The Dance of Brutality and a Society on the Brink

For quite some time now, our society has been witnessing a series of horrific incidents that have shaken not only our collective conscience but also our mental well-being. Every morning, opening a newspaper or scrolling through social media has become an emotionally distressing experience. Time and again, we are confronted with heartbreaking headlines: another innocent child has been abducted, sexually assaulted, and brutally murdered. Such news no longer shocks us because of its rarity, but because of its frightening frequency.

The recent tragedy involving young Wali Muhammad from Lea Market, Karachi, has once again exposed the darkest face of our society. The unspeakable brutality inflicted upon this innocent child has left every humane person grief-stricken and ashamed. Sadly, Wali Muhammad is not the first victim of such barbarity, but his case has once again reminded us that our streets, neighborhoods, and communities are no longer safe for our children. This tragedy does not belong to one grieving family alone; it is a collective failure that concerns an entire nation.

The fundamental question we must ask ourselves is: What has happened to us as a society? What social and psychological failures have transformed human beings into predators who show no mercy even towards innocent children? A closer examination reveals that such crimes do not occur in isolation. They are symptoms of a much deeper social and psychological decay that is steadily eroding the moral foundations of our society. This deterioration is fueled by the uncontrolled use of smartphones and the internet, parental negligence, unhealthy environments in educational institutions, and a general collapse of moral responsibility. At the same time, I believe that religious leadership also bears a share of responsibility. With only a few commendable exceptions, structured educational and character-building sessions addressing these issues remain rare, and sermons in our mosques seldom discuss child protection or sexual abuse awareness. Given the sensitivity of religious matters in our society, I refrain from making broader judgments, but the need for greater engagement in this area cannot be ignored.

If we examine the underlying causes, several major factors become apparent.

The foremost problem is our culture of silence. We live in a society where discussions about child sexual abuse, mental health, and psychological disorders are often considered taboo. When a child attempts to report suspicious or abusive behavior, many families suppress the matter out of fear of social stigma or because they simply do not understand its seriousness. This silence becomes the greatest shield for offenders. We have mistakenly equated educating children about “good touch and bad touch” with promoting indecency, while predators exploit precisely this ignorance. If such individuals can operate freely even in densely populated communities like Lea Market, it reflects a profound failure of community vigilance and child protection.

Another deeply rooted problem is the psychology of power dynamics and victim blaming. Crimes of this nature are often driven less by sexual gratification than by the desire to dominate and control the weakest members of society. Offenders deliberately target children because they are vulnerable and unable to defend themselves. Yet, when these crimes become public, society often shifts its attention from the perpetrator to questioning the victim’s family, circumstances, or background. Countless examples demonstrate this disturbing tendency. Such attitudes provide psychological comfort to offenders by diverting public scrutiny away from the real criminal.

A third weakness lies in our collective hypocrisy. Outwardly, we portray ourselves as highly religious and morally upright, yet inwardly we continue to experience a profound ethical collapse. Religion has increasingly been reduced to rituals, ceremonies, and judging others, while its true essence God-consciousness, compassion, justice, and respect for the rights of fellow human beings has faded from our daily lives. Once the inner moral conscience dies, every boundary of humanity becomes vulnerable to violation.

Equally alarming is the unchecked impact of the digital age and the disappearance of healthy recreational opportunities. Smartphones and unrestricted internet access have made explicit and harmful content readily available to individuals of every age and level of maturity. Across schools, colleges, and universities, it is common to see students constantly connected to mobile devices. Easy access to inappropriate material is contributing to emotional confusion, distorted attitudes, and unhealthy behavioral patterns among young people. At the same time, parks, playgrounds, sports facilities, and constructive recreational activities have steadily declined. When youthful energy is deprived of healthy outlets and minds are continuously exposed to harmful content, society’s most vulnerable members our children face an even greater risk.

Our criminal justice and investigative system has further compounded the crisis. The deterrent effect of the law has weakened significantly. When offenders observe that poor investigations, lack of evidence, intimidated witnesses, and prolonged judicial proceedings often prevent convictions, they become increasingly emboldened. A weak system of accountability effectively becomes a breeding ground for future criminals. Swift investigations, timely trials, and certain punishment are indispensable if society hopes to prevent such atrocities.

We must acknowledge that we are confronting a multi-system failure. Lighting candles, expressing outrage on social media, or issuing routine statements of condemnation are no longer sufficient. The blood of Wali Muhammad demands justice, accountability, and meaningful reform.

If we genuinely wish to protect future generations, several urgent steps are essential:

• Laws should be strengthened to ensure fast-track investigations and trials for crimes against children, with punishments that are certain, proportionate, and capable of deterring future offenders.
• Child protection education and abuse awareness must become an integral part of school curricula, mosque sermons, and public media campaigns.
• Parents must build stronger relationships with their children, listen to them attentively, educate them about personal safety, and remain vigilant regarding their surroundings and online activities.

I particularly emphasize the role of religious scholars because, in my view, they remain among the most influential voices in our society. Many people are more likely to heed guidance delivered from the pulpit than from any other platform. While allegations of abuse have unfortunately emerged from some religious institutions as well and such cases must be investigated and addressed without exception—it would be unfair to judge an entire community by the actions of a few. Every profession and institution contains both honorable individuals and those who betray public trust. Those who command moral authority therefore carry an even greater responsibility to educate society and protect its most vulnerable members.

Time is slipping away. If we continue to ignore these deep-rooted psychological and social failures, history will not judge us kindly. Worse still, the next victim could be one of our own children. The responsibility to act belongs not only to governments or institutions but to every parent, educator, religious leader, policymaker, and citizen. The future of our children depends on the choices we make today.