The rise of an intolerant society

August 20, 2023

How did we become so brutally intolerant? What led us to this
despicable state? Over the last couple of months, Pakistan has
reported violence against Christians, desecration of a Hindu
temple, and destruction of places of worship of the Ahmadi
community. All of these incidents were followed by
‘condemnations’ and other cliches.

We see our rulers – including the civil and military bureaucracy

– acting as naive bystanders amazed at the declining tolerance
in society. They pretend as if they do not understand whatever is
happening and have no clue about who is responsible for this.
They feign ignorance about how our people have turned into an
intolerant mob who can kill, maim and mutilate, and target
vulnerable minorities at the slightest provocation – sometimes,
even without any provocation. Our decision-makers also wonder
how to reverse the trend.

Let’s have a brief recap of what we – as a country, nation, and

society – have been doing. This is imperative for a proper
diagnosis without which no remedy is likely to help.

Whatever is happening in the country has its roots in a century-

old story that started in the 1920s when our leaders began
using religion for political ends. The Khilafat Movement was
perhaps the first major agitation that treated the disintegration
of the Ottoman Empire as an attack on the religion – though
Kemal Ataturk (the dynamic leader of the Turks) himself
abolished the caliphate.
By the 1940s, the Khilafat Movement had disappeared, but there
were many more excuses to use religion for political purposes.
Anyone who disputed the dominant narrative of the Muslim
League got the moniker of being ‘anti-Muslim’. Later, the grave
tragedies witnessed during Partition did not dampen the
religious zeal of those who still kept using religion for their
immediate advantage – both economic and political.

The introduction of the Objectives Resolution in 1949 was a

major milestone that set the tone for a society that was taking
shape. A majority of objections to the various constitutional
drafts and proposals were mostly religious in nature.

In the 1950s, conservative and exclusionist groups gained

momentum with ample support from those in power, whereas
inclusive and enlightened segments of society became a target
of the state machinery dominated by the civil and military
bureaucracy.

Targeting religious minorities became a useful tool to not only

divert the attention of ordinary people but also push Pakistan to
a religious frenzy that civil and military leaders thought was
enough to keep the nation ready for a ‘holy war’ that could start
any moment. Inclusive and progressive leaders like Bacha Khan,
Bizenjo, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Hasan Nasir, Iftikharuddin, Mengal,
Suhrawardy, Wali Khan, and many others became a target of
state machinery.

Till 1965, the zeal to fight against infidels was not so profuse.
The 1960s may have been a ‘decade of development’ as some
Ayub apologists would like us to believe, but it was more of a
period when nationalism, patriotism and religiosity were mixed
to form a toxic brew that equated non-Muslims with infidels
liable for extermination.
The early 1970s were even more disastrous as the genuine
demands of Bengalis in East Pakistan for their due share in
power became an anathema for the ruling junta of General
Yahya Khan whose cronies projected it as a battle between
Muslims and infidels.

The junta told people in West Pakistan that ‘Hindus’ were

influencing Bengalis to fight against the state of Pakistan. Even
in our government-approved Pakistan Studies textbooks, the
separation of East Pakistan appears as a conspiracy by non-
Muslims. There were constitutional amendments and more laws
that reduced the breathing space for other religious groups and
sects. From ZA Bhutto to General Ziaul Haq, there was a steady
stream of laws that restricted religious freedom and
transformed our society into a place where extremism
prospered. Then we wonder why Pakistanis have become so
intolerant of people from different religions.

The late 1970s introduced even more religiosity in society with

Gen Zia harbouring intentions to rule forever and disguising his
malafide aims behind his sermons. He pontificated for hours,
exhorting the people of Pakistan to look at every move in
society through the lens of increasing religiosity. His mutilations
of the constitution and introduction of new laws that pretended
to purge society of evils led us to the abyss we have fallen into.
From the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Information,
Gen Zia filled his government with people who kept feeding the
spirit of religious wars to the people of Pakistan.

With the advent of the Soviets in Afghanistan, General Zia

offered his services to the US and other Western powers to fight
the holy war. Education, media and most state institutions
inculcated in people a spirit to fight for religion and secure a
place in heaven. State-owned PTV produced dramas around
these themes, and film directors received special support from
the state if they propagated the themes of holy wars against
infidels and idealized warriors. The mujahideen graduated from
seminaries with full state patronage.

The 1990s could have reversed the trend – or at least put some
brakes on the processes of radicalization in society – but by the
middle of the decade we had a new darling in the shape of the
Taliban. As if the mujahideen were not enough, we had new
religious warriors who proved to be more ruthless. Even when
they played with their victims’ heads and attacked children, the
elderly and women, all was kosher. General Musharraf could
have eliminated the Taliban, but preferred not to. It took another
decade and an APS carnage before a decisive action took place
against the terrorists.

In the meantime, the doses of extremism kept increasing in

society through various proxy groups who were ready to serve
the purpose. The Imran Khan project increased toxicity in
society by using an even more intolerant tone. Had it not been
for the May 9 terror, this project would have continued, waiting
to re-emerge with a vengeance.

Even after the removal of the PTI government through a no-

confidence motion, the new government’s style was no different
from the Imran-Parvez formula of injecting more radicalization
in society. The laws that the outgoing government passed in
quick succession prove this point. Some of these laws are likely
to contribute even more to religious extremism in society. The
transformation of education especially in KP and Punjab in the
last few years, the regurgitation of religious superiority and
misplaced priorities have all twisted the mentality of this nation,
and we are refusing to recognize and take remedial measures.
Two solutions are likely to help, but they are unlikely to receive a
positive response from our rulers and radical elements in
society. One, we must purge our constitution and legal tomes
from discriminatory laws and injunctions. Two, religion is a
personal matter and not a social issue. Each individual must
have the freedom to practise his/her religion and the state
should not have anything to do with it. The more we tolerate
radicalization in society, the harder it will become to extricate
the country from this mess.

The excessive use of a fundamentalist narrative pushes society

to extremism. This has kept us in a perpetual state of war, if not
with others then within our society. Enough is enough. We need
to put an end to this.

The writer holds a PhD from the University of Birmingham, UK.

He tweets @NaazirMahmood and can be reached at:

mnazir1964@yahoo.co.uk