Are Shias better off in India or Pakistan?

[Zendegi]

I have met a lot of Pakistani and Indian Shias who give me quite conflicting views. So are Shias better off in a Secular majority Hindu country or in an 'Islamic Republic' with mostly Sunnis? 

Some Pakistani Shia seem to get really defensive of their country when I mention about the prosecutions of Shia especially compared to their Shia counterparts in India, but others seem quite open minded and balanced. And there are issues of education and employment, which group is better off in those aspects?

Don't know a lot about this issue, great if some people could give me some insight into this.

Edited January 20, 2016 by Zendegi

[coldcow]

India. Especially over the past 15 years since the Taliban and their ideology has infiltrated Pakistan.  There are all kinds of processions all over India during muharram, where Shia go through the streets holding the alams and doing matham, escorted by Hindu police to clear the roads.  Also, as one Indian Shia said, if I'm going to be killed because of my faith, I'd rather it be by a non-believer (Hindu) than by a fellow Muslim.  That usually ticks off the Pakistanis quite a bit - but it's true, and sad.

Edited January 20, 2016 by coldcow

[أبو فاطمة المحمدي]

Generally, Shi'ah have greater religious freedom in non-Muslim countries than in Sunni countries, except for Kuwait.

[The Green Knight]

Every day there is a case of Hindu extremists beating up Muslims, accusing them of eating their god (beef), beating up Muslim celebrities or threatening to beat Muslim celebrities like cricket or movie stars. Then they have their peculiar version of zombies and their outbreak who rape girls on buses before killing them. The only safe place for Shias and all good souls is in the next life.

[Zendegi]

1 hour ago, Darth Vader said:

Every day there is a case of Hindu extremists beating up Muslims, accusing them of eating their god (beef), beating up Muslim celebrities or threatening to beat Muslim celebrities like cricket or movie stars. Then they have their peculiar version of zombies and their outbreak who rape girls on buses before killing them. The only safe place for Shias and all good souls is in the next life.

So Pakistan or India? Thats the real question.

Which of these countries are Shias progressing the most and feel most safest?

 

[The Green Knight]

Compared to India I would say Pakistan is a lot better. Pakistan is suffering from her politicians who are almost all hell bent on pillaging and destroying it most probably because they are cheap crooks and foreign puppets. Other than that the Pak army here is destroying terrorists which protects everyone, and they don't look down upon us, we live in harmony with the orthodox Sunni and enjoy equal opportunity. Our sects mingle and marry. Do businesses together. Its another thing I guess that almost all people here are "moderate" and not fundamental except those raised in madrassahs. Saudi is going down and that is good, it will mean their terror spawning pool of madrassahs will go down with them. Yes there are the tardy militant minded devil spawns busy destroying the atmosphere but if the army keeps up their national action plan that bit will be over in a couple of years. Its not so bad.

In India, I don't want to imagine how it is. There is no such thing as equal opportunity to begin with. In Pakistan there are plenty of Shias who are judges, police officials, military officials, politcians, business owners. Meanwhile only some Deobandis are said to have some respite in India most probably because they grow nails n fangs and wreak havoc over here with their terrorism. Otherwise, what more can oppress a Muslim if they are forced to be vegetarian in India, their males are not offered jobs, are sidelined during education and are even beaten and killed with government backing?

I don't know all that much but Indians have a remarkably big expansionist agenda which is official. They are punishing Muslims as they lament mughal era. I don't want to imagine being there.

[Akbar673]

It seems both countries have equal advantages and equal disadvantages.

Having family from both Pakistan and India I can reasonably say that neither is better than the other. 

Both have their drawbacks as well as select advantages.

[pehersari]

I think pak is way better than india, especially now that pak army has pretty much destroyed Taliban, and continue to go after Wahhabi takfiris everywhere in the country. Also because Saudi Wahhabi influence is waning.

Pakistani shias are seldom discriminated in the country. 

There obviously is no love lost between Shias and Sunnis, but things are at much tolerable level as opposed to that between Middle Eastern countries. 

One important reason for this little discrimination is that Pak society is divided much more on ethnic/linguistic basis than on religious basis. So for example, a Sunni Sindhi will prefer a Shia Sindhi rather than a non-Sindhi Sunni. The same applies to other groups as well.

Another reason sect of religion is secondary in the country is presence of Indian 'enemy'. This animosity is shared equally among all Muslims in Pakistan.

It also helps that Pakistan does not have any territorial disputes with Iran.

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This  unfortunately is not true for Indian shias. They are discriminated along with Sunnis by Hindus. This discrimination is easy since Muslim names are readily identifiable from Hindu names. This is unlike Pak, where it is not evident clearly the security of a person by name alone.

Secondly, Muslims are considered foreigners or traitors by Hindus in India. But in Pakistan shias are considered part of the original local population. 

Edited January 21, 2016 by pehersari

[Renaissance_Man]

Considering that Shias aren't hunted for sport in India as they are in Pakistan, I'd say India is probably safer.  Yes there is discrimination towards Muslims in general in India, that's true of minorities everywhere, but at least Shias don't have the constant threat of terror looming.  Personally, I'd rather give up eating beef than run into a suicide bomber on my way to the imambargah.

The biggest problem in Sunni majority countries like Pakistan where the masses are ignorant, is Wahabbism can quickly gain a foothold and spread like cancer.  Just look at how terrorism has mushroomed throughout the country with Taliban, SSP, and other militant groups sprouting everywhere.  Now in India, there's no room for terrorism to take hold thanks to the Hindu majority.  Shias and Sunnis are both forced to band together to protect the common interest of Muslims.  It's sad, but it seems that without a non-Muslim majority to keep Sunnis in check, they will waste no time in turning to extremism.

And for the record, I am a Pakistani who prefers neither country.

Edited January 21, 2016 by Renaissance_Man

[asifnaqvi]

Indian secularism has given way under immense hindu nationalism. In India, muslims have the status of an under-dog.Rise of Modi is an implication of a long-standing extremist hindu impatience to eliminate secular hijab from the indian face.

Though Army has certainly made progress to curtail sectarian outburst in Pakistan,containing loud-speakers,religious content like cd's, controlling hate-speeches,but still there lies this Grey area that wether the state is shunting like  a railway engine or a policy-divert is finally in place.

@Shia peace, i 2nd Darth Vader.

 

[Muhammad Islam]

Its India and India would still be far better than many other Muslim majority countries in terms of freedom for Shias.