Our PM Sahib reiterated at the Cleric Conference that no changes would be brought to the infamous Blasphemy Law. In the same breath, like a true politician, he stated that “no one would be allowed to misuse it either.”

May be PM Sahib was under duress or really scared around so many clerics, that he totally missed the boat, on the issue. The main reason why Governor Taseer was assassinated was his comments about the misuse of the law. Historically, it has been used against the minority members of lower strata of the society, often to settle personal scores.

Amazingly, a supposedly liberal and democratic government is pinned against the wall by a seemingly simple issue. That’s what we call the power of twisting the opinion of clueless crowd. Regretfully, most of the public when it comes to the religion, rarely thinks objectively. As they say that we are “full of josh, but very little hosh.” We tend to mortgage our brains to the clerics, knowing full well that clerics will not be answerable for our deeds. We have to make our own moral judgments, based on our personal understanding of our faith. Our Holy Book, our Holy Prophet’s life and his companions example is what we need to emulate.

The comical part of this story is that, PML-Q of all parties, is criticising the government for appeasing the clerics. Do we need to revisit the not so distant past, so determine what Q-League stood for with its allies like MMA? The Red Mosque radicals were multiplying exponentially under their watch and inside the capital, of all the places in our nation.

But no matter where anyone stands on this issue, the current government has somewhat disappointed many with its status quo. People give all kinds of reasons, primarily the government being too weak to sustain any new upheaval. The only saving grace has been Bilawal, but he is still young and waiting in the wings. By the time he is ready to jump into the foray, who knows where we all will stand.

We are completely polarised on this issue and without discussion, we will not move forward. The happy medium can only be reached, if this issue is resolved with open hearts and minds. Otherwise it will be the same old rhetoric. The rhetoric which has earned us the coveted and very apt title of “guftaar key ghaazi.”

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