In a country where there is fear of the spoken word, such events are bound to happen!
The international edition of New York Times published an article written on brutal killings of secular bloggers who are in support of human rights, gender equality, civil liberty and are battling online with Islamic extremists.
After the article was published in the newspaper, the Pakistan edition deleted the article and the paper was left with two blank pages.
source: twitter
The article narrates the story of a secular blogger who had to flee Bangladesh after his free thinking, atheist views and secular blogging put him in sever danger. He was brutally attacked outside the IT company building he worked at, with an eight-inch kitchen knife that missed his spinal cord by half a centimeter.
The article also revealed that a dozen young madrasa students, who were involved in the attack on Mr Mohiuddin and other secular bloggers, openly admitted to their crimes and divulged information on an extremist group whose specific intent was to murder secular bloggers.
source: twitter
At least four other atheist bloggers have been killed in the country last year for writing critically about Islamist militancy.
This incident not only reveals the true side of our ‘‘free” media but also depicts how vulnerable the country falls when it comes to religious extremism.
source: bbc
In lieu of the recent event, there are some things Pakistan MUST understand;
1. Religious militants have tried to “divert the issue” – or draw attention away from themselves – by attacking the bloggers as “atheists and anti-Islam”
2. The article narrates the story of a man’s personal tragedy and does NOT target the sentiments of Islamic Ummah in general
source: laaltain
3. Islamic Secularism EXISTS, so not everything secular is anti Islam.
4. Without reading the actual article, one cannot decide to protest against the writer
source: giphy
5. Killing bloggers is NOT the solution to extremism, it is in fact furthering it even more!
Also See: Only Shias And Minorities Punished For “Hate Speech” – Why?
Also See: Adnan Malik Talks About Freedom of Expression
