By Ammar Awais
Incidents of mob violence have become a frequent occurrence in Pakistan. The recent episode in Lahore’s Ichra Bazaar was yet another example of how ignorance and illiteracy can fuel violence.
For those unfamiliar with the incident, a woman, accompanied by her husband, entered a shop wearing a long white shirt from a Middle Eastern brand that had the word “hilwa” – meaning good or beautiful –printed in Arabic calligraphy all over it. A man approached her and told her to “remove” the dress and wear a burqa instead. As they got into a heated argument, a charged mob gathered outside the shop, accusing the woman of blasphemy for having “Quranic verses” inscribed on her dress.
The mob abused the woman and shouted zealous slogans, calling for her to be killed. A man among the mob, who carried a loaded gun, was adamant that he would murder the woman. There was also danger that the stove from a nearby Shawarma stall could be used to set the shop on fire. However, the police arrived in the nick of time, and Gulberg ASP Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi boldly rescued the woman from the midst of the crowd.
While the worst was thankfully averted, this incident highlights our nation’s decaying state of both morality and intellect. In particular, it raises a number of questions for us to ponder.
Are we, as a nation, so unfamiliar with the Quran that we cannot differentiate its verses from an ordinary Arabic word? Assuming that everything written in Arabic is sacred or worthy of honour is ignorance of the highest degree.
Next, what set of beliefs is represented by those who pressured a woman to change her clothes in public? They certainly do not represent Islam, because making such a demand is not only shameful but against the basic moral values enjoined upon us by the Prophet ﷺ.
Why did those present fail to verify claims about Quranic verses being printed on the woman’s shirt? If they were all illiterate – which is unlikely to be the case – the least they could do was ask someone. The Quran itself strictly commands us to verify information before acting upon it, while the Prophet ﷺ has declared, “It is enough of a lie for a man to narrate everything he hears.” (Muslim)
Where did the idea of mob justice come from? It doesn’t represent Islam, the Quran or our beloved Prophet (sa). Every disputed matter or crime needs to be addressed by the authorities not the general public. Does this show our lack of respect and trust in our judicial system? Or does this show our lack of fear in the law and order representatives? Why was the woman made to apologize at the police station? It had clearly been established that her shirt did not have any religious literature inscribed on it. What was her crime then?
The only plausible explanation for her apology is that the mob needed to be pacified to prevent it from harassing the woman further, and to ensure her safety “in the long run”, as later described by ASP Naqvi to a media outlet.
The fact that even the law enforcement personnel are helpless against such mobs, and have to somehow appease them to curtail their violence, presents a very sad state of affairs for our country.
Also, why was no action taken against the mob at all? False accusations and slander are legally punishable in Islam. In fact, inciting violence against an innocent person may even amount to the crime of spreading corruption in the land for which the consequences could be dire. However, even an apology could not be extracted from the ringleaders of the mob.
It is also worth pondering how far we, as a nation, have strayed from the vision of Jinnah who wanted to establish a Muslim state based on principles such as equality, fairness, and discipline. It would indeed be a tragedy if countless men and women sacrificed their lives only for “mob justice” to prevail in our homeland.
Lastly, it is critical that we, the law-abiding citizens, raise our voice against such incidents of mob violence. Unfortunately, we have allowed a relatively small group of individuals to capture our narrative by maintaining silence over acts of violence and oppression. Most importantly, perhaps, those amongst us who love Allah (swt) and His Messenger ﷺ the most, should be the most vocal in condemning such mobs because they falsely use the name of Islam to try to justify their atrocities.
Let us conclude with some extracts from an apt statement (paraphrased from Urdu) made by Mr. Tahir Ashrafi, a religious figure, concerning the Ichra incident:
“I believe that the apology, instead of coming from the woman, should come from those who harassed her, caused her fear, and became a cause of defamation for Shariah and Islam.”
“While I appreciate the concerned officer of Lahore Police who timely arrived to save the woman’s life, I also want to say that the ones to apologize should be those who harassed her. They should be the ones to face legal action. Why should there not be legal proceedings against them?”
“Should we allow such terror and fear to spread in the country? If so, our sons and daughters will not be able to leave the house in future – everyone should get this straight. I hope that the Punjab Police and Government of Punjab will take legal action against those who engaged in this shameful act.”
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