The arrest of a Christian girl for possessing partly burnt
Islamic literature in Pakistan on charges of blasphemy has created an international uproar. The US
state department has expressed concern and the Pope has tried to defend her. It
is all just natural. Christians sympathize with Christians in all places under
all conditions. American Jews sympathize with Israeli Jews no matter what the
latter do to the Palestinians. Muslims sympathize with Muslims even if they are
persecuted for violent acts due to misguided belief. So, it should be logical if
the feelings of Iranian Shias get inflamed by massacres of Shias in Pakistan.
Ever since Pakistan has reached agreement with Iran for the
laying of a pipeline for the supply of much needed Iranian natural gas to
Pakistan there has been vehement American opposition to this project. There
have been all sorts of diplomatic pressures and threats to drop the project,
but since it is the only ray of hope for overcoming the crippling energy crisis,
Pakistan has to go ahead with it no matter what.
It is a strange coincidence that ever since the signing of
the gas pipeline agreement there have been three horrible incidents of large
scale massacres of Pakistani Shia pilgrims to Iran in which bus passengers near
the Pak-Iran borders were shot ruthlessly after being identified with the help
of their documents by terrorist assailants. The manner in which the terrorist
operations were carried out makes it plain that an attempt was being made to give
the Iranians the impression that Shias were being persecuted in Pakistan.
What can be the outcome of these terrible incidents? There
may be a public outcry in Iran and diplomatic and economic relations between
Pakistan and Iran may suffer to such an extent that Iran may decide to
terminate the gas pipeline project.
If you connect the terrorist actions against the Shias and
the American opposition to the gas pipeline project, it gives an ominous
picture. Are the Americans supplementing their diplomatic activities with
terrorist action? Were the Shia massacres watched live in Washington like the assassination
of Osama Bin Laden?
Someone has to come up with very strong arguments to annul
that impression.
