Pakistan

Lessons in tolerance: MP ask colleagues not to denigrate Hindus in speeches

Malhi demands explanation for derogatory comments

Azam Khan June 22, 2015

Malhi demands explanation for derogatory comments. PHOTO: REUTERS

ISLAMABAD:

Voicing concern at the derisive tone of speeches in the lower house of parliament during the ongoing budget session, Hindu lawmakers on Saturday advised their colleagues in the National Assembly not to target the Hindu faith while criticising Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies towards Pakistan.

The budget session has increasingly been focused on Indian policies towards Pakistan in the wake of rising tensions between the two nuclear-armed states.

Lawmaker Lal Malhi pointed out to his colleagues that Hindus are also Pakistani citizens. “I was shocked to hear that MNA Jamshed Dasti and former prime minister Mir Zafaralluh Khan Jamali stating ‘Hindus are those who worship the cow,” he said.

“This is part of our belief. Why are they targeting our faith?” asked MNA Malhi in his remarks to The Express Tribune.

Read: My government has only one religion, India first: Modi

Deputy Speaker Javed Murtaza Abbasi pointed out that Malhi’s speech was going live on television. “I’m aware of the rules and business of the house and have great respect for senior lawmakers, too” Malhi replied.

“But I have been observing proceedings and speeches of fellow lawmakers for three to four days now and noticed that they questioned Hindus for worshipping cows. Yes, we worship the cow and will continue to do so because this is our right.”

“We are also Pakistanis. Why do we not say that Hindus are also Pakistanis,” he asked. “They want to curse India but they are cursing Hindus, too,” he added.

Addressing the National Assembly speaker, MNA Malhi asked. “It is not fair to question our faith. Yes, we respect, honour and adore cows.”

Despite his expectations, he said, lawmakers did not raise the issue of the abduction of a 14-year-old Hindu boy, Pawan, from Tando Allah Yar, Sindh. “Pawan was later converted forcefully. However, no one will speak about this incident,” he said. “What they [lawmakers] will do is that they will continue mocking us and this is unfortunate and unacceptable,” he said.

Read: India, Bangladesh seal border pact as Modi visits

In one of his posts on social media, Kapil Dev, a rights activist from Sindh, stated: “PTI MNA Lal Malhi dared to call a spade a spade. This is how a Pakistani Hindu is treated here. In our jingoism with India, be it politicians or people, we quickly link all Hindus with India. All Indians are not Hindus and all Hindus are not Indians. There are over 200 million Muslims and other minority groups living in India. If you want to criticise and condemn India, please condemn the country, not the Hindu religion. We are Pakistanis and we don't need a certificate of our patriotism from… anyone. Accept us as Pakistani Hindus.”

The Rights of Expression, Assembly, Association and Thought, a national coalition working for rights of minorities, urged the MPs to respect the diversity and other faiths in the country while commenting on Indian policies.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 22^nd, 2015.

COMMENTS (23)

Gourab | 9 years ago | Reply Well said

AA | 9 years ago | Reply @Malatesh: You got it the wrong way, this is the nation made by Hindu hatred of Muslim. In 1945 election, although Muslim league won majority in Punjab, congress did not allow it to form government. In provinces where Muslim league did not have majority, congress sidelined its Muslim members while selecting cabinet. Immediately Muslims of India knew what will happen if they were a minority in combined India. Pakistan was not an official demand of Muslim league, it was asking for a greater provincial autonomy with loose federation. Nehru and Gandhi were very open in their attitude of neglect towards Muslims of British India. It was not Muslim league that created Pakistan, it was Hindu nationalists in Congress who pushed Muslims to create Pakistan. So my friend it was not the Muslim hatred, instead it was Hindu narrow mindedness that created Pakistan. Now, bringing Modi into power laid the pretension of secularism of 65 years in India bare naked, and affirmed the stance ofl the Muslim league leaders after all.

