John R. Houk
© January 12, 2013
Shamim is a Christian, a Pakistani and a journalist. He has involved himself in the political process of Muslim Pakistan with the goal of bringing political equality to Christians with the overwhelming Muslim Pakistanis. As such Shamim is journalistically through press support for the Pakistan Christian Congress (PCC).
Shamim writes in the article below that Christian-Pakistanis are very patriotic to their nation. I have indeed found this to be true. When I was a supporter of the cause of Free Hector Aleem, the administrator of that cause would often cheer for Pakistan causes whether in sports or for national prestige. The administrator is also the daughter of Hector Aleem. I was mystified about the reasons of such patriotic support for the nation of Pakistan. In recent years Christians in Pakistan have been on the receiving end of outlandish persecution at the hands of Muslim-Pakistanis both unofficially and officially. Christian Churches and neighborhoods have been vandalized while Christians themselves experienced violence from violent rioters. I asked Hector’s daughter why she was so pro-Pakistan while facing these circumstances including the way her father was being treated in jail. Her reply was simply that was a Christian by faith and a Pakistani by national origin.
Shamim Masih appears to have same kind of national love for his birth nation of Pakistan. In the Shamim article you will read below will discover how Christians are treated in Pakistan. Although Shamim does not mention this, treatment of Christians is the ancient Islamic practice of dhimmitude. This treatment is deplorable because Islam commands the treatment of non-Muslims to be insulting, derogatory and humiliation. Here is a description of a dhimmi from dhimmitude.org:
The concept of toleration is linked to a number of discriminatory obligations in the economic, religious and social fields, imposed by the shari'a on the dhimmis. The transgression by the dhimmis of some of these obligations, abolished their protection, and threaten them with death or slavery. Dhimmis suffered many legal disabilities intended to reduce them to a condition of humiliation, segregation and discrimination. These rules, established from the eight to nine centuries by the founders of the four schools of Islamic law, set the pattern of the Muslim's community's social behavior toward dhimmis. (Really you should read the complete details on dhimmitude on this web page)
Even though it is encoded into Islam to treat Christians horrifically Shamim and the PCC ideologically believe they can achieve political equality with all Pakistan citizens. Over 95% of Pakistanis are Muslim in 2012.
JRH 1/12/13
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PCC held press conference in Lahore
Joint electorate system empowers Muslim political parties; said PCC Pakistani Chief
Mushtaq Gill Advocate (center) President Pakistan Christian Congress PCC Lahore and other PCC leaders’ in a press conference in Lahore Press Club
By Shamim Masih
Sent: 1/10/2013 7:56 PM
LAHORE PAKISTAN (SHAMIM MASIH): Christianity in Asia has its roots in the very inception of Christianity, which originated with Christ Jesus, and then spread through the missionary work of his apostles. Pakistani Christians are very much patriotic towards their country and they are treated as Pakistani in any other country same as any other Pakistani. They are serving in every field but yet they have to face lots of problems.
Under severe Islamic Religious domination, the miseries of the Pakistani Christians are enormous and visible everywhere and at every level. Christians face severe difficulties politically as well. Pakistan has tried to address this by reserving certain proportions of seats for minority persons, but whether that is effective or not is a moot point.
Talking in the press conference Mushtaq Gill, President Pakistan Christian Congress-PCC Lahore Chapter said, the present constitution, political system and government are undemocratic. No more Democracy. Theocracy is prevailing in Pakistan.
Under this system, the Christians of Pakistan have neither equal political, socio-economical status, nor the equal access to available opportunities in playing a leading role in the national set-up. Though Christians believe and consider themselves to be first class citizens of Pakistan, the present political system believes the Christians are second class citizens and are practically at lowest level. They are constantly reminded at every level that it is not their country. Constitutionally, no Christian has the entitlement to become President, Prime Minister, Chairman of the Senate, or the Speaker of National Assembly (Parliament) of Pakistan. Under the constitutional bindings, the policies and practices have been adopted by all government and judicial functionaries to ignore and neglect the Christians every time, everywhere at all levels. People at lower level have adopted this as a law that no higher position or rank is given to any Christian, he explained.
The discourse on the method of minority representation in parliament has hovered around joint electorate system verses separate electorate for decades. PCC in a recent memorandum to the Election Commission of Pakistan –ECP [SlantRight Editor: Here is info on ECP] has demanded minority representation in parliament on the basis of dual voting rights. Dual voting rights is an electoral system through which religious minorities can elect their representatives in Parliament – similar to separate electorates – whilst simultaneously voting for general seat candidates.
Highlighting the joint electorate system as the one based on patronage, the PCC chief has said that the joint electorate system empowers Muslim political parties to distribute minority reserved seats in parliament in a ratio to their seats in assemblies through selection of their favored religious minority leaders, often after taking bribes in millions of rupees.
He urged the future Christian leaders to assess the needs of the community and challenge for appropriate electoral reform, working together across part divides to ensure the best possible solution for long suffering communities.
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Can Christians Achieve Political Equality in a Muslim Nation?
John R. Houk
© January 12, 2013
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PCC held press conference in Lahore
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