Independence Day

Independence Day

By – Shamim Masih

As Sunni majority Pakistan is celebrating 68^th Independence Day, where religious minorities of the country are still living in fear. Pakistan came into being on the basis of odd two nation theory. In spite of living together for centuries, the Hindus and the Muslims were unable to co-operate and co-exist with each other on the basis of religion.  Thus the two nation theory was presented and pretended that there were two different nations living in the sub-continent, who have different religion, culture and social values and back ground and they can never merge with each other; whereas cultural and social values were mostly common other then religion. Therefore Muslim leaders demanded a separate homeland for them.

After years struggle, Mohammad Ali Jinnah succeeded in getting a separate homeland for Muslims of South Asia in 1947. On August 11, 1947, just three days prior to independence, founder of the country made a speech in the constitution assembly and called on Pakistanis not to interject religion into their public lives. The important role of minorities was enshrined in the national flag with a white bar. He said, you are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the State.

Now you see, founding father has set other religions minorities’ free and mentioned religion, caste or creed has nothing to do with the business of the State. But after two decades, an ideological state established in the name of Islam lost its east wing. East Pakistan emerged on the world map as Bangladesh. Unfortunately Pakistan is not independent in true spirit yet; certain mindset person dominates and rule on it. After the partition of the Bangladesh later Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto started discrimination with religious minorities. He declared Ahmadis non-Muslims and managed to sideline the religious minorities nationalizing Christian’s educational and health institutions.

Later a military dictator Gen Zia made strict blasphemy laws and since then more than 1500 blasphemy cases were reported. Sources confirm that 51 blasphemy accused were murdered before their respective trails were over. How come, Pakistan is called truly independent when its religious minorities suffer? Asia Bibi, mother of five, Sawan Masih and Christian Couple in Gojra and many others are still suffering in jail death sentence accused of blasphemy cases. If the constitution gives equal rights to all citizens; why Christian colonies like shanty nager, Sangla Hill, Gojra and Joseph Colony and a church in Mardan city were set ablaze? Christian couple was burnt alive and churches in Bhawalpur, Peshawar and Youhanabad, Lahore were attacked where hundreds worshipers were killed and many were injured. Christians along with other minorities of Pakistan faces discrimination and persecution by the State and fellow citizens. They are routinely been accused of blasphemy and attacked or jailed. Their homes and worship places are burned down. Young girls are kidnapped / rapped and forcefully converted to Islam and married.  

Nazir S Bhatti, president Pakistan Christian Congress – PCC said Pakistan Christians are not free in true sense instead they are gone to slavery. They can’t worship freely and enjoy their life. He said rulers have bulldozed minorities’ basic rights and turned to second citizen of the country. Thus 14^th August, does not represent true spirit of the freedom. Albert David, chairman Pakistan United Christian Moment - PUCM, while expressing his view on Independence Day said unfortunately the real freedom and real democracy could not prevail in the country. The government and private sector have failed provide equal rights to minorities in Pakistan. We can even see the discrimination in the legislation. Top most offices in the country are banned for minority representatives. Doors of the President house, Prime Minister, Chief Minister, Chief of Army Staff and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court are closed for religious minorities.

During Ramadan, all restaurants and other coffee shops are closed, not only this no minority member can eat or drink in an open space. The law is extremely hypocritical and prejudiced not only on a social level, but also on a religious level. It is been preached and guarantee equal rights to minorities in Islam and the constitution of Pakistan, then why religious minorities are deprived to eat in restaurants or at office or any other public place. When it not their religious duty to fast during Ramadan. Enforcing respect of Ramadan by an ordinance is violation of human rights. Isn’t it violation of human rights? Now the time has come that people of Pakistan and the government has to realize that religious observance is usually personal matter, not an insurance plan.

Justice delayed is justice denied

Justice delayed is justice denied

By – Shamim Masih

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court of Pakistan Justice Dost Muhammad Khan said during the local ceremony in the twin city, God would judge each person deeds according to His justice; therefore, judges should render expeditions justice to litigant public and earn the pleasure of God.

