|
Mumbai:
The Catholic Secular Forum (CSF) and the All India
Christian Council led a protest in Mumbai against the
atrocities meted out to religious minorites including
Christians in Pakistan.
After a demonstration, which was held in Azad Maidan,
Mumbai, attended by thousands of different faiths, a
delegation met Shri S. C. Jamir, Governor of Maharashta,
to impress upon him to convey the hurt sentiments of
Indian citizens, via the President of India, to the
Government of Pakistan & others concerned.
As everyone is probably aware, Christians are the worst
sufferers of the Taliban, who have been attacking them,
along with other minorities like Sikhs in the North West
Frontier Province and even Southern Pakistan, where much
loss to life & property has been reported.
Christian churches, hospitals & homes were burnt by the
Taliban, including one that belonged to the Salvation
Army & the Baptists. Our very own brother, Joseph Dhar
reports from Jammu "Recently I met some Christians who
had come from Sialkot (Pakistan) to Jammu on valid
passports. They candidly confessed that the Christians
were terribly looked down upon in Pakistan and allowed
only to do menial jobs. They confessed that they were
offered money and other benefits should they adopt
Islam.
Their women were illtreated on roadsides. It shall be
interesting to note here that since the opening of the
routes in J&K to facilitate the meetings of the divided
families, all those Hindus and Sikhs who had stayed in
the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir came to the Indian side as
Muslims, meaning they all have been converted to Islam,
whereas they found their relatives here holding on to
their original faith.
Also presented below is Pakistan's track record of
treatment meted out to its minorities. It is no wonder
therefore, that while there has been a six fold decline
in the percentage of minorities' population in Pakistan.
In India, there has been a four fold increase in the
Indian Muslim population post Independence to date.
They have been branded and categorized “Kafirs”
(infidels), even as Pakistan has always been illtreating
its minorities. Repeated civilian governments showed no
interest in addressing their concerns. The Military
Governments headed by Zia-ul-Haq and Parvez Musharraf
were no better. During Zia's rule section 295 - C was
inserted in the Penal Code of Pakistan to harass the
Christian minority and during Musharraf's rule the
Management of Sikh Guruduwaras in Pakistan was taken
over from the Sikhs. Pakistan's Evacuee Trust Property
Board took over the 18th Century Guruduwaras in Lahore
and allowed the invaders to replace the Sikh symbols on
it by Islamic slogans. Section 295-C was used to
sentence Christians to death on a single, simple
unfounded accusation. Bishop Joseph's martyrdom lends
testimony to this fact.
On April 19, 2009 when on the Church walls in Karachi
Islamic slogans were painted and when Christians erased
the same they were beaten mercilessly and two Christians
slaughtered in full public view, while the Police
refused to intervene. Taliban militants are wasting no
time, pressurizing minorities in Pakistan. Christians
were attacked in Taiser Town, near Karachi, which is
outside the area where the Taliban have instituted
Sharia law. According to reports, at least three
Christians were killed, including an 11-year-old boy.
The Taliban were attacking a number of Christians who
were removing messages that had been written on their
church buildings and local homes - messages that called
for Christians to renounce their faith and made demands
to actually pay a jizye tax.
The jizya tax is tax levied on non-Muslims who are
living in a Muslim area. In return, non-Muslim citizens
were permitted to practice their faith, to enjoy a
measure of communal autonomy, to be entitled to the
Muslim state's protection, to be exempted from military
service and taxes levied upon Muslim citizens. The
consolidation of fundamentalist forces in the country
should rule out the possibility of any improvement in
the minority situation. It is terribly shocking, that
the fresh violation of the rights of minorities,
guaranteed under Article 20 of the Constitution of
Pakistan, has failed to register on the international
radar.
|
