Author: Waqar Gillani
Publication: Daily Times
Date: April 4, 2005
URL: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_1-4-2005_pg7_12
Minority rights have been denied
by the state and the institutionalisation of religious differences into
laws is worsening this situation, said minority representatives on Wednesday.
Representatives of the Christian,
Ahmedi, Hindu and Bahai faiths participated in a dialogue which was part
of the 10-day Second South Asian workshop on 'Combating racism, xenophobia
and discrimination against ethnic minorities and indigenous people'. The
workshop has been arranged by South Asians for Human Rights (SAFHR) and
the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
Christian representative Naeem Shakir,
an advocate and a human rights activist, said that the minorities in Pakistan
had been marginalised. He said that the right of freedom to practice religions
other than Islam had been structurally denied by the state. He said that
the state had violated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
He said that the Sharia act only
allowed people to change their religion to Islam. He said that under international
human rights standards, people were entitled to change their religion to
one of their choosing.
Shakir said that on the other hand,
minorities could now participate in the joint electorate, which had been
denied to them for the last three decades. He said that the blasphemy law
was used as a tool to oppress minorities. He said he had fought many blasphemy
cases. "Sometimes even the right of defence was denied to the accused,"
he said.
Ahmedi representative Mujeebur Rehman
said that Ahmedis were part of the larger Muslim community. He said that
the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had indicated the emergence of a person like
Imam Mehdi. "The only difference between us and other Muslims is that we
believe that Imam Mehdi has emerged," he said.
He said Ahmedis were not part of
the joint electorate, had no right of freedom of assembly, or freedom to
practice their religion.
He talked about the role of Majlis-e-Ahrar
Islam and its conversion into Majlis-e-Khatam-e-Nabowat after the partition.
He said that the majlis, like many other religious parties, had earlier
opposed the partition of India. He said that the majlis played a pivotal
role in declaring Ahmedis non-Muslims in 1974 to get a strong political
footing in Pakistan. He said that the constitutional amendment declaring
Ahmedis non-Muslims was a violation of international human rights treaties
and the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan.
A Hindu representative, Amarernath
Heralal, said that the Hindus in Pakistan were unfortunate that they did
not migrate to India. He said that they were treated as "third class" citizens.
A Bahai representative, Dr Rohia,
demanded that the government allocate land for a Bahai graveyard. She complained
that government allocations to the minorities never reached them.
