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Thursday, April 11, 2013

Legislation demanded to stop forced conversions

Staff Report

KARACHI: Speakers at a conference on Wednesday demanded legislation to halt forced faith conversion, which was serious issue for Pakistani religious minorities.
Addressing the two-day conference, ‘Religious Minorities and Human Rights: Challenges and Opportunities’ that ended on Wednesday, the speakers demanded the provision for non-Muslim students to study their own religion (i.e. Christianity, Hinduism) in schools and compulsory status of the subjects of Arabic language and Islamiyat for non-Muslim students be removed. They said the State should take strict measures against the misuse of loudspeaker used for inciting hatred against religious minorities. Addressing the conference, Chief Justice of Sindh High Court (SHC) Justice Mushir Alam underlined the need for concerted efforts in the South Asian states to bring harmony in diversity and pluralistic society and ensure peace in the region. Earlier, in a resolution, passed on the occasion, the conference suggested that the South Asian civil society should take the initiative of developing a South Asian Charter for Minority Rights. It demanded that the discriminatory and potentially abusive against religious minorities’ clauses from the Pakistan Penal Code and other legislation be removed. There is a need to sensitize judges, lawyers and the judicial personnel, particularly of the lower judiciary, on equal citizenship rights of the minorities, the resolution added. Caretaker Sindh Minister for Human Rights Anis Haroon said, “We need to develop role models in Pakistan like in India, where after Gujarat incidents Hindus resisted and remained steadfast. She said although a resistance against fundamentalism exists in Pakistan, but it is becoming weaker with the passage of time due to hostile attitude by the extremist elements. Ram Punjwani, an academician from India, in his address via Skype said the extremism phenomenon had political reasons because it was happening in the entire region. When Muslims are being targeted in India, in retaliation Hindus and Christians were attacked in Pakistan. Similarly, Buddhists are being attacked in Bangladesh because of attacks on Muslims in Sri Lanka and Burma.

Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk

 

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