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.