are Sunni and Shia, while there are many sub sects under each sect. in a society people of all religion and sects lives together and interact with each for different daily life activities. It is necessary for all the people to respect each other’s believes and religion. But unfortunately in Pakistan there are different groups in each religion and sect who are religiously violent. They think that what they are doing is right while every other who do not agree with their thoughts or believes is wrong. This idea provokes religious intolerance. So they are so much violent that they start on just little things with each other. They do not listen to any thing that is against their belief.

There are many factors behind this some politicians use the religion card for their political gains while other religious scholars use it for some other purposes. Basically they do brain washing and produce hatred among masses for each other. This is the major cause of religious intolerance. Though the little differences in the beliefs on every sect of Islam is not against Islam. There may be different ways to perform a same thing but Basics of each sect are same while the people are so against each other that they are not ready to accept the reality.

Religious intolerance is something that provoke you against someone who say something against your religion or sect. in this case you do not have the guts to hear something that goes against your religion and belief and you get ready to fight and kill someone. As a Muslim every Pakistani loves his religion Islam very much and Love the Holy Prophet (PBUH) more than their life. It is the part of our belief to against the one who disrespect the Holy Prophet (PBUH), but in some cases the religious scholars by themselves declare someone a disbeliever of Islam that he has tried to disrespect our religion or the Prophet (PBUH) and provoke his follower against that person. People also get violent without any proof.

There are some hidden powers that are basically provoking hatred in Pakistani people against each other. So set the mind of one group as a perfect one and what he is doing is right while all others are on the wrong path and the same thing the do with others and in this way the make them strong opponent of each other. Let us take an example of Shia, Sunni conflict that happened in Rawalpindi in 2013 on day of ashoura 10 Muharram. A rally of Shia sect was going to its destination when some outsiders suddenly attacked them. They thought it was the people of Sunni sect so they attacked Sunni people in reaction and a tussle started between both the sects and continued for two days. While later when the terrorists of that incident was arrested by Pak army it was revealed that they were the third party who want to produce chaos and hatred between the both major sects of Islam. While because of confusion and hatred among the people of both sects many innocent people were killed. This is a one incident but there happened a lot more even between the sub sects of each major sect. We do not bother to listen to other and start saying each other a disbeliever of Islam. </p>

Liberalism and Islamism

There are two major school of thoughts in Pakistan about the liberty of a person to perform his activities. One is liberalism while the other one is Islamism. The liberal group claims that there must not be any kind of social or religious restrictions for anyone and everyone must be free to do what he wants to do. There must not be any kind of discrimination between the genders. Every in the society must have equal rights and the right to choose the field of his interest for his practical life. They plead for the rights for women that they must be allowed to go the schools, colleges, and universities and go side by side with the men in every field of life where they want to go while the religious groups think otherwise. Even some liberals prioritise their desires over the religion and say that it is the necessity of the circumstances to take the women in every field of life to compete with the rest of the world.

We take an example recently in 2019 on 8th March women get out for their rights claiming that they are being suppressed on the name of religion and they are not allowed to do what they want to do, but the men are free, so there must not be any kind of religious or social restriction over them and they must be free like men because they have the right to do what want to do with themselves and their body no one else has the right to teach them that what their religion and what they should do and what not. But it was also revealed that it was done by some foreign NGOs.

While the other group that is religious it imposes restriction over the women and claims that our religion Islam do not allow the women to go out of the house. Women must remain indoors they are not allowed to go to the schools, colleges and universities the free mixing of women and men is prohibited in religion Islam. They also claims that it is the man who has to perform the activities related to make living while the women has to remain in the house and serve men. They do not allow women to take part in any kind of social or political activities.

I think both the groups are on the extremes one is at one extreme and the other on the other extreme there are only a few people who are balanced. The liberal one think that the religious group is orthodox they impose the rules that were applicable fourteen hundred years ago so they are not applicable in these days while the religious groups are on the other extreme and they have interpreted Islam in their own way. They have portrayed Islam as a rigid religion. They think that Islam could be imposed by force while in Islam it is clear that you cannot force someone. You can just preach Islam not force someone to practice it if he do not want to practise. This is the difference between these two groups.

Muslims treatment with minorities

When we talk about minorities in Pakistan it means those people which have different religion then Islam and they also have different culture but they have to adopt according to the environment. The main focus of this topic is that how Muslims treat minorities and how they react according to the circumstances.

