Decking the halls

There is greater prominence of Christmas in Pakistan this year and considering the unabated fear our Christian community had been living in of late, the visibility of joy and festivity that usually accompanies this season the world over is appreciated. Leading the way, the federal and Sindh governments took commendable steps to promote the celebration of Christmas. A major ceremony was held to show unity with the province’s Christian community, even inviting reverends to give sermons. There were Christmas parades and a special train in honour of the holiday. Indeed, this year’s Christmas season was unlike those of the recent past and this is a promising motion, recalling all of the atrocities previously committed against members of other Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic faiths in this country.

It would be naive, of course, to say that the plight of minorities is approaching eradication. Their struggles will continue until they feel safe enough not to use Muslim aliases and members of the majority starting seeing and treating them as equal — equal in deserving the same rights granted by the Constitution of Pakistan as they bear. Of course, the Constitution may not be viewed as being equal for all, but that is a topic for another day. Today, we enjoy the fact that the country is moving towards harbouring a slightly more tolerant environment for others. We should find happiness in knowing that members of faiths different than one’s own feel a bit safer being at home and this should mean something to the country’s majority Muslim population as well. A recently trending social media topic focused on why wishing others on the occasion does not take away from one’s own faith; this is a changed message of tolerance and peace that our citizens can pay heed to, as it has been quite the need here. The improved security measures, efforts by provincial and federal governments, and the sense of confidence and safety rekindled in our Christian community are refreshing and we hope the latter, especially, can be carried forward to the next Christmas, and so forth.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25^th, 2016.

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