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Raj - USA | 9 years ago | Reply @John: I don't see you replying to Komal and see only Fawad and Junaid replying to her. Irresepctive of the confusion, let me briefly tell you and all others on secularism and conversions by RSS. I had mentioned in my comments that though I do not like the RSS types of home-coming conversions, I support it only because it makes the muslims feel for themselves when they do conversions of others. In my other comment I have also said that India is the only country in the world where the minority are against uniform laws applicable to all. Usually and everywhere else it is the other way around. In muslim countries the majority converts the minorities. Christians also convert hindus in India by giving them financial inducements and have been doing it for a long time. Ghar Wapsi just started as a retaliation for what muslims have been doing and for it has also stopped now. It is only in talks and not in actions. In any case, how many muslims were converted to hindus? Few hundreds at the most in a population of 1.2 billion Indians of which 180 millions are muslims. In percentage terms you may have to it is less than 0.0001%. USA has a muslim population of about 5 million and 1.5% of its population. China has about 23 million muslims, about 1.8% of its population, all other Western democracies have numbers ranging from 1 million to 8 million and percentages ranging from 1% to 3% of muslims in their population. India has 180 million muslims which is about 15% of its population. USA, Canada, China and all western democracies of the West are having problems with muslims in their population and they all have just a fraction, both in numbers and percentage, of muslims in their population. They are bringing in laws to curtail the number and percentage of muslims in their population. Will any of those countries, that we all say are shining examples of secularism tolerate muslim numbers and percentages in their population as in India? They are all bringing in laws, rapidly and progressively to reduce and control muslims in their population. Muslims in India enjoy far more rights than muslims in any other countries, even in their own muslim countries. Not to say that muslims do not have issues in India. But, 99% of hindu-muslim riots in India at any time were started by muslims and not hindus. Also read my 2 or 3 comments here: http://tribune.com.pk/story/905700/china-restricts-ramazan-fasting-in-xinjiang-region/ USA has over nearly 40% Latinos in its population and their population is expected to exceed 50% in the next 20 years or so. No one is concerned though there are lots of illegal immigrations. But there is lot of concern with 1.6% muslim population in USA. You read it in news regularly. Tell me one country in the world that calls itself secular, is in fact more secular than Indian in real practice. Tell me one muslim country in the world that gives more rights to all its muslims. Not just statements, but what is in practice. Tell me if USA, UK, Canada, Germany or others would have tolerated muslims had they done the same as they do in India. Today China is holding beer festival and timed it just ahead of Ramzan, just to poke straight in the eyes of muslims. Can you name one islamic country that is islamic, i.e., it practices equality of both shias and sunnis or as muslims claim Islam protects followers of all religions. Today, Daesh and Saudis are destroying historical and sacred islamic shrines and places of islamic heritage in Iraq and Yemen, and islamic countries of one sect or other are supporting them.

John | 9 years ago | Reply @Raj - USA: Mate, what makes you think I support forced conversions? To me forced conversion is the highest form of bigotry and intolerance. My comment was in response to Komal S.I only pointed out to her that Pakistan is not a secular country (though i wish it was) while India calls itself a secular country. When you call yourself a secular country on one hand and ban beef, organize mass religious conversions in return for money (homecoming as RSS called it) on the other hand, people are bound to ask, is this what you call Secularism, can you imagine these things in any other secular country?

Mrs Juicy Gossips | 9 years ago | Reply @Junaid: To sum up, one country is extremist, the other, hypocritical.

Mrs Juicy Gossips | 9 years ago | Reply @Komal S: Mainly because of the concept of reincarnation in Hinduism, conversion is generally not acceptable.

waseem | 9 years ago | Reply @Junaid: secular or not its about being human. As human you have right to have any religion. Unless its Pakistan where the law of molvis like moulana fazl ur rehman, tahir qadri and amir liaqat runs.. They have desteoyed Pakistan so much so that our youth has no religious tolerance

truth be told | 9 years ago | Reply To denigrate one's ancestors is not a common trend in most people. But for some people it is essential as a cure from guilt complex. Read between the lines!!!

Malatesh | 9 years ago | Reply What else we can expect from the nation which is created based on hindu hating reason.

Bairooni Haath | 9 years ago | Reply The door to Indian citizenship should always be open to Hindus and Sikhs of Pakistan because they were the real victims of the partition. They are forced to live in a country they never voted to create. Sunnis, Shias, Christians, Ahmedis, Barelvis should make the most of their choice, Pakistan, the land of the pure!

Babloo | 9 years ago | Reply The language used by members in national assembly against Hinduism is shocking. So little coverage of it in media. The destruction of Hinduism in Pakistan is one of the greatest unspoken chapters of world history.

