They are now killing each other. The Shias and Sunnis of Pakistan. Back in 1947, they were killing hindus of undivided India to create a separate nation from Kafirs. Now Shias are declared Kafir in Pakistan.

On Friday, hardline Sunni groups organized a large-scale rally against Shiites in the country’s financial hub, Karachi. Thousands of people participated in the demonstration and chanted anti-Shiite slogans, including “Shia kafir” (Shiites are infidel).

Thousands of people flooded the streets of Karachi on Friday in a massive anti Shia demonstration which has sparked fears of sectarian violence in Pakistan. After the massive protests, the hashtag #ShiaGenocide began trending on Pakistani social media.

Sea of protestors were seen chanting Shias are Kaffir” (disbelievers) and holding banners of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, a terrorist organisation, linked to the killing of Shias over the years.

Since the beginning of Muharram 2020 (1441 AH), there has been a stark increase in hostility towards the Shiite community. Among incidents that have been making the rounds on social media, there are: Shias being forced to profess their respect for certain personalities – equivalent to the ‘Jai Shri Raam’ chants by Hindu Nationalists – which is not consistent with their history, discrimination in the workplace because of their faith, harassment in public places while transiting to/from a majlis, mob raids because they displayed their controversial beliefs on social media, and an FIR being lodged against a three-year-old boy for hosting a majlis.

“It is an unprecedented rise, and we are worried it can flare up sectarian violence,”

Mehdi Hasan, chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)

In July, lawmakers of the provincial Punjab assembly passed a bill that imposed punishments for vilifying holy Sunni figures.

Shiite activist Rashid Rizvi says that most of the blasphemy cases against Shiites have been filed after the passage of the bill. “More than 40 cases have been registered in the month of August only and more people are being booked. One Shiite cleric fled the country due to death threats against him and some were arrested by police,” Rizvi said.

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