Dr. Anwarul Islam: Another 'Soft Target' of Sectarian Violence

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Dr. Anwarul Islam: Another 'Soft Target' of Sectarian Violence

By YesPakistan.com Staff

He is described by his friends as a "splendid person" who would make "personal sacrifices to help others".

Dr. Anwarul Islam, an ENT surgeon at the Karachi's Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, a father of two beautiful children and loved by so many, was shot dead in Karachi on Tuesday, March 12, 2002. He is yet another victim of the fresh wave of terrorism against doctors in Pakistan, which has claimed the lives of dozens of doctors in the past one year.

As he came out of Habib Medical Centre in Karimabad around 9 pm and was about to board his car, two 'unknown' motorcycle-riders fired gunshots at him. Police reported that Dr. Anwaul Islam was immediately rushed to the hospital, but passed away before he could be given treatment.

Like the murders of most other doctors in Pakistan, Dr. Anwarul Islam's assassination is believed to be sectarian-related. More than 2,000 people have been killed in the past decade in violence between Shia and Sunni Muslims in Pakistan.

However, it must also be pointed out that while the Shias and Sunnis have disagreed with each other throughout most of their history, they have rarely been as violent and intolerant of each other as the current wave of perpetual bloodshed. It certainly makes the Pakistani citizens and authorities question the source of this level of 'sectarian violence' and points to the possibility of foreign terrorists' and governments' role as masterminds of such unthinkable crimes.

Following the murder of Dr. Anwar, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) called a Karachi-wide strike of doctors and paramedics, as a last resort in the face of government's continued apathy towards routine killings of doctors in the city. Due to this situation, there are growing tensions among Pakistani doctors, who fear for their lives.

Pakistani Doctors: Soft Targets of Terrorists

This new cycle of specifically targeting doctors seems to be aimed at undermining the government's crackdown on extremist groups.
"Doctors are soft targets", as one doctor, Haseeb Alam, explains, "But their killings make a big impact and create fear and frustration in the society."
The sad part of the story is the fact that most of the doctors killed were not linked to any political or religious organization.
Several doctors have already left Pakistan. Many more are trying to migrate to countries like Canada and Australia, which, in addition to peace and security, offer greater incentives to trained professionals.

Personal Recollections of Dr. Anwarul Islam's Life and Character

Taufiq Ahmad from Illinois comments, "His crime was that he was a leading doctor and in the forefront of helping numerous people in need."

"He was a wonderful role model and a noble citizen," is what a family member of Dr. Anwarul Islam, Altaf Ahmed from California has to say, "an inspiration to others by dint of his hard work, dedication, sweet nature and God-given talents."

"Dr. Anwaul Islam was a very experienced surgeon, a very nice human being, and was brother in law of a very good friend of mine," writes Dr. Mansoor Haq from Canada, "He obtained the top most qualifications in ENT surgery from both Pakistan and England and had been practicing in Karachi for many years. He is the 4th doctor killed in last 4 days and amongst 100 in last 1 year!"

Altaf continues, "We live in such horrible times, but it is still extremely hard to fathom that an act of evil terror can happen to such a dearly loved innocent person. Anwar touched so many lives…everyone knew him as a splendid person making personal sacrifices to help others."

Dr. Faiyaz Ahmad narrates, "Today while he was wrapped in coffin, he looked so relaxed, and calm, as if he was sleeping, his face was glowing with Noor."

Dr. Anwarul Islam was buried in Sakhi graveyard on the morning of Wednesday, March 13, 2002. His Funeral Prayer (Janazah) and burial was attended by thousands of mourners.

Note: Please also read "How Pakistan Can Enhance its Internal Security" @ http://www.yespakistan.com/pakistanday/enhance_security.asp

Date/Time Last Modified: 6/18/2002 8:06:59 AM