Is this Jinnah’s Pakistan?

BEL AIR: As an Ahmadi of Pakistani descent, I commend Raza Rumi and thank your newspaper for publishing his timely article “Is this Jinnah’s Pakistan?” (May 30). Jinnah envisioned a Pakistan where all minorities would have equal rights. He said in his 1948 radio address to the US: “Pakistan is not going to be a theocratic state, to be ruled by priests with a divine mission. We have many non-Muslims – Hindus, Christians, and Parsis – but they are all Pakistanis.”  And he lived up to his promise by taking minority members in his first cabinet.

The Pakistani government has not done enough to protect minorities from the Taliban who are driven by a divine mission to kill.  Rather than inciting violence against helpless minorities through banners, posters, fatwas, and talk show hosts, the government should live up to Jinnah’s vision by removing laws from Pakistan’s constitution that limit freedom of religion.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2010.