Hindi English Translation || Editorial || In the name of god: On how dangerously sectarian Pakistan is

In the name of god: On how dangerously sectarian Pakistan is

Violence in the name of (के नाम पर) blasphemy exposes sectarian (संप्रदायिक, अतिवादी) fault lines of Pakistan

The attack by protesters on churches and houses of the Christian minority in Faisalabad on Wednesday over allegations of blasphemy (ईश्वर निन्दा) is yet another example of how dangerously sectarian Pakistan is. Triggered (cause, lead to, result in, produce, bring about, generate, give rise to) by reports that a Christian man from Jaranwala had desecrated (अपमान करना, अपवित्र करना) the Koran, the incident took place just weeks after a man was shot dead by gunmen on an allegation (आरोप, दोषारोपण) of blasphemy in Balochistan. In February, a man was lynched (वध करना, मारपीट करना) over allegations that he had desecrated the Koran in Punjab. The authorities (प्राधिकारी वर्ग, अधिकारी) have largely (व्यापक रूप से) remained spectators (दर्शक) when mobs (a large, disorganized, and often violent crowd of people) have taken it upon themselves to punish the “blasphemers (a person who insults a deity or religion)”. In the Jaranwala incident too, according to reports, the authorities were slow to respond, raising questions on whether the state (राज्य, सरकार) is willing to protect Pakistan’s religious minorities from repeated mob violence, especially when it comes to attacks in the name of blasphemy. In Pakistan, blasphemy is punishable by death, though nobody has been executed (put to death, kill, hang) to date. But it has remained a deeply (गहरा) polarising (dividing, separating, parting) issue with extremist (चरमपंथी, अतिवादी) sections raising allegations and often violently targeting those accused of the crime.

According to the Islamabad-based Centre for Research and Security Studies (is Pakistan’s first think-tank of its kind founded by civil society activists. (think-tank is a research institute/organization with a panel of experts)), at least 89 Pakistanis, including 18 women, have been killed in 1,415 accusations (आरोप, अभियोग) or cases of blasphemy since 1947. There has been a major jump (छलांग, कूदना) in blasphemy accusations over the past decade (दशक, दस वर्ष की अवधि।). Civil society (it is the space outside the family, public sector (government & its branches) and private sector (businesses and corporations). It now signifies a wide range of organised and organic groups including non governmental organisations (NGOs), trade unions, social movements, grassroots organisations, online networks and communities, and faith groups) groups, international rights organisations as well as Pakistan’s judiciary (a branch of government in which judicial power is vested) have in recent years expressed their concerns over the misuse (wrong use, abuse, exploitation, misemployment, misapplication) of the blasphemy laws. The Islamabad High Court had once suggested (propose, put forward, recommend, advise, urge) that Parliament amend the laws to give stronger punishment to those who raise false blasphemy allegations. But the rising violence and growing (increasing) criticism have done nothing to push (urge, put pressure on, pressurize, force) Pakistan’s leaders to address (tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out) the menace (threat, risk, spectre, danger, peril, jeopardy). On the contrary (conversely, in contrast, rather, instead, on the other hand), the Senate (the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Pakistan. The National Assembly of Pakistan is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Pakistan) passed a Bill (A Bill is a draft statute that becomes law after it is passed by both the Houses of Parliament and assented to by the President. All legislative proposals are brought before Parliament in the forms of Bills (or) draft statute/law, proposed legislation, proposal (presented to parliament/congress/council for discussion)) in August to increase punishment for those using derogatory (disparaging, belittling, disrespectful, insulting; offensive, abusive) remarks about the Prophet’s (a person who is believed to be sent by God to Earth (to say the things that God wants to tell people)) family members, close companions (disciples and followers) and the first four Caliphs (chief, ruler, head (considered a politico-religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad)), further tightening (make stricter, make more rigorous, make more stringent, stiffen, toughen) the blasphemy laws. It is this pampering (spoiling, indulging, overindulging, spoon-feeding, over-parenting) of extremist sections of society by the state and the impunity (exemption from punishment, freedom from punishment, immunity, indemnity, non-liability) with which Islamists (relating to a supporter of Islamic fundamentalism) and other parties have misused (put to wrong use, abuse, misapply, misemploy, exploit) the laws that are empowering (authorize, allow, entitle, permit) extremists who are unleashing (let loose, unchain, unshackle, let something go freely/uncontrollably) violence against the defenceless (vulnerable, helpless, powerless, weak) in the name of blasphemy. This law with its colonial origins should not have any place in a modern state. But in Pakistan, where religion has been used by all stakeholders (a person with an interest in something) to maximise their interests (common concerns (in politics/business)), there is no commitment (responsibility, onus, liability, accountability, obligation, engagement) to tackle the real problem. The authorities should at least (used to highlight that something is good in a worst situation; at the minimum, not less than) take urgent measures (action, step, course of action, procedure) to stop the violence in the name of blasphemy. Such incidents only reinforce (strengthen, fortify, bolster up, shore up, buttress, underpin, support, encourage, enhance, intensify) the sectarian fault lines of Pakistan’s state and society.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.in the name of (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के नाम पर
English Meaning - for the sake of, at the behest of, for the reason of.

2.sectarian (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - संप्रदायिक, अतिवादी
English Meaning - extreme, fanatical, narrow-minded, radical, partisan; biased, prejudiced, one-sided, factional.

3.blasphemy (noun)

Hindi Meaning - ईश्वर निन्दा
English Meaning - the action or behaviour of someone which is not respectful of religious practice; irreligious, ungodly, unholy action/behaviour.

