Government of Sindh must make sure that they are countering this exclusivist narrative via reformed education system.
MELBOURNE: Recent attacks on Hindu temples and killings of Ahmadis in interior Sindh must ring bells for Sindhi nationalists. The province which has so far been a peaceful part of Pakistan for minorities, is now slowly falling into the hands of exclusivists. Sindh has been known for its inclusive and humanistic social tradition that evolved as result of a process spread over centuries. Revered figures like Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Sachal Sarmast and Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai contributed to make Sindhi society a tolerant one and placed a high moral value on “acceptability”.
But the attackers have raised some very fundamental and challenging questions. In the province, the forces of nationalism blend neatly with those of Sufism; this unity has protected inter-religious harmony in Sindh.
The delicate social balance in the land of Sufis is clearly under an assault from rabid forces of the right. The government of Sindh must make sure that they are countering this exclusivist narrative via a reformed education system. A revised educational structure must assert itself in all religious seminaries by introducing a blend of Sindhi Sufism and history-based cultural nationalism. It should also introduce philosophy as a compulsory subject in high school and all through to master’s level.
Malik Atif Mahmood Majoka
Published in The Express Tribune, April 1st, 2014.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
