EID MUBARAK

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From: Muhammad Saqib Tanveer

Writer is a political commentator, blogger and tweets @SaqibTanveer

Every year I wish Eid greetings to my friends, relatives and acquaintances through a text message (with a harmonious message) but this time, I am trying to say Eid Mubarak to all the readers of Saach.TV. Along with my greetings, I have an important message to deliver. My greetings come straight from the bottom of my heart and every word of this message emanates from my emotions, so sorry if I fail in complying with the standards of writing.
Usually, it becomes difficult to celebrate festivals when one of your strategic and precious defence asset i.e. Kamra airbase is attacked. It becomes even more difficult when one witnesses sectarian killings in his country just before the Eid. It sucks, it really does when the terrorists attack a passenger bus and kill twenty of our Shiite brothers. One wants to cover his head under the pillow when he learns about the genocide of Muslims of Rohingya. Eid is meant to be a day of festivity and jubilation but the jubilee of this and many previous Eids have turned sour for the Muslims.
Testing times for Pakistan and Muslims across the globe and this has been the case for quite a while.
If there was an Oscar for the most optimist person about Pakistan, its people and its capabilities, I would have won that award hands down. Every article that I write is a signal towards the fact that I have not lost hope and I sincerely believe that this nation will rise and climb to the pinnacle. And this is what I intend to do in this blog.
There is no doubt that we have differences among ourselves. People are divided over sectarian lines. We cannot even have a single eid in our country. And the only reason for all this is the ego of our rulers. Imagine, every year we have two or three eids. Whatever reason the people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa can give regarding moon sighting, the fault is ours. Knowing that every year they do their own moon-sighting, why do not our central committee goes there and sight the moon for themself? Why do not we bring the people at Charsadda in the mainstream and end their marginalization by taking them on-board? But we will not do so because the ego of our central ruet-i-hilal committee is much more important to them rather than the unity of people.
Apart from the moon sighting, another important issue and that comes to limelight after killing of 20 Shiites recently, is the sectarian violence in Pakistan. I personally, believe that people in Pakistan are not divided on sectarian lines. It is the actions and propagation of some of the religious groups whose business is dependent on division of the Muslims. We need to counter these groups and deliver our love to all the sects. We all are brothers in Islam and our difference is our love.
Despite all our failings, we are a prosperous bunch of Muslims and let’s make a vow on this eid that we will leave no stone un-turned to bridge the gaps between Muslims of all sects, be it Brelvi, Deobandi, Ahle-Hadees or Shiites.
In the end, I am attaching a video that we all need to see. A video that explains the reality of differences between different sects of Islam. Many of you may have already seen this video and for them it is a reminder. Please spread my message across, obviously if you second me.
Eid Mubarak to all the Muslims across the globe.