Highlighting our problem

The US State Department has placed Pakistan on its special watch list for ‘severe violations of religious freedom’. The timing of the decision has, unfortunately, coincided with demands from the White House which has insisted that Islamabad do more to combat terrorism to be eligible to receive US aid. The State Department also said it had re-designated 10 other nations as ‘countries of particular concern’ under the International Religious Freedom Act for having engaged in or tolerated egregious violations of religious freedom. Among the re-designated countries were China, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia. The timing of this decision suggests that Pakistan is being censured on different fronts for not cooperating with what the US government sees as its fight against terrorism. This is how it is being viewed in Pakistan which is unfortunate as these are two very different areas that have to be addressed separately. The placement will be seen as a political move and not a genuine attempt for Pakistan to look at its record on religious freedom.

Over the years, we have seen how religious minorities in Pakistan have witnessed an increasing level of intolerance and violence directed against them. While one can contend that we do not need the US to tell us of our poor record in this area, at the same time we have to address the issue at the earliest. So far the government has paid lip service to the issues of minority communities and it is time to take action against those who are intimidating and harassing them. The issue of lynching of Christians on suspicion of blasphemy as well as forced conversions of Hindu girls needs to be checked. Similarly, the random killing of members of other minorities on account of their faith has to stop. We need to wake up to this reality and work towards a more just and fair society. 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2018.

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