Discrimination free Pakistan

Shamim Mahmood

Islamabad: God created man with a free will, so freedom is a basic human right. No human being has the right to subjugate, hurt or despise another human being. Whether one belongs to any race, religion or sect, one has the right to do what one wants or likes to do. Mankind's relationship expands to all the humanity in all its forms.

However, the reality is entirely different. We consider ourselves superior and degrade others on the basis of one or the other identity. The major factor is religion, which is considered supernatural. Color, race, sect and some social and economic status are the other factors. If we study religions, Judaism is the first religion that considers itself the highest and historically the Jews consider themselves as God's chosen people. After that, the priests of Islam consider themselves as the sole inheritors of heaven. Christians are also not less dogmatic in this respect. These religions claim to be divine religions and on this basis they consider Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Buddhists and followers of other religions as inferior. In the Indian subcontinent, like any other part of the world, people have been persecuted on the basis of color, race, sect, gender or religion, and this trend continues. 

If India oppresses Kashmiris in occupied Kashmir, then people living in Pakistan are discriminated not only on the basis of caste, sect or religion but also on the basis of gender. Women and transgenders are considered inferior in this society. On this basis, they are not given equal opportunities and are deprived of their due rights. For the last 73 years, billions of rupees have been allocated annually for the Kashmir cause, although there is nothing much to show as achievement from these collossal expenditures. Freedom of speech is fundamental right but restrictions are imposed. 

Prime Minister Imran Khan, while addressing the UN General Assembly, talks about Islamophobia but conveniently forgets prosecution and discrimination on the basis of religion in Pakistan. Because of blasphemy laws, many lives have been made complex and many settlements have been destroyed. While speaking of persecution on the basis of religion, the Prime Minister never spoke of religious persecution in Pakistan, Sudan and other African and Gulf countries by Muslims. From social media to the pulpit, many Maulvis like Khadim Hussain Rizvi openly insult and disgrace other religions. This is just one example which is on record on social media. 

Isn’t it double standard? In our country, discrimination is done not only on the basis of religion but also on the basis of color, race and sect. Within Islam, there are different school of thoughts including Shias, Sunnis and other sects. Jews are complacent and consider themselves as God's chosen people. They have occupied Palestine simply because, according to the Torah, it is their promised land and no one else has the right to live on it. In the same way, Muslims consider themselves as the sole inheritors of paradise regardless of sect!

Perhaps religion is used as a tool around the world. There is another reason, a certain institution and the people associated with it consider other citizens as inferior. That is one of the reasons that economy and living standard could not be strengthened and improved. The minorities are suffering from double discrimination in Pakistan. On the one hand, Christian colonies are burnt on the basis of religion and churches are demolished. On the other hand, people of other religions are implicated in blasphemy laws as well as tortured in other cases. In Indian Kashmir, India arrests Kashmiris who are fighting for independence or running such a movement, but here the patriotism of peaceful citizens is doubted for vested interests. I believe that humanity is the most fundamental relationship between all human beings. We better become human beings and respect and accept each other. This is the dream of a fair, just and dicrimination free Pakistan.