Govt urged to crack down on extremist elements

‘Revise curriculum to purge it of hate literature’

FAISALABAD: Speakers at a rally on Sunday urged the government to improve the law and order situation by cracking down on groups promoting religious extremism and intolerance among various communities for their vested interests.

The rally was organised jointly by the Association of Women for Awareness and Motivation (AWAM), the Peace and Human Development (PHD) Foundation, the Development Organisation for Social Transformation (DOST) and the Participatory Organisation for Women Empowerment and Rights (POWER).

The participants held placards demanding that equal opportunities be available to all citizens without discrimination of the basis of caste, gender and economic status. They chanted slogans in support of democracy, justice and human rights and for promotion of peaceful ties between various groups within the country as well as with other countries in the region.

The speakers urged the government to crackdown on groups promoting religious extremism, intolerance and terrorism.

The rally started at the District Council Chowk and went up to the Circular Road.

Addressing the rally, Shazia George demanded that the government take action against groups spreading extremism in the country. She said many banned groups were operating in the country with impunity.

Naseem Anthony said education curricula be revised to purge them of hate literature. “Literature on peaceful coexistence and respect for human rights should be added to the syllabi,” he said.

He said the government should ensure that the life and property of all citizens was protected.

He said security should be provided to places of worship of all religious groups including mosques, churches and temples.

Nazia Sardar said the parliament needed to legislate protect the poor and marginalised communities from oppression.
Suneel Malik also spoke about the need for unity and peaceful coexistence among various groups in the country.

Malik said diversity in the country needed to be cherished, and not undermined. He said strict action should be taken against people spreading violence in the name of ethnicity, race and religion.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 9^th, 2012.