Fighting extremism: Govt response, public opinion at odds, says survey

Finds 98% of respondents want hate material cut from textbooks.

ISLAMABAD: Parliamentarians and rights activists have demanded removal of hate material from textbooks and change in the state policy and attitude of bureaucracy to end intolerance and terrorism.

They were speaking at a workshop and launch of a survey report on “improving status of non-Muslim citizens of Pakistan” organised by the Pattan Development Organisation, here on Wednesday.

Senator Rafique Rajwana said that interfaith harmony was stronger in the past adding there was a need to change the attitude of the government officials.

Member Punjab Assembly Ramesh Arora stressed that hate material should be removed from textbooks.

National Commission on the Status of Women Chairperson Khawar Mumtaz pointed out that marriage and divorce laws did not exist for non-Muslims.

There is a gap between public opinion about extremism and intolerance and practice of civil bureaucracy as well as political leadership to address the problem, the survey “Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP)” says.

It reveals that 85 per cent of the participants agreed that political parties should issue 10 per cent of their tickets to non-Muslim candidates in constituencies where they had significant presence.

Around 93 per cent agreed on the need for holding of local bodies’ elections without delay. Similarly, 91 per cent respondents said that government officials must be made sensitive about rights of non-Muslim citizens.

Over 91 per cent respondents said that officials must be empowered to take action against those who violate rights of non-Muslims. Ninety-eight per cent said that all hate material from textbooks should be removed. Ninety-six per cent respondents said that all non-Muslim communities should be meaningfully consulted to amend existing laws or to introduce new legislation in order to eliminate all kinds of discriminatory practices.

More than 80 per cent of the participants said that blasphemy laws had tremendously aggravated insecurity of non-Muslim citizens.

The study was conducted in Multan, Faisalabad, Lahore and Islamabad during November-December 2014. More than 70 per cent participants consisted of Muslims, while remaining belonged to various non-Muslim communities.

The study concluded that intolerance, extremism and terrorism was a product of pro-jihad policy of the state and there was a gap between public opinion and practice of officials and political leadership. Moreover, 85 of per cent of respondents said that political leaders should mainstream non-Muslims in their party hierarchy and abolish minority wings. At the end of the workshop it was agreed to form a technical working group to focus on improving status of non-Muslim citizens.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20^th, 2015.