In June 2009, Asia Noreen, know as Asia Bibi lived in a village of Distt. Sheikhupura had arguments with Muslims women for drinking water in the same cup. She was subsequently accused of insulting the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, although she denied but was arrested and imprisoned. In November 2010, a judge sentenced her to death. Additionally, a fine of the equivalent of $ 1,000/ was imposed with the verdict and thus mother of five became the first woman condemned to death in Pakistan on blasphemy charges.  

In October 2014, her death sentence had been confirmed by the Lahore High Court – LHC. A month later, in November 2014, Asia Bibi filed an appeal in the Supreme Court as her final legal recourse, dashing hopes the conviction might be overturned or commuted to a jail term. After five year on the death row, in July 2015, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has suspended her execution given leave to appeal. But no hearing date was set.

The execution of Asia Bibi has been suspended and will remain suspended until the decision of this appeal, her lawyer told media outside the court. However Asia Bibi will remain in jail between life and death. Bibi’s blasphemy case has become the most controversial blasphemy case in the world. Although Pakistan has never executed anyone for blasphemy but some people accused of the offence in the past have been lynched by crowds. Lawyers, judges and those seeking to reform the blasphemy laws have been threatened, attacked or even killed.

Since General Zia ul Haq included the stringent blasphemy law in the constitution violence worsens in Pakistan. Thousands of the people have charged under this law since then. Prior to 1986, only 14 cases pertaining to blasphemy were reported. According to sources, 51 people accused of blasphemy were murdered before their respective trails were over.

Christians along with other minorities in Pakistan face discrimination and persecution by the state and fellow citizens. They are routinely accused of blasphemy and attacked or jailed. Their homes and churches are burned down; young girls are kidnapped / rapped and are forcefully converted to Islam and married. If I do remember, since Shanti nager violence, Christians find it nearly impossible to get justice from the state when they are harassed or discriminated against.

Since then thousands of the Christians have fled to U.N. refugee camps in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and other countries. Where they are mistreated and see no future even. To acquire Thai and Malaysian visas is not difficult on the other hand European and US don’t allow any Pakistani Christian to entre in fearing they will go for asylum. Thus mostly are refused even if they are genuine.

According to report, the real motive behind the Badamibagh, Lahore incident was personal grudge. But Sawan Masih sentenced to death accusing of blasphemy. Many Christians are behind the bars accused of lynching of Youhanabad. There are many laws and social norms firmly in place to ensure that Christians don’t dare think beyond what is prescribed for them.

This is very unfortunate that judiciary, government and its law enforcement agencies are not serious to resolve minority issues and have failed to protect minorities while parliament had failed to end discrimination among all nations of the country. Is this the country, founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah dreamed for?             

Death-row prisoner rescued

Death-row prisoner rescued

Rah e Nijat Ministries rescue a prisoner after paying ransom

By – Shamim Masih

ISLAMABAD: After three years on death row in Central Jail Adyala, Rawalpindi, Sajid Masih’s death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. He was released 15 years later in early July, 2015, after human activist who had been visiting him in prison requested the superintendent to pay his fine after completion of his life imprisonment.

Sajid and His brother Shakil awaited trail for

Sajid Masih and Safder Chaudhry visited me after he released

more than three before being sentenced to death for murder in 1995 in Gujrat. Sajid was transferred to the notorious death row in Adayla Prison, Rawalpindi. There, he waited in a windowless, 2 x 2.5 m cell for his turn to be executed. He shared that space – its cardboard matrix on floor and single bucket toilet – with as many as 10 – 15 other death row inmates. While on death row, Sajid witnessed numerous mass executions by hanging. People were executed on a monthly – sometimes weekly – basis especially under the last two tenure of the political and military ruler General Parvaiz Musharaf. Sajid also witnessed and have faced torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment on a regular basis. “It was like hell, we were undergoing both mental and physical torture,” he said. He said he was spared from such treatment because his family and Rah e Nijat Ministries often visited him and other prisoners in the jail. Some of those who are not so lucky are still suffering others died from some infectious diseases which were rampant in the prison.

