If we already didn’t love Osman Khalid Butt for his sense of humor, his activism has us falling for him all over again. Now the Baalu Mahi actor is speaking up for minorities in Pakistan.
The actor brought up the attack on Ahmedi mosques a decade ago, and spoke out about how the struggle for minority rights continues in Pakistan.
Osman Khalid Butt said he knows that people don’t call out discrimination against religious minorities out of fear of persecution.
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What happens if all these people, who are forced into silence, take a stand for the right thing.
“It is difficult for us to come to terms with and be vocal about the discrimination and apartheid of religious minorities in Pakistan – mostly because of fear. We fear the same persecution and ostracism they face almost on a daily basis.”
It is difficult for us to come to terms with and be vocal about the discrimination and apartheid of religious minorities in Pakistan – mostly because of fear. We fear the same persecution and ostracism they face almost on a daily basis.
— Osman Khalid Butt 🇵🇸 (@aClockworkObi) June 11, 2020
Especially when many Pakistanis are calling out the United States for discrimination and violence against minorities, its also good to work on our own shortcomings first.
The Diyar-e-Dil actor spoke up about the need to look at minorities as more than just statistics. If we looked at them as one of us as Pakistani citizens there would be outrage at the violation of their rights.
“Another reason is that little progress has been made to humanise them beyond statistics and their obvious ‘otherness’ – a prejudice that has passed on from generation to generation.”
Another reason is that little progress has been made to humanize them beyond statistics and their obvious 'otherness' – a prejudice that has passed on from generation to generation.
This beautifully written (and harrowing) piece personalizes the tragedy of May 28, 2010.
— Osman Khalid Butt 🇵🇸 (@aClockworkObi) June 11, 2020
The Lahore Massacre
On May 28, 2010 two armed men first stormed the Baitul Nur Mosque in Model Town, Lahore with assault rifles and grenades. This attack took place in the midst of a Friday sermon.
A siege soon followed at Darul Zikr, the Ahmadi community’s largest mosque in Lahore, in Garhi Shahu, which is Lahore’s oldest neighborhood.
The attacks killed almost a hundred innocents and injured many more gathered for the Friday congregational prayer. Both attacks were on places of worship of a minority community.
