I will not celebrate August 14

I decided not to celebrate August 14th to show my that I am sad, ashamed and deeply distressed for Pakistan.

Naeem Sadiq August 05, 2014
August 14, 2009

I decided not to celebrate August 14th this year to show my personal grief, shame and solidarity with the nine innocent Christian citizens of Gojra, who were killed and their homes lit on fire. On this day, I will hang the Pakistani flag at half mast, will switch off my television, have none of those ‘milli naghmay’ and sing no national anthem.

I am sad, ashamed and deeply distressed.

I will call up all my Christian friends to apologise and express my grief, pain and sorrow.



August 14, 2010

94 people were killed and more than 120 injured when the places of worship of the Ahmadi community in Lahore were simultaneously attacked



August 14, 2011

42 Shias were killed in five different terrorist attacks in different parts of Balochistan.



August 14, 2012

91 Shias were killed in ChilasMustangQuetta and Parachinar in different months of 2012.



August 14, 2013

As many as 182 Hazara shias were killed and 121 injured in three different suicide blasts in Quetta.



At least 48 people, mostly women and children, were killed and over 135 injured in a massive bombing in Karachi’s Shia-dominated neighbourhood of Abbas Town.



A twin suicide bombing killed at least 78 people at a church service in Peshawar in what is believed to be the country’s deadliest attack on Christians.



August 14, 2014

Four members of the Ahmadi community were killed and four others were severely injured in Gujranwala on July 27, when an angry mob attacked and burnt five houses belonging to the deceased over alleged blasphemy. Those who died in the attack include a 55-year-old woman Bashiran, five-year-old girl Kainat, eight-month-old girl Hira and an unborn child who died due to suffocation.

In a country where the minority citizens are forever counting their dead, one would have to be dreadfully insensitive and callous to be celebrating August 14th.
WRITTEN BY:
Naeem Sadiq Works in the area of occupational health, environment and safety. He tweets @saynotoweapons
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (54)

nayeem | 9 years ago | Reply The sanest article ever! We need people like you, sir! :)
ss | 9 years ago | Reply Me too :-(
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