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SECTARIANISM, provincialism, ethnic prejudice and linguistic bias are the principal maladies that have posed a serious threat to the very existence of Pakistan. But the deadliest of them all is sectarianism. In the past all successive governments have tried to solve this problem by trying to crush it using ruthless force but they miserably failed in their bid. The more they tried the more serious it grew in dimensions and intensity.

The present Government shaken by the tragic murder of Maulana Muhammad Azam Tariq, MNA, and an ally of the Government, has vowed to crush sectarianism, in the words of Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, PM, ‘with iron hand’. I wish the problem of sectarianism could be solved as envisaged. What will you think of a doctor who starts administering strong medicines to a patient without first diagnosing the cause and nature of his patient’s ailment or even listening to him before starting the remedy? Don’t you think that the silly doctor may cause the deterioration of the malady if not causing the poor patient’s death?

I will explain with an example how a problem cannot be solved by using blind force and that how easily it can be solved by understanding it: You want to open a door but you do not succeed howsoever hard you try and howsoever strenuously you push applying your full force. Now you could break open the door. But no body will say it is the sensible way of solving your problem. However, if you are an intelligent guy, a rational and sensible person, after a couple of efforts, you will pause to reflect, try to understand the cause and figure out as to what is it that obstructs the door. You look round, over and under the door and find there is piece of wood stuck up under the door panel. You take a stick and push the wooden obstruction back and lo. The door opens without any further effort.

Here I would invite you to consider the following two important and pertinent quotes from the two different speeches of General Pervez Musharraf. In the first instance he was right when, while agreeing with President Bush, in the aftermath of 9/11 tragedy, that terrorism must be eradicated and that Pakistan would fully cooperate in that bid, he had pleaded to understand and address the causes as to why terrorism is found more in the Muslim world than anywhere else, without which it will be difficult to control it. In his opinion it is injustice being done to them continually and the fact the powers that be have failed to take notice of it which has driven some Muslims to resort to desperate acts.

More recently, while addressing faculty members and students in the China’s prestigious Beijing University on Nov 4, President Pervez Musharraf, inter alia, said: “There must be no doubt that we must all act and launch a war against extremism and terrorism….. But let me say that these are only symptoms. If we want to win the war against extremism and terrorism, we must also address the root causes…..Operations against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban....... are all of short-term tactical value,” said Musharraf……”Long-term strategy lies in addressing the root causes….. What is the cause of extremism…..? It is hopelessness, powerlessness, desperation, injustice and because of non-resolution of long-standing political dispute.” (In this quote please substitute the words ‘sectarianism’ for extremism, ‘Lashkar-e-Jhangvi’ and ‘Millat-e-Jaafria’ for Al-Qaeda and Taliban.) Now in the light of this formula I suggest steps for eradicating, for good, the sectarian problem in Pakistan in a saner, safer and surer way:

STEP 1. The Prime Minister should form a Commission, comprising 9 members, 5 of whom should be retired judges reputed for their honesty, fairness, caliber and knowledge of Islam (one of whom may be a non-sectarian Shiite), while the other 4 members should be one each from Brelvis, Deobandis, Ahl-e-Hadis and Shiites. The senior most judge should be appointed as Chairman of the Commission.

STEP2. The commission should take an oath to be just, neutral and impartial in their deliberations and judgment.

STEP 3. The Commission should call one representative each of Brelvis, Deobandis (who should preferably be a leader of Millat-e-Islamia Party), Ahl-e-Hadis and Shiites, ensuring that they have the confidence of all shades of opinion in their respective community, if there is a problem in that the number of representatives may be increased, keeping the number as manageable as possible.

STEP 4. The commission should ask the representatives to give a written undertaking that they believe in the supremacy of the Holy Qura’an and Sunnah and in that Islamic faith was completed the day when Allah revealed on the Holy Prophet (PBUH) the Ayah “Alyauma akmaltu lakum deena kum wa atmamtu alaikum ni’mati wa radhitu lakumddeena) and also that whatever are the findings and judgement of the commission they will accept them and abide by them and that they will shun sectarianism in future.

STEP 5. Then the commission should ask the representatives to submit in writing their grievances, supported with arguments, against any other sect and also to submit books or a list thereof pertaining to the accused sect that a particular sect considers that they contain obnoxious material which hurts the religious feelings of that sect.

STEP 6. The Commission should carefully study the objections and supporting arguments as also scrutinize the literature, each member of the commission taking down notes of important points for cross examination of parties.

STEP 7. The members of the commission discuss among themselves the issue in the light of the study of the literature and the arguments put for ward by each contending party.

STEP 8. The commission should call a meeting of all the representatives and ask them to cross examine each other. The members of the commission may also cross examine the representatives in the light of the notes they would have taken earlier. This process may take more than one day till the commission is satisfied that no representative has anything more to say or add and also that the commission has also fully covered all aspects of the issue.

STEP 9. The commission may call members of the general public, through media, that if any body has any suggestion for solving the problem he/she may send it in writing or may appear for personal hearing on a given date or dates.

STEP 10. It must be remembered that Islam is the only Deen whose teachings have been preserved in writing from the very beginning. If there had been efforts to corrupt the body of the Ahadis an elaborate methodology to sift and purify the collection of Ahadis was evolved by the religious scholars. Keeping this fact in mind the commission may have to do research work by themselves or through the Islamic Research Institute. Then the commission should announce its verdict in the presence of the representatives and get their signatures thereon. If any member refuses to sign the sect to which he belongs may be considered as the erring party. The findings and the verdict may be released to the media for wide publicity.

STEP 11. Finally the commission should formulate their recommendations as soon as possible, avoiding unnecessary haste and unnecessary delay, and forward the same to the Government for implementation.

I fervently appeal to the Government not to ‘use iron hands’ to try to solve the problem as in it there is a risk of sowing the seeds of disaffection in the society. Leading to disintegration. For God’s sake adopt scientific and saner means to deal with this problem.

Just as General Pervez Musharraf had diagnosed injustice being done to the Muslims all over the world and the indifference of the powers that be to the need for addressing their grievances to be the root cause of the desperate acts on the part of Muslims, in the same way there must be some injustice being done some section of society which might be the cause of the rise of sectarianism and terrorism in Pakistan, which needs to be removed to control it. But it will be for the proposed commission to determine.

Measures taken by the Government in the light of the findings of the commission will certainly bear fruit since they will be based on an understanding of the problem.

PS I have formulated my own suggestions for the eradication of sectarianism from Pakistan after studying history of Islam with particular reference to the causes of the birth of sectarianism among Muslims. I will forward these suggestions separately later on.

Additionally I have a separate set of suggestions for the unity of the Muslim Ummah. Presently there a lot of misunderstandings among them, which is the main cause of their ineffectiveness and lack of respect in the comity of nations? I plan to forward them to the OIC secretariat.