Friday 14 April 2017

At last they came for me - and there was no one left to do anything about it. Mashal Khan



"First they arrested the Communists - but I was not a Communist, so I did nothing.

Then they came for the Social Democrats - but I was not a Social Democrat, so I did nothing. 

Then they arrested the trade unionists - and I did nothing because I was not one.

And then they came for the Jews and then the Catholics, but I was neither a Jew nor a Catholic and I did nothing.

At last they came and arrested me - and there was no one left to do anything about it."

Rev. Martin Niemoeller, Nazi Prison Survivor
 Now famous quote from Rev Martin Niemoeller was modified by Hussain Haqqani, ex Pakistani Ambassador to the US to reflect upon the direction Pakistani society is taking in terms of tolerance to dissenting views:

First they killed the Shias - but I was not a Shia, so I did nothing.

Then they came for the Ahmadis - but I was not an Ahmadi, so I did nothing. 

Then they killed the Christians - and I did nothing because I was not one.

And then they came for the Mohajirs and then the working women, but I was neither a Mohajir nor a working woman and I did nothing.

At last they came for me - and there was no one left to do anything about it." - Surviving citizens of Pakistan
Brutal, inhumane lynching of Mashal Khan, a university student in KPK province of Pakistan is not the first and doesn't looks like to be the last acts of barbarism in the name of religion in Pakistan. Such is the fear of intolerant attitudes that for twenty four hours of the brutal murder electronic media failed to highlight the incidence with seriousness that it merited.


Mashal, a self confessed Sufi leaning liberal student was targeted based on his alleged blasphemous posts on social media channels - I have scoured through and couldn't find evidence of one.

He was brilliant and inquisitive, always complaining about the political system of the country, but I never heard him saying anything controversial against the religion,” one of his teachers said.
Someone asked a question on Twitter: "What have you done today that you know added to your own character?"

Possible answer from Pakistan would be: While one courageous voice after another was being brutally silenced, I stayed quiet

"Pakistan is a peaceful country. Anyone raising voice is made to REST IN PEACE" - Mujaid Alam