3% population of Pakistan is of minorities including Hindus, Sikh and christen. Muslims treat minorities very generously. For example The Kartarpur Corridor is a visa-free border crossing and secure corridor connecting the Gurdwara in Pakistan to the border with India. The crossing allows Sikh devotees from India to visit the gurdwara in Kartarpur without a visa, creating a link which allows pilgrims holding Indian passports to easily visit both the Kartarpur shrine and Gurdwara Dera Baba Nanak on the Indian side of the border Pakistani Sikhs are unable to use the border crossing, and cannot access the Gurdwara Dera Baba Nanak without first obtaining an Indian visa.

They are supportive that they should come more here and visit the gurdawara by this not only the reputation of Pakistan was good in front of the world but it also promoted peace and it was a way to tell that it does not matter from what area region or religion you are. We welcome each and every one of you. This was a clear example that how Muslims treat minorities in Pakistan. Pakistani people have appreciated this step taken by the Pakistan Government. So Pakistani people do not restrict anyone from performing their religious rituals.

But on the other hand here comes the Christianity case of Salman taseer he was murdered by his bodyguard mumtaz qadri because of blasphemy the act of blasphemy in Muslim religion is that Death is mandatory in cases of blasphemy, for both Muslim men and women, and repentance is not accepted but later on mumtaz was executed.

Minister for minority affairs and a Christian leader, Shahbaz Bhatti, was killed because he spoke against the law.

This way Islam was promoted as the extremist religion in front of the world that’s why till this day whenever a non-Muslim know that the one standing in front of them (he or she) is a Muslim who is he working with or talking with they become terrified and they start to act differently in front of them.

We can also take the example of Asia Bibi, she was accused of blaspheming but it was not only accusation she later accepted that she blasphemed she was arrested and she spent years in jail and was later on sentenced to death but after 8 years she was flown to Canada and she was given to asylum but when her conviction was turned in October there was a massive protest against her because according to law there is a death penalty against blasphemy but there is also a second perspective of this that this law was not implemented as she was supported by UK as they were offering her sanctuary and in the end she was flown away to Canada.

But on the other hand there are some people who are racist towards them but by this it effects the whole Muslim community and they are blamed for it. So basically there are different kinds of people in every religion in Pakistan who create inter religious issues.

Conclusion

As we have mentioned above Pakistan is a large country and there are various kind of people having different mindset who live together in the society. So in the country like Pakistan it is necessary for the people to respect thoughts and ideas of others so that the everyday matters could go well. In Pakistan people do respect each other and each other’s religion. Muslims are in majority in Pakistan but they also allow the followers of other religions to worship according to their religion. Minorities are also satisfied here and they respect Islam. But there are some complications too that creates different kind of issues. In Pakistan there are people who creates misunderstanding between the different sects of Islam some urges minorities against Muslims others Urges Muslims against the minorities by saying that Pakistan is an Islamic state so everyone here must follow Islamic principles. This is the thing that provokes hatred for each other that ends up into chaos. Basically the whole society is facing a propaganda. Every religious scholar interprets the teachings of Islam according to his own will. People seek their benefit through religion that is the worst thing. Pakistani people are peaceful loving and caring but the manipulation against them creates the real problems and people are trapped unknowingly by some selfish Pakistani people or external powers who wants to relate Pakistan and religion Islam with terrorism. I would like to say Pakistani people some kind of fool or innocent who are trapped by the cunning people and became their puppets. The major factor that produces hatred among the society is I think religious political parties. These parties do their politics by provoking them against someone else on the name of Islam like they did on the Issue of Khatam e Nabowat. They just did it for their political gains even after when the issue was resolved. Pakistani people are sensitive about the honor of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) and these political parties play with their emotions and create chaos and uncertainty in the society. The other religious scholars also do the same in their speeches. They claim that they are doing a great job, their beliefs are right while the other are on the wrong path and they will go to hell. They produce division among people on the bases of sects. The religious groups have portrayed Islam a tough and rigid religion and instead of giving the lesson of peace and harmony the have promoted extremism and intolerant behaviour among people. Every religion teaches the lesson of peace but the followers of it may interpret it in a wrong way and so is the case in Pakistan. The liberals also have created some confusions in the minds of people. These all factors are responsible for the inter sects and inter religious issues in Pakistan. If we talk to the society generally all the members of the society will argue for the religious liberty, but there are cults in Pakistan who do brain washing of their followers and make them enemy of each other. I think it is the time for the society to turn down the propaganda against Islam and Pakistan and be rational and think with their mind with some logic not just with their emotions. They should adapt balanced personality. Extremism in any case or anywhere never proved beneficial. It is only the logic and rationality that could resolve serious kind of issues. So Pakistani people have to produce harmony among themselves and respect each other to resolve the issues produced by the difference in religion or sect. interpreting Islam in its original form acting upon its teaching giving minorities’ rights and liberty and respecting others beliefs and thoughts could be proved very efficient way to reduce tensions of all kinds among the members and all groups of the society in Pakistan.