An admirable portrayal of Interfaith unity by the people of Cairo.

Christians and Muslims have shown great solidarity in the face of adversary. In Egypt, Christians protected Muslims as they prayed Salah in Cairo. Moreover, Muslims were seen protecting churches after the appalling events earlier this year that saw two churches burnt down. This solidarity shows great promise and the strength of Cairo’s community.

These aspiring actions provide a shining example of interfaith that everyone should embody. These acts of unity reflect and personify Faith Matters’ effort to achieve social harmony throughout the world.

Faith Matters applaud, praise and stand in solidarity with the citizens of Egypt.

Faith Matters 'Sharing Stories' event.

Guest Speakers with Faith Matters team member Mr Anwer.

Faith Matters in collaboration with Westminster University, held an event entitled; Sharing Stories in celebration of International Interfaith Week 2011.

The event, which discussed the importance of religious articles, brought together speakers from a diverse range of backgrounds who explained what role objects and symbols played in their various faiths.

Inter-faith dialogue is an advantageous asset to encompass as a positive approach to ground stability and reach social harmony within society. Religious dialogues embody the importance of tolerance within communities, and help strengthen and encourage interaction in a constructive light. 

The event was incredibly interesting and allowed for much debate and discussion. It also allowed for a meeting of a diverse range of faiths who were able to compare and contrast their various traditions and practises. Faith Matters would like to thank everyone who attended in celebration of Interfaith Week 2011 and for your support.

The importance of forming a unified stance for the betterment of Pakistan.

‘In the eyes of history, religious toleration is the highest evidence of culture in a people. It was not until the Western nations broke away from their religious law that they became more tolerant, and it was only when the Muslims fell away from their religious law that they declined in tolerance’ Pickthall (1927)

Although the effects of the Pakistan floods are still resonating within the country today, the marginalisation occurring of Christian minorities in terms of land and aid have grown at an alarming rate. This is the current discourse in the media, although hundreds regardless of religion and vicinity have not received adequate aid due to the sheer numbers of distribution needed. It is alleged that Pakistan’s minority groups have yet to receive substantial aid and land as pledged by their government because of individuals restricting aid to reach certain areas. To be refused aid due to caste, creed or religion is appalling particularly in a country that was originally created on an ideology to tackle ostracism and discrimination. It is openly understood that politics holds a considerable podium for Pakistan’s residents and differences are a natural occurrence. But one public figure that all Pakistani citizens to this day jointly agree with was Mr Jinnah; unfortunately adhering to his ideology is not prevalent as such.

Mr Jinnah’s presidential speech in 1947 was the epitome of the need of cohesion, he stated

‘You are free, you are free to go to your temples and you are free to go to your mosques or other places of worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any religions, caste or creed that had nothing to do with the business of the state.’

Politicizing aid distribution and denying access to flood schemes based on religious belief is not only contradictory to Jinnah’s teaching but hypocritical in nature when observed within the context of why Pakistan was created. He envisioned a country devoid of discriminatory practises; he talked of equality and suppression of Muslims, why then do the Muslim citizens of Pakistan openly practise the very acts that he abhorred. Further dominant Pakistani opinion regarding the Palestinian issue is that of severe concern because of the lack of equality and human right violations that Palestinians face. But the same concern should be also focused on their own fellow citizens, it is true that the stigmatisation and marginalisation is on a root level in Pakistan and not on the same scale as the issue in the Arab world; even so any iota of discrimination should not be tolerated.

The approach that has been augmented is that of an ‘us and them’ mentality used in regard to the minorities of Pakistan, to create a fabricated narrative in order to satisfy the anger and questions of the masses by those on a political platform. Issues such as non UN sanctioned drone attacks and air strikes in north and south Waziristan,( the purpose being to tackle pro-Taliban militants, 40 odd killed but injuring & losing 2,050 Pakistani civilians), and the civilian casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan; has sparked a mind-set of associating these casualties with the Christian minorities. Alienating Pakistan’s minorities to the extent of associating and grouping them with their ‘adversaries’ so to speak is absurd. Loyalty is not determined by race or religion and there should not be any need to parade it. There is a fundamental need of awareness and education in this matter, more dignitaries like Anthony Lobo a Pakistani Roman Catholic Bishop are needed, a figure who contributed considerably to education and elevated a platform for Pakistani Christian youths.

