LAHORE: A strategy for religious tolerance has been adopted after a series of detailed consultations with representatives of different political and religious parties and groups, according to a press release issued here.
A non-profit organisation has started a work on the strategy while working on a Supreme Court judgement issued on June 19, 2014. Some of the participants said that the minorities were facing restrictions in observing their religious and cultural practices.
The participants formulated the strategy by sharing their grievances regarding their basic problems and discrimination besides suggestions for improvement. The National Commission for Minorities (NCM), established under the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, was also involved in these consultation sessions.
Through these meetings, a document has been developed that can pave the way for interfaith harmony and peaceful coexistence. It includes educational, employment, religious and cultural, media reporting, political and also constitution and the National Commission for Minorities as areas of concern.
The strategy has been presented to the National Commission of Minorities for the development of a national policy on interfaith harmony and human rights. “Most of such attitude has developed because of intolerance and hate speeches of the political and religious leaders,” the statement quoted the participants as saying.
They said that non-Muslims also facing threats in their personal lives due to forced conversions and the kidnappings. As a basic human right, the minorities should have rights to practices their religious and cultural events without any restrictions. To deal with such a situation, the strategy recommends to control misconceptions regarding different religions and faiths.
They suggested to the government to provide opportunities through local governments and peace committees to increase knowledge of communities and religious leaders to raise awareness about other religions to control hate speeches. Representatives of Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Bahai’s and Zoroastrian communities participated in the consultations.
Moreover, issues related to registration of marriage certificates, national identity cards and domiciles of the minorities along with other religious and cultural issues must be addressed in the document. Article 26(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says that everyone has the right to education. The strategy rightly suggests that as a step for the development of inclusive personality in children, education should focus on strengthening the human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Curricula and educational system should be made more inclusive such that it promotes peace and harmony between and within religions. It suggests that religious education should be equal for all at all educational institutions and the federal government especially the Interior Ministry should monitor the religious courses of different religions and through a proper plan remove the material that promotes religious hatred.
Due to lack of education, employment, freedom of expression and security, the minorities always avoid voting and participation in the political system. As everyone has a right to express and participate according to his or her political opinion, other than improving the electoral system the political parties should be more inclusive of the minorities so that they can participate and ensure equal distribution of funds without discrimination.
Published in Daily Times, February 25th 2018.
