Several days ago, Shamim shared about the U.S./Pakistan
foreign affairs dispute over the State Department placing Pakistan on a special
watch list relating to violations of religious freedom.
Shamim is a brave Pakistani Christian willing to criticize
Pakistan’s lack of human rights against religious minorities. In Pakistan if
you are not a Sunni Muslim, you can expect horrid discrimination up to and
including violence, rape or even murder. Pakistani victims of this designation
are often ignored in the legal system and oft times face the law for reporting
victimizing crimes.
JRH 1/11/18
********************
Pakistani Christians: Voiceless and Leaderless
By SHAMIM MASIH
Sent 1/8/2018 10:03 PM
ISLAMABAD: There is an uproar in Pakistan after placing its
name on a Special Watch List by the United States on the issue of religious
freedom and Pakistan rejected U.S. decision and considered it as “Politically motivated”.
Pakistan said on Friday that it “rejects the U.S. designation” and that the
report is “not based on objective criteria”.
“This placement on special watch list is a new categorization and we would be
seeking clarification from the U.S. regarding its rationale and implications,”
a statement from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
“It is surprising that countries that have a well-known
record of systematic persecution of religious minorities have not included in
the list,” the statement added. “This reflects the double standards and
political motives behind the listing and hence lacks credibility.”
Earlier in a statement, issued on Thursday, January 4, 2018,
the U.S. state department added Pakistan to a Special Watch List, while
re-designating a group of other countries as being of “particular concern” on
the issue of religious freedom. The State Department spokesman, Heather Nauert said in a statement
that the number of governments infringe upon individuals’ ability to adopt,
change, or renounce their religion or belief.” “In for too many places around
the globe, people continue to be persecuted, unjustly prosecuted, or imprisoned
for exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief”.
Under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998,
the U.S. annually designates countries of particular concern, and Thursday’s
statement re-designated Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Saudi
Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. “The Secretary also placed
Pakistan on a Special Watch List for severe violations of religious freedom,”
Nauert said.
Let me tell you; though it makes no difference if the U.S.
places Pakistan on a Special Watch list, but there are some facts which cannot
be denied. Pakistan was declared an Islamic Republic where both the President
and Prime Minister were required to be Muslims and Islam was the state
religion. It promotes a certain Islamic mindset and the constitution called for
the setting up of a Council of Islamic Ideology, comprising
religious scholars and experts, to enforce the repugnancy clause. And number
of discriminatory laws e.g. blasphemy laws are added in the constitutions
against religious minorities and thus minorities are being targeted and facing
challenges in Pakistan.
Now it is not only the matter of religious freedom for
minorities but women are also suffering the same. Pakistan is the fourth worst country
for women according to recently released ranking of the Women, Peace and
Security Index. Isn’t it a fact that minorities in Pakistan are being unjustly
prosecuted, or imprisoned for exercising their rights to freedom of religion or
belief? According to the World Report 2017, at least 19 people
remained on death row after being convicted under Pakistan’s
blasphemy law and hundreds awaited trial. Most of those facing blasphemy are
members of religious minorities, often victimized by these charges due to
personal disputes. The government continued to actively encourage legal and
procedural discrimination against members of the Christians and Ahmadi religious
community by failing to repeal discriminatory laws. Most recently, a week before Christmas celebrations two
suicide bombers attacked a Church packed with worshipers on Sunday
in Quetta, killing at least nine people and injuring at least 35 others,
several critically.
Suspects accused have no hope
Earlier former parliamentarian raised question on unequal,
unjust role of law by the judiciary and authorities. Pakistan Today reported,
“Former MP, Sindh Assembly Saleem Khokhar has demanded the release of
40 suspects in the Youhanabad lynching incident in a letter
addressed to the Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. Khokher said that just
like the Faizabad agreement, where all
the cases were dropped against the protesters, the Youhanabad suspects should
be released as soon as possible.” “Just because we don’t have weapons and that
we are a minority, the state won’t do an agreement with us,” he questioned? He
demanded that the same law should be applied to the Tehrik-e-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah
Chief Khadim Rizvi and his supporters. They were involved in
killing a police officer and beating several others, while also harming the
state property, why were they all released? Since I am writing this there is no
response from the authorities yet and two of the suspects [Indaryas Ghulam & Usman Masih] of Youhanabad have
died during their custody and third one on the row.
The Christian community is one of the most persecuted
minorities in Pakistan with a sudden surge in riots, mob lynching, target
killings and bomb blasts targeting their congregations and Churches in the
recent decade. And there is no rule of law and freedom and manifestation of
religion and expression. This is very unfortunate that this community either
cannot produce any visionary leader to fight for their rights or there are many
so called leaders and thus they remained voiceless since partition of the
subcontinent. However, I feel that there is a bigger need to look inward to
ensure the rights and freedom of religious minorities, especially Christians.
SUPPORT Shamim’s Christian advocacy in Pakistan.
First contact Shamim
in case he has found an easy way to donate. I like to use Western Union sending
money with this LINK
to the destination of Islamabad (Contact Shamim
in case he has changed cities). Shamim’s email is shamimpakistan@gmail.com,
Western Union may ask for Shamim’s phone - +92-300-642-4560
Be Blessed,
Shamim Mahmood
Diplomatic Correspondents
Online Int'l News Networks
Daily Jinnah & Daily Morning Mail
Journalist, Blogger and
Social Reformer
_________________
Edited by John R. Houk
Any text enclosed by brackets as well as source links are by the
Editor. Also, the Editor used Spellcheck.
A few words from Shamim perhaps from 2016:
Shamim Masih
Greetings to you! Let me introduce myself first, though many of you
are witness to my professional work. I am the only Christian journalist in this
arena with diverse work experience with different media outlets like
Independent News Pakistan (INP), as columnist with “Daily Times” for two years,
two years with one of the leading Urdu daily, “Khabrain” & Channel 5, Daily
Mail and now with Pakistan Today. I have been working as lead Reporter for
“British Pakistani Christian Association” since 2010. As stringer I have worked
with BBC world service. Being a Christian journalist, I have been writing on
minority rights and working as a social reformer/peace maker as well.
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