Ghotki, July 26, 2016: An unknown person set fire to the Holy Quran and the burnt pages have created tensions in Ghotki, Pakistan, and the entire Ghotki has been shut down.
Islamic clerics Bharchundi Peers are pointing fingers at the Hindu community which has made the community fearful of its safety. Many members of the Hindu community have started staying indoors due to the rumors set by the Bharchundi Peers that a Hindu could be behind this desecration. This is being said by them despite it being well known that the Hindus in Pakistan have a tilt for Peers and Sufism and many go to these very Muslim Peers (religious and spiritual guides) and do charity.
I.G. Sindh A.D Khwaja has not taken note of the incident as yet and there is no safety for the Hindu community nor any investigation has been launched. Bharchundi Peers have often been accused of doing forced and uninformed conversions and with the growing Hindu awareness of their human rights, their actions have gotten a lot of negative publicity.
Ghotki is a major center of forced conversions and radical activities against the Hindu community of Pakistan as a large number of unconverted Hindus still live here.
Earlier, an elderly Hindu man Gokal Das was beaten black and blue in this very district as he was eating rice before the iftar time triggering worldwide condemnation of Pakistan.
Bharchundi Peers are the supporters of ruling political party Pakistan Peoples Party and also share a good network with the Pakistani Army.
Desecration of Quran can have serious consequences as it amounts to blasphemy in Pakistan but the role of clerics in raging passions is not new.
Rimsha Masih, 14-year old, Christian girl, was framed by an influential Muslim man who also worked as a cleric and this mentally challenged girl was accused of committing Blasphemy by burning a few pages of Quran. She was later arrested and taken away as a mob emerged to avenge the honor of the religion. The international condemnation saved her life and she was sent to Canada where her family still does not reveal true identity as they still fear reprisals.
