Pakistan: All voices of tolerance silenced in 2011

Earlier this month, another Hindu girl was forcibly converted and her family is fighting the case. However, the father, Narayan Das, alleges that they are being “sidelined in the investigations” and “being threatened to withdraw the case”.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: The News International
By Saher Baloch | December 31, 2011

Karachi: The year 2011 has seen the country lose key political figures to religious extremism and this has set an alarming trend for the years ahead, states the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in its year-ending report on minorities and the state of human rights in Pakistan.

This year was unlike any other that we have seen, says Zohra Yusuf. The nation witnessed the assassination of a sitting governor, who belonged to the ruling party, and the federal minister for minorities, both in the name of religion.

At the same time, former information minister Sherry Rehman was threatened with her life after she proposed amendments to the blasphemy law. Though the amendments were sensible and proposed to help the vulnerable in the country, Zohra says “it was appalling to see the prime minister withdrawing them and stating on national television that the party had nothing to do with it.” The message that it sent out to the people is one of helplessness, she adds. This inability to admit to the many perils of extremism has led to a number of killings and increased discrimination on many levels.

Ahmedi community

The Ahmedi community, in particular, was the target of religious extremism.

Among the many cases that came to the fore was that of a minor girl, who was accused of blasphemy because of a spelling error. Within a day, there were protest calls in Abbottabad to take action against the girl. Religious leaders used their power to accuse her of blasphemy and the girl, an eighth-grade student, was expelled as a consequence.

Religious hatred is not something that has emerged suddenly, says Akhtar Baloch, a senior member of the HRCP.

“Through the media, we are aware of happenings in every nook and corner in our country, which is both a good and a bad thing. It is good as these issues are being highlighted and bad because they are not addressed beyond condemnation and lip-service by the authorities,” he adds.

The community, according to HRCP’s Perils of Faith report, believes that if the government takes effective measures, the killings would stop. “But the question remains whether the government is even serious in making sure that happens?” asks Zohra Yusuf.

Forced conversions

The forced conversion of Hindu girls in Sindh was a menace that loomed large throughout the year and although many of them migrated, those who stayed have nowhere to go, except the courts.

Earlier this month, another Hindu girl was forcibly converted and her family is fighting the case. However, the father, Narayan Das, alleges that they are being “sidelined in the investigations” and “being threatened to withdraw the case”.

“The courts are helpful in most of the cases, but once you get out of them, there is no security for the victim. There are threats to withdraw cases, which leads to the feeling among minorities that they are not accepted,” says Amarnath Motumal of the HRCP.

The report cites an incident when the HRCP’s staff reported the theft of one of its vehicles in Lahore. Instead of taking notice of the crime, the police were more concerned about finding out why the organisation hired a Christian driver.

Some members felt that communities must stop discriminating against themselves by referring to themselves as minorities. “We are citizens of Pakistan and should not slot ourselves into minorities or majorities,” says Pooja, a resident of Bihar Colony in the HRCP report.

Laws and discrimination

Rolan D’ Souza, a human rights activist, says that the least the government can do is ensure that the law does not discriminate. The clause in the Constitution that says “a non-Muslim cannot be the head of the state” is where the discrimination begins, he says.

At the same time, D’ Souza points out that though the Shia Hazaras in Balochistan are not a part of a minority, they are still being persecuted and 380 have been killed in ten years.

Zohra feels that while the government may not take up these issues the way the organisation wants them to, she urges that “we must not stop raising our voice, because remaining silent in the face of such circumstances would make us a part of them.”


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