Where Murderers Are Heroes And Killing Is Glorified

By Malali Bashir

Salamn Taseer’s murder and furthermore the glorification of his murder is a proof of the widespread extremism in Pakistani society. The murderer, Mumtaz Qadri is given the title of a hero by many.

The social network Facebook Pakistani users may be very less in number that live in underdeveloped areas deprived of modern education or having access to only Madrasa education and or those that do not count in youth.
Most of them are highly educated from well-to-do families working with huge firms, youngsters and in touch with the new world. The shocking reality is that these are the people calling the murder of Panjab governor Salman Taseer an act of courage by Mumtaz Qadri and calling him ‘Hero Of Our Nation’.

The question here is what decent society would glorify killings and call the murderers their heroes?

When Mumtaz Qadri was showered with flowers and gifted with garlands by barristers of law during his court appearance and those hundreds that welcomed Qadri’s father by taking him on their shoulders calling him Ghazi’s father after being investigated and those hundreds on the internet calling Mumtaz a hero of Pakistan, it automatically comes into one’s mind that had it been someone else out of these people instead of Mumtaz, Salman Taseer still could have been dead today. Moderates still could have been scared of their outspoken nature and would have been thinking a hundred times before they said anything against injustice. They could still have a look full of doubts at the ones that provide them security. There could still have been someone a ‘Hero of Pakistan’ among an extremist younger generation that is educated and connected with modern world too.

Even though Qadri alone murdered Salaman Taseer and he alone will have to face the trial, the question remains, are the people that justify his this criminal act by praising his courage and counting him a hero of Pakistan, not a part of it?