Raj - USA | 9 years ago | Reply @fawad: @Junaid: The question is: Is Pakistan Islamic? Every muslim claims that there is no compulsion in Islam and Islam forbids forced conversions.

Bharatiya from Oz | 9 years ago | Reply Good on you Bharat to have given Indian citizenship to keen oppressed minorities recently from Pakistan.. Pakistani leadership will have to change themselves first if they want to bring positive change to their masses; else perception is reality unfortunately.

Jalal | 9 years ago | Reply

We are also Pakistanis.

No you are not, and neither are Bengalis, Baluchis, Sindhis, Urdu Speakers, Pakhtoons, Shias, Ahmadis and Non-Muslims. When are you guys going to get the hint? Only Punjabis with the correct government sanctioned faith are Pakistanis.

Ch. Allah Daad | 9 years ago | Reply Unfortunately Malhi is right. Majority of us don't realize how much we hurt others by insulting their religion, caste, sect, language, colour and nationality.

AA | 9 years ago | Reply @Kamlesh Kumar: I do agree with you, in my school we use to have Christian and Hindu students, very few, they were from affluent families though, but we never have any sort of discrimination between them and other Muslims for friendship and sharing. There was always this consciousness that they are not Muslim so in the sense we used to relax rules when it comes to expectations. They could claim of doing things that were not allowed in our homes more relaxed and we used to do them secretly. It was long time ago. Pakistan has become more and more religious conservative over the years and we continue to fall pray to narrow minded religious bigots, that was never been a character of Muslim states in history. However, Christians, Hindu, Sikh and Parsees are a minority in Pakistan, they are less than 3 percent of the population combine among whome Christians are largest. Contrary to the propaganda by some Indian authors, this percentage never changed since the first census of 1951. A great news is that Mr. Mukesh Kumar and Mr. Gayan Chand are two out of 18 ministers in Sindh cabinet are Hindu. Mr. Kamran Michael is one out of 19 ministers of federal government is Christian. Out of 270 MNAs 10 are from minorities. To me it is a plenty of voice for 3 percent representation.

Kamlesh Kumar | 9 years ago | Reply hello frndz! it is not the matter of who are u or from which religion u belongs, the first thing is u all are human , so don't judge anyone from his caste culture etc. i spend my whole life in pakistan even my ancestors haven't visited india. em happy to be a part of pakistan and also feel proud. People immediately judge someone from their religion , if he belongs to hindu community it means he belongs to india , i have also met persons who after hearing my name , asks me 'u r from india'. My frndz belongs to muslim community , they haven't realize me that i am from minorities they always supports me . even we eat drink togather. Due to some rubbish n foolish persons our society blame innocent persons. So always think positive.

flora | 9 years ago | Reply @junaid, Your view of India is wrong. As an indian roman catholic christian who lives 5 kms from the church attack in delhi which you are quoting it is done by miscreants ..The culture and people you come across in daily life in india (overwhelmingly hindus) were never religion specific in dealing with you as a person..You will feel indian and are free to do what any indian can do in india.

SALEEM | 9 years ago | Reply As a Pakistani i totally agree with Mr Lal Malhi, we should not malign any religion , sect or ethicity . A country , a group , an organization can be blamed. As follower of quaid e azam and his words m go to your temples , mosques churches or any places of worship , you are free . It is not the business of the state. ....everyone is equal in Pakistan

Haider | 9 years ago | Reply You are showing wrong picture of La Malhi.

fawad | 9 years ago | Reply @komal well said, but most of Pakistani will vlaim that Pakistan never claimed to be secular, but Islamic state so anything is OK, but for India it is strictly no no. !

Junaid | 9 years ago | Reply @Komal S: Pakistan is a right wing country as we are told by Indians but what happened to you "seculars"?When you play secular while Churches get attacked in Delhi and Beef gets banned in Maharashtra,people are bound to criticize you for you never get tired of calling yourselves Secular read pseudo but hey if that's what you call secularism,we are pretty happy being right wingers here in Pakistan :)

Komal S | 9 years ago | Reply Imagine a 14 year old muslim forcibly abducted and converted in India to Hinduism! For those Modi allergic Pakistanis, this does/will not even happen in Modi India. What tolerant Pakistan are you talking about? Have one good look at yourself before preaching to others.

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