Evidently the citizens of Pakistan want change but they have perceptibly become disillusioned with empty promises, no real representation and inadequate policies that are considered offensive to be revised .Pakistan needs more brave individuals such as Justice Alvin.R. Cornelius who was a firm believer in the Pakistan constitution and an enthusiast of a theocentric society, but what would this new Pakistan offer Mr Cornelius, if he were alive today? A Pakistan devoid of tolerance and widespread in partiality, for personal gains and protection.

A further disappointment is the absence of the mass media. The media has chosen to refrain from mentioning the magnitude of the implications the assassinations and slayings have created. The media has chosen to minimise the issue and to keep silent because of the threat of retaliation by opposing groups. Where are the brave journalists like Indian Christian Joseph Pothan (1892-1972) who was a vocal advocate of the Muslim League and later served as the first editor of Pakistan’s reputable and candid newspaper ‘Dawn’?

Pakistan citizens need to see the importance of forming a unified alliance free of bias and discrimination to create awareness and acknowledgement, this is necessary to create stabilisation. Interfaith dialogue is essential to form a foundation for this alliance there is a need to apply the wisdoms undertaken by the respectable Bishop Joseph Coutts and ‘Caritas Pakistan’ Harsher policies need to be introduced and implemented to deter individuals taking matters into their own hands, empty of the fear of retribution. There is a substantial need for a secure platform for minority grievance to be recognised and a necessity that discourse is presented with facts and tangible evidence. Pakistan craves for more individuals such as the bold and compassionate Father Francis Nadeem. Fr Francis is an exemplary figure fighting for minority rights and providing a platform for such inequalities.

Ultimately Pakistan’s administration needs to be swift in their response and acknowledgement to allegations of discrimination. The report that had been requested in September has yet to surface and be implemented, the need for prompt action is important to appease public dissatisfaction of the government’s inactivity. Pakistan’s government and citizen’s must take a vocal stand against discrimination and form a united stance against those who follow and present an ideology based on intolerance as an Islamic norm, it’s a duty of every Muslim, indeed of every Human being to stand for integrity for the repressed.

Hold to forgiveness; command what is right; and turn away from the ignorant.

Quran, Chapter 7 ‘The Heights’ verse 199.

Aisha Murad.

Faith Matters successful October visit to Lahore Pakistan.

Faith Matters meeting with Pakistan’s State Minister of National Harmony, Mr A. Gill.

Faith Matters 'Pakistan Project' Manager Mr Rehman Anwer
in talks with Mr A.Gill.

The Minister of State for National Harmony, Akram Masih Gill, met with the staff of Faith Matters on Saturday October 22, 2011 in Lahore to support our efforts to bring peace and stability in Pakistan through our inter-faith dialogue sessions. The Minister was extremely encouraged by the work of Faith Matters in Pakistan, and suggested that we should try and expand our interfaith programme so that it becomes part of the national agenda of building stronger communities, and developing the country.

The Ministry of National Harmony has taken the place of the former Ministry of Minority Affairs. The name change is symbolic of the recognition that the safety and wellbeing of minority communities is integral to the stability and harmony of the nation as a whole.


Faith Matters meeting with distinguished figure of inter-faith action, Father Francis Nadeem.

The Faith Matters Team recently met with Fr. Francis Nadeem of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lahore and the co-ordinator of the National Council for Interfaith Dialogue (NCID) with the aim of securing his support for our work in Pakistan and to build the relationship between the NCID and Faith Matters.

Faith Matters 'Pakistan Project' Manager Mr Rehman Anwer with
Father Francis.

Both organisations are passionately committed to building dialogue between the Muslim and Christian communities of Pakistan, with the aim of spreading peace and tolerance. Father Francis has expressed his concern over the lack of official recognition of the contributions of the Christian communities to Pakistan. The lack of education and awareness about these contributions exacerbates the already unacceptable level of discrimination and marginalisation faced by minority communities.

Both organisations share the belief that it is through the development and progress of the country, that peace and harmony can finally be brought about. It is our objective for the future that the NCID and Faith Matters can join forces on programmes to help achieve our shared aims of Interfaith harmony and a democratic future for Pakistan, irrespective of personal religious beliefs. This was the vision of the founding father of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the very principles that Pakistan was built on.

Faith Matters rewarding visit to Green Field School.

Faith Matters 'Pakistan Project' Manager Mr Rehman Anwer with Green
Field School Staff and pupils.