Despite his time on death row, Sajid does not feel resentment or want revenge. Religion and services in the Jail Church have changed my life, he said. Safder Chaudhry, Secretary General, Rah e Nijat Ministries said Pakistan should abolish the death penalty. He feels that Pakistan has lost a lot of skilful people due to the government’s death penalty policies; people who could have contributed to society but who were executed instead after sitting for years on death row. Both were happy when they visited me at my residence.

Sajid is one of many thousands of Pakistanis whose lives have been threatened by the death penalty. He was lucky to be spared when Lahore High Court has turned his death sentences to life imprisonment in 2003. Despite the democratic government which came into power in 2008 in the country under civilian ruler, the death penalty is still on and mandatory for certain criminal offenses.

The European Union – EU repeatedly expressed concern over increasing executions in Pakistan and demanded of the government to reinstate the moratorium on the death penalty and fully respect all of its international obligations.

There are currently over eight thousands inmates on death row prisoners in Pakistan, according to the government statistics. There are national debates which highlighted how the population is divided over the issue. The abolitionists claimed that the justice system cannot deliver justice while rejectionists claim that death penalty deters crime and that it is part of religious-based legal systems.

A day-long discussion on “World Day against the Death Penalty” unanimously opposed a generalized application of the death penalty and was also in agreement that in over two dozen capital offenses on the statute books the death penalty was not mandated by Islam. However the government decided to resume state-sanctioned executions after the tragic Army Public School massacre at the end of last year. Since then more hundred people have been hanged till death. Out of those, only few percent are being tried as terrorists, therefore, lifting the moratorium on the death penalty for all those convicted and given capital punishment has instigated heated controversy.  

Duplicity of Pak Govt towards religious minorities

Duplicity of Pak Govt towards religious minorities

By – Shamim Masih

ISLAMABAD: My article printed on June 20, 2013 at Daily Times, Islamabad stated that Pakistani Christians have thrown some of their political support to Pakistan Muslim League (N) in the election on 11 May 2013, even though they have reason to be wary of his return to power. Majority of the Pakistani Christians are not optimistic about Sharif’s government because of their religious approach and prejudiced mind set. In general, Pakistan is unable to achieve its desired status in the comity of nations despite have good natural and human resources; the reason is that there is injustice at the heart of all its systems on all levels.

The PML-N’s history of ruling over Punjab province is marked by several episodes of anti-Christian violence. Although blasphemy laws ar

Youhababad incident with official

e being misused in the country widely but most of cruel incident against Christians happened in the Punjab province under Sharif’s rule. Present PML-N government has not only shown its duplicity in Punjab province but exposed at the federal level as well.

After the deadly blasts in two Churches of Yohanabad which killed at least 17 people and around eighty people were injured in the explosions, yet normalcy hasn’t returned. Many families haven’t returned to Youhanbad. The suicide bombings in two churches were timed to cause optimum damage since there were 2000 worshippers present in the Sunday mass. But volunteer security guards and policemen engaged the suicide bombers at the gate at the cost of their own lives. The angry mob burned the two suspects who were later found to be innocent. The media devoted more airtime to lynching and the mob’s vandalism than to the aftermath of the bombings. Thus the real image of Christians was forged. We heard Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, addressing the Parliament termed the lynching the “worst form of terrorism.” His outburst prompted the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan to urge the authorities to exercise caution and “avoid giving the impression that they are keen to pursue the killers of the two men than they are in protecting the minority community’s rights against terrorists’ attacks.” No one has ever been punished for all the crimes committed against the Christian community but police have registered terrorism cases against hundreds of the Christians, identified through video footage and photographs of the mob attack. Each night since, said Pastor Ashknaz, plainclothes policemen arrived, “prop up ladders, break down doors and pick up the men on basis of more suspicion.” Residents claimed police have even targeted children. The authorities appear more concerned with Muslim victims than Christian ones.