4.allegation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आरोप, दोषारोपण
English Meaning - accusation, charge, indictment.

5.desecrate (verb)

Hindi Meaning - अपमान करना, अपवित्र करना
English Meaning - disfigure, vandalize, damage.

6.lynch (verb)

Hindi Meaning - वध करना, मारपीट करना
English Meaning - punish/kill someone for claimed offence without legal trail by the group of people.

7.authorities (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्राधिकारी वर्ग, अधिकारी
English Meaning - officials, officialdom, the people in charge, the government, the administration, the establishment, the bureaucracy, the system.

8.largely (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - व्यापक रूप से
English Meaning - mostly, mainly, generally; to a large extent.

9.spectator (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दर्शक
English Meaning - onlooker, watcher, viewer, bystander, passer-by.

10.the state (noun)

Hindi Meaning - राज्य, सरकार
English Meaning - the government, the regime.

11.deeply (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - गहरा
English Meaning - extremely, intensely, severely, seriously, terribly.

12.extremist (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - चरमपंथी, अतिवादी
English Meaning - militant, radical, fanatic, hardliner, fundamentalist, sectarian, partisan..

13.accusation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आरोप, अभियोग
English Meaning - allegation, charge, claim.

14.jump (noun)

Hindi Meaning - छलांग, कूदना
English Meaning - a sudden dramatic increase, rise, leap, upsurge, escalation.

15.decade (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दशक, दस वर्ष की अवधि।
English Meaning - a period of ten years.

16.expose (verb)

English Meaning - reveal, lay bare, disclose, manifest, bring to light, uncover, display.

17.fault line (noun)

English Meaning - a divisive issue; a difference of opinion.

18.trigger (verb)

English Meaning - cause, lead to, result in, produce, bring about, generate, give rise to.

19.mob (noun)

English Meaning - a large, disorganized, and often violent crowd of people

20.take upon oneself (phrase)

English Meaning - to take the responsibility for something even though no one has asked to do so.

21.blasphemer (noun)

English Meaning - a person who insults a deity or religion

22.execute (verb)

English Meaning - put to death, kill, hang.

23.polarising (adjective)

English Meaning - dividing, separating, parting.

24.Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) (noun)

English Meaning - is Pakistan’s first think-tank of its kind founded by civil society activists. (think-tank is a research institute/organization with a panel of experts).

25.civil society (noun)

English Meaning - it is the space outside the family, public sector (government & its branches) and private sector (businesses and corporations). It now signifies a wide range of organised and organic groups including non governmental organisations (NGOs), trade unions, social movements, grassroots organisations, online networks and communities, and faith groups.

26.judiciary (noun)

English Meaning - a branch of government in which judicial power is vested.

27.misuse (noun)

English Meaning - wrong use, abuse, exploitation, misemployment, misapplication.

28.suggest (verb)

English Meaning - propose, put forward, recommend, advise, urge.

29.growing (adjective)

English Meaning - increasing.

30.push (verb)

English Meaning - urge, put pressure on, pressurize, force.

31.address (verb)

English Meaning - tackle, deal with, attend to, try to sort out.

32.menace (noun)

English Meaning - threat, risk, spectre, danger, peril, jeopardy.

33.on the contrary (phrase)

English Meaning - conversely, in contrast, rather, instead, on the other hand

34.Senate (Pakistan) (noun)

English Meaning - the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Pakistan. The National Assembly of Pakistan is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Pakistan.

35.Bill (noun)

English Meaning - A Bill is a draft statute that becomes law after it is passed by both the Houses of Parliament and assented to by the President. All legislative proposals are brought before Parliament in the forms of Bills (or) draft statute/law, proposed legislation, proposal (presented to parliament/congress/council for discussion).

36.derogatory (adjective)

English Meaning - disparaging, belittling, disrespectful, insulting; offensive, abusive.

37.the prophet (noun)

English Meaning - a person who is believed to be sent by God to Earth (to say the things that God wants to tell people).

38.companion (noun)

English Meaning - disciples and followers.

39.caliph (noun)

English Meaning - chief, ruler, head (considered a politico-religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad).

40.tighten (verb)

English Meaning - make stricter, make more rigorous, make more stringent, stiffen, toughen.

41.pampering (noun)

English Meaning - spoiling, indulging, overindulging, spoon-feeding, over-parenting.

42.impunity (noun)

English Meaning - exemption from punishment, freedom from punishment, immunity, indemnity, non-liability.

43.Islamist (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a supporter of Islamic fundamentalism.

44.misuse (verb)

English Meaning - put to wrong use, abuse, misapply, misemploy, exploit.

45.empower (verb)

English Meaning - authorize, allow, entitle, permit.

46.unleash (verb)

English Meaning - let loose, unchain, unshackle, let something go freely/uncontrollably.

47.defenceless (adjective)

English Meaning - vulnerable, helpless, powerless, weak.

48.the defenceless (noun)

English Meaning - vulnerable people.

49.stakeholder (noun)

English Meaning - a person with an interest in something.

50.interest (noun)

English Meaning - common concerns (in politics/business).

51.commitment (noun)

English Meaning - responsibility, onus, liability, accountability, obligation, engagement.

52.at least (phrase)

English Meaning - used to highlight that something is good in a worst situation; at the minimum, not less than.

53.measure (noun)

English Meaning - action, step, course of action, procedure.

54.reinforce (verb)

English Meaning - strengthen, fortify, bolster up, shore up, buttress, underpin, support, encourage, enhance, intensify.