The Faith Matters team organized an interfaith workshop at Green Field School, Lahore on the 21st of October, 2011. The aim of the workshop was to promote the significance of interfaith harmony and the part it should play in the education of young people. It is a topic that is currently missing from school syllabuses, despite the important role religious tolerance and dialogue plays in peace building. In order to counter-act the marginalisation of religious minorities.

Faith Matters supports the inclusion of information about the Christian and other minority faith communities of Pakistan in school textbooks. It is through working at a grass roots level, and holding workshops like this one, that Faith Matters is able to speak to the youth directly and spread our message of peace and stability for the future.

Faith Matters Team.

Need for Interfaith Harmony in Pakistan

By Rehman Anwer

The present environment of radicalization and extremism in Pakistan, which is multi-faceted in nature, can be linked back to a number of major factors.  One factor is the existence of certain individuals who possess a superficial, ill-informed understanding of religious teachings who for some reason have decided to promote hatred and violence in society rather than striving for the development of the country. At the same time, there is not sufficient presence of any infrastructure to promote interfaith and intra-faith harmony at a national level, which has left the faith-based communities of Pakistan in a vulnerable situation. As a result, faith-based discrimination has rapidly grown in Pakistan over the last few years. The mass killing of members of the Christian community in Gojra in 2009 and the recent murders of Governor Salman Taseer and Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti have increased tensions between the Muslim and Christian Communities of Pakistan.

Such faith based hatred exists contrary to the mainstream views of Pakistani society, whose citizens are aware of the historical relationship between the members of Christian and Muslim communities in the country. Pakistan’s Christian community made substantial contribution towards the creation and for the progress of the country. Members of both communities have lived side by side for decades and have stood together as one nation in times of national crisis. The religious teachings of both communities are focussed on love, compassion, peace, tolerance and respect for each other’s beliefs and values. The founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, envisioned Pakistan as a  true democratic state where everyone could fully enjoy human rights and where no one can ever suffer discrimination based on personal beliefs. The arguments expressed in favour of the partition of united India were based on the assertion that religious minorities needed a homeland in which to exercise personal and religious autonomy. The fact that the minority communities of contemporary Pakistan are not fully protected by the State goes against the very conception and spirit behind the creation of Pakistan.

For a country founded on such values, the present situation of radicalization suggests something somewhere has gone very wrong. An increasing communications gap between members of different faiths living in Pakistan combined with inadequate understanding of religious teachings can be seen as prime reasons for faith-based discrimination. However, there are also other factors at work which have contributed to pushing Pakistani society towards religious fundamentalism and extremism.  Recent research conducted by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan identifies some of the root causes of religious hatred in Pakistan. The report suggested that one of the most basic ways in which faith based hatred and discrimination can spread is through the dissemination of extremist or discriminatory ideas to children and young people, for example through educational material. For instance, widely used textbooks contain material proclaiming that Muslims are superior to other faith communities.  Rather than promoting respect for each and every individual, irrespective of their religious ideologies, such textbooks become tools through which social barriers and discrimination are upheld.

An important factor in the protection of minority rights in Pakistan is fair political representation in both the Senate and Parliament. The existing political system however is not actually fully representative of all faiths. In the case of political under-representation of the Christian community, the political system in fact acts as a barrier, stopping them from protecting and promoting their rights. Constitutional provisions that restrain non-Muslims from key government positions is another major factor in causing further divides in the faith communities of Pakistan. Last but not least is the misuse of certain legislations on procedural grounds, and using them against the poorest and most vulnerable members of society, including both non-Muslims and Muslim communities.

Addressing the afore mentioned problems as the roots of religious hatred and fanaticism prevalent in Pakistani society today is a challenging task which requires the collective efforts of the members of civil society, NGOs working on interfaith harmony in Pakistan, Government peace initiatives and an unbiased print and electronic media. In order to ensure a secure and safe Pakistan in the future, the promotion of a true understanding of the legacy of Islam is required- an understanding based on tolerance and respect. There is a dire need to promote a culture of interfaith dialogue between the members of diverse faith communities living in Pakistan, and to educate the general population about respecting other faiths and beliefs. Pakistan is a country where the majority of the population are young. These young people need to be mobilized from their respective faith traditions and provided with a platform from which they can explore their commonalities, where they can learn how to become a unified nation, struggling and working together to bring back the Pakistan as visualized by Quaid-e-Azum.