Another discriminatory behavior from Punjab government is that with a population of 100,000 mostly Christians of Youhanabad are still deprived of the Metro Bus service at Youhanabad station. They use the bus terminal where they face systematic harassment each day. Especially Christian women of the area have been facing harassment after the incident. The very next day, people started pouring out of mosques to avenge the killings; the Muslim mob violence went public, several Christian boys from the area were beaten, allegedly in retaliation to the lynching. A church has also been vandalized, its windows were broken and doors marked with black paint. The attacks may be sporadic, but the fear they cause is very real. Aslam Pervaiz Sahotra and many others are still waiting for justice behind bars. In this cruelty Christian associates of PML-N have join hands with the sitting provincial government. The prominent member gets boots from the CM Shahbaz Sharif couple of years back. None of the responsible person from the government side has yet visited the heartbroken community.

Now when Interior Minister forced “Save the Children” to shut down its office in the country, then he added many other INGOs to follow strict new licensing procedures. Recently Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan canceled the visas of three Philippine nuns, prompting a lawsuit from the Catholic Church. Express Tribune reported that they were accused of “engaging in employment in violation of their visa category.” The nuns have been working in Pakistan for decades, but now they were told they must leave.  Abid Nazir, an attorney said that these nuns are “missionary workers” and have devoted their lives to educating and helping impoverished children in Pakistan. He fears that interior minister has a personal dispute with principal. Nazir said Nisar Ali Khan’s wife used to work as a teacher at the school but resigned in 2011 after the dispute with principal.

Still, the controversy is another example of how Pakistan is again taking a more aggressive stance toward some foreigners trying to work here. When US missionary inquired about a months old travel request, a communications officer said the matter was being held up by the Interior Ministry. Pakistani government is practicing unannounced banned on international missionaries visiting Pakistan just because of personal liking or disliking. The recent crackdown is so surprising; there has been no known trigger for it. During the last visit of Secretary of State John Kerry, said both Pakistani and U S officials have been stressing that relations between two countries have greatly improved.

Its mind set of the present government, Interfaith Harmony Ministry is merged and all minority issues are held. This means, there is no minorities’ voice neither in the legislation nor outside the house. This government cunningly has sidelined all the minorities’ so called representative in the parliament house. It is noteworthy that if the democratic process in any state has to be checked then one must look at how its minorities are treated. No society can aspire to call itself democratic if it systematically excludes specific groups from the full protection of laws, provision of equal rights and opportunities.

UNITED and HUMBLE

UNITED and HUMBLE

By – Shamim Masih

ISLAMABAD: Everything rise and fall on leadership, said Pastor Henry Madava. Nelson Mendala, who led South Africa from apartheid to democracy, was a humble, persuasive and inspirational figure who advocated peace, democracy and human right. He said, “Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice for the freedom of their people.” After years of being accused of surrounding himself with Old Etonians, David Cameron moved toshed his image for being out of touch with a “Blue Collar” reshuffle. The Prime Minister promoted a slate of school-educated ministers to key role as he unveiled his first Conservative-only government. Son of a Pakistani bus driver and daughter of a Ugandan shopkeeper who fled Idi Amin are two big winners in “Blue Collar” reshuffles’. There was also promotion for comprehensive schoolboy Greg Clark, who becomes Communities Secretary, while campaigning backbencher Robert Halfon becomes Conservative party deputy chairman.  Cameron moves to promote ministers from non-privileged backgrounds.

