Regarding the death of Musharraf, there is a current discussion about the saying “don’t speak ill of the dead.” I would like to illustrate my perspective by referencing the case of Dr. Rhonda Jarrar, a tenured professor at Fresno State University.
On the day of Barbara Bush’s passing, Dr. Rhonda Jarrar tweeted that she was an “amazing racist” who raised a war criminal, George W. Bush. Her tweets, made on the night of the former First Lady’s death, received widespread criticism from across the US media.
The timing of her tweets was certainly controversial and as Fresno State University is part of the publicly funded California State University system, many conservatives were outraged and called for her immediate dismissal from the university.
Fresno State University attempted to manage the situation and the university’s president stated that he did not condone the comments made. The university’s flag was also flown at half-mast. An investigation was launched into the conduct of Dr. Rhonda Jarrar and it appeared that she would be fired as a result of her tweets.
However, it’s important to note that the Iraq war led by Bush resulted in the death of over 1.1 million civilians and there was much debate over the legitimacy of the war. Some argued that Dr. Jarrar’s comments were made during her private time and not in the classroom.
Therefore, she was not fired as she had the right to freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment. Although this decision remains a topic of controversy, in my opinion, it was a wise decision. One should not be prevented from speaking out against someone simply because they have passed away.
If we were to follow the principle of not speaking ill of the dead in the case of Musharraf, then we would also have to defend neo-Nazis who praise Adolf Hitler. The Surah Abu Lahab in the Quran would also not exist. Musharraf was a war criminal and is responsible for many of the current issues in Pakistan. It is important to do what is necessary and speak the truth, regardless of the circumstances.
Musharraf was responsible for the deaths of 70,000 people, yet some still try to justify his actions. They defend his decisions such as leaving soldiers stranded in Kargil, imposing martial law on Oct 12th, 1999, the conflict in Dera Bugti, and the Lal Masjid operation. It’s important to speak out against such injustices, as failing to do so will allow his sympathizers to control the narrative.
