On 11th and 12th April 2018, Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) conducted a workshop on “Engaging on freedom of faith and inter-faith harmony in Pakistan”, in Islamabad. It was attended by around 20 experts, faith leaders, and development professionals who have worked in the domain of interfaith harmony, from Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, FATA, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
PIPS Senior Project Manager Muhammad Ismail Khan then shared findings of the interim report on undertaking initiatives related to freedom of faith and interfaith harmony in Pakistan. The report was compiled from interviews and focus-group discussion in the four provincial capitals with experts, faith leaders, development experts, academics, and journalists.
Among some issues faced by different faith groups, one of them pertains to inconsistency in their documentation. All non-Muslim groups contest their total count made on 1998 census, while the religious-wise numbers of the 2018 census are yet to be publicized. In some cases, those on the lower-rung even lack identity documents, thereby excluding them from socio-political processes and increasing their vulnerabilities.
Thus, rather than compartmentalizing the issue, presenting it as the problem of one or other community, Zafarullah Khan asked to explore how common Pakistanis have been denied the rights accorded to them as citizens of the land. This, he said, has spawned different types of citizens, ranging from those who live in FATA to those who in Islamabad.
Strikingly, while quoting from the constitutional history of Pakistan, Zafarullah underlined that “democracy in Pakistan has promoted inclusion of non-Muslims, whereas dictatorial eras saw exclusion.” There was not a single non-Muslim legislator in the legislature of Ayub’s, while Zia’s policies negatively impacted non-Muslims. This reality calls upon strengthening democratic norms and institutions in the country.
Peace activist Romana Bashir brought to forum the range of issues non-Muslims have
She lamented how religion has been used as a card to oppress the weaker segment of society, and call for annulling this attitude.
Earlier, quoting from the report, a range of suggestions were discussed, one of which was about economic mainstreaming of non-Muslims. It was suggested that the 5% quota marked for non-Muslims should be filled properly. Civil society should get data on that, and train others on how to get that data, using the Right to Information Act (RTI).
The next day, participants and experts discussed which players are pivotal to fostering harmony, and how.
Senior journalist Sabookh Syed agreed that media have been reporting mostly on political and security happenings, at the cost of issues pertaining to interfaith harmony. But he reminded that media itself is influenced by viewers’ choices. While we tend to talk a lot, blaming media for everything, we rarely take action for our betterment, he said, summarizing, “Vote and remote are in your hands.”Participants were told about the centrality of society in creating a peaceful environment. Unless people embrace each other, expecting state authorities to do is illogical.
Faith leaders have a central role too. Discussing that role, religious scholar Amanat Rasool discussed that faith leaders can bring about reforms in the society through their position in the community, by delivering sermons on interfaith harmony.
Development expert Rashad Bokhari commended the work of people and organizations striving for a tolerant and peaceful free society but lamented that such change agents are wrongly linked to external forces. This, he said, is the biggest hindrance in attempting to undertake any such activity, calling for discarding this attitude.
In the end, participants also shared their recommendations on promoting interfaith harmony. They said both state and civil society have their roles to play. The state, they said, should identify issues affecting interfaith harmony, provide for quota to non-Muslims in education, arrange exposure visits; shape an inclusive curriculum among others. Civil society organizations can raise awareness of people, arrange dialogue, partner with district bodies, and engage youth.
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