The beating to death of a scrap dealer in Gujranwala, on the suspicion that he had stolen the motorcycle he was pushing to a petrol pump after it ran out of petrol, shows the brutality we have descended to as a society. Excuses may be trumped. It was another hot day in a scorcher of a summer, and tempers were already bad. The petrol pump was another reminder of the recent petrol bomb, and everyone’s dire economic situation. In Gujranwala, the citizenry is supposed to resort to fists more than in other cities. However, nothing can justify the violence that took place, which led to the killing of an individual.
This is not the first time that people have taken the law into their own hands. However, in previous incidents, the victim has been accused of blasphemy. However, there have been previous instances of those accused of theft being subjected to crowd violence, though this is the first time an accused has actually been killed. There is no discussion possible of guilt or innocence; no way is theft punishable by death. Only in mediaeval Europe was there a death sentence for theft, and that too for goods above a certain value. It is true that the criminal justice system is problematic, but that has been so since time immemorial. 14 have been arrested, but the police will let them off for a backhander.
The problem seems to originate from the promotion and even glorification of violence within society. The Kalashnikov culture of the Afghan jihad? The brutalizing effects of repeated martial laws? The bad behaviour and extreme language of politicians? All of them? The cause is not a matter of concern; stopping it is essential. That can only be done by leaders of society, whether teachers, politicians, prayer leaders, or anyone else, not only setting a personal example but using every possible opportunity to propagate a message of tolerance and obedience to the law. There is no point blaming any individual or organization (what will you do to them? beat them to death?); it is only by having sufficient tolerant people that we can become a tolerant society.