Since my childhood, I dreamed of the day to have a contented and prosperous life, but today, my dream didn’t turn the way I imagined it, but there is nothing I can do about it. This is how Pakistani Christians community lives look today, and we have to adopt. Christians represent just a sliver of the population of the Pakistan. Major portion of the Christians’ population settled in the outskirts of the cities with dirt roads and cement-block homes. Most face daily discrimination and eke out a living by holding low-paying jobs, like street sweeping. However, they’ve carved out their own lives in the country that faces near-daily attacks by the extremists. Under Pakistan’s harsh blasphemy laws, anyone can be convicted of insulting Islam or the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims often take the law into their hands, killing those suspected of blasphemy and attacking neighborhoods. Yet despite these worries, life goes on for Christians here. But I wish to attract your attention to very serious problem and I hope you will take some positive steps. The problem is non-visionary Christian leadership in Pakistan.

Pakistani Christian Politicians: When I was school boy, I saw Julius Salik, who had enjoyed the protocol sitting in the flag staff car but has done nothing for the betterment of Christians. He was the only candidate, who received the highest number of votes during the general election in end eighties and had enoyed during Prime Minister Banazir Bhutto' regime. Then we have seen many names sitting in federal and provisional assembly. During the care take government Col. (R) Tressler had enjoyed many times during care taker tenure but instead doing anything good for majority Christians  he had tried his best to damage the Christian cause. Many unnecessary and unlawful favors were given to his family members during his tenure. During the most recent tenure, Shahbaz Bhatti was selected by the PPP government as Federal Minister for minorities. He was assassinated by the extremist group for being outspoken against blasphemy law. But practically neither he has taken any solid step nor done anything for community. I am not commenting on his life style he led but there is question mark as well. Nothing solid work for community left behind his death. Rather after his death his successor wasted the offer to establish educational institution for Christians in the country. Since president Musharaf introduced the selection system on minority reserved seats in the parliament house, Christian selected members have become a rubber stamp that create fake arguments for the betterment of the community, while in the secrecy of the corridors of power they toe the line of the ruling elite.  Now we have Christian political leadership sitting in or outside the government with no vision, no commitment, and no inspirational figure is seen in this arena. The irony is that the Christian leadership has become a lame duck and is doing nothing to serve its serve it community.

Christian Missionaries in Pakistan: Recently I read news that a Sikh removes turban to help injured child, showed truemeaning of the religion. The turban is an integral part of Sikhism and is worn by many Sikhs as a symbol of love and dedication to the faith, the Sikh Coalition notes. Sikhs ties their turbans each day a commitment to the religion. Those who choose to wear turbans do not remove them in public. On the other hand, Pakistani Christians are facing many problems and suffering but our clergy never bothered to think the solutions of it, instead they are involved immoral activities. I am eye witness that during the twin churches attack inYouhanabad, father Francis Gulzar was laughing while entering in the graveyard during the funeral ceremony of the martyrs’.  Poverty is a big problem in our country, many of them have no money or not enough money to get food, clothes and get education for their children. There are many educational institutions that are run or managed by Christian missionaries. But unfortunately our religious leadership is least interested to educate the Christian children. Instead they are engage in selling church properties and earning money in the name of God. Many church leaders and their families are not religious or not leading life according to the teaching of Christ but they teach Christianity. Former Bishop of Lahore, Alexander John Malik and Bishop of Karachi, Sadiq Denial has been involved in illegal activities and thus defaming Christian norms. Christian institutions run by Roman Catholic and Church of Pakistan are not taking Christian students for they can’t pay high fees. Christian politicians sitting in the government and clergy in Lahore has reportedly played reprehensible role in Yohanabad incident. These are the same ones who have done nothing when Joseph Colony and Gojra incident accrued.

Removing barriers to success like discrimination and divisions is a necessity for success. There are many young ones dreaming of the day to have a contented and prosperous life like me. People in leadership role can help them seek out and capitalize on more opportunities, find solutions to challenges before problems and create a happier, healthier, more productive life. There is urgent need to establish equality, social justice and peace. In reference to the ongoing persecution and discrimination suffering the Christian, it is duty of the leadership to take stand to save the rights of the community to prove themselves the real leaders, "Humble and United".