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Countering hate: edit in The News, Nov 12, 2020


At a high-level meeting chaired by the chief secretary of Sindh and former senior police official and bureaucrat, Dr Shoaib Suddle, provincial government departments have said that the government of Sindh is doing everything possible to protect religious minorities. For this purpose, it has said that encroachments on places of religious worship owned by minority communities are being removed, and a budget has been set aside to carry out repair work at these sites. In addition, other steps are underway to protect minority communities and their rights, with Hindu employees given salaries in advance ahead of the upcoming festival of Diwali.

Education department officials have also assured that all matters which pertain to the spread of hatred had been removed from the curricula up to grade 12. This has been a long-standing issue that needed to be tackled. We cannot say for now how effectively this has been managed. In the past too promises have been made, but not followed through with. We have been told religious minorities will be protected. This has happened in terms of action on the ground. The Arzoo Raja case, which was also brought up at the meeting, is the latest example of this. The girl said to be only 14-15 years old, was married to her neighbour despite the fact that she was a minor. It is good that a high-level meeting has decided to address these issues concerned and look into the question of how places of worship for religious minorities are being maintained and what the issues faced by those who own them may be. However, more needs to be done. This includes action to promote the idea of tolerance and equal rights for citizens, regardless of their belief amongst people, and also amongst clerics who issue sermons at mosques and have influence over large groups of people.

Sadly, in our country, too often we hear plenty of words, but very few deeds. Not only is official discrimination practised against minority groups, mobs enforce their hatred through violence. In all too many cases, mobs are riled up against members of minority communities by unscrupulous elements who want to seize their property or businesses. It is long past time for rule of law to be upheld and for the state to show that it treats everyone equally, regardless of creed. We hope that all the measures mentioned at the meeting, including the case of Arzoo Raja, the issue of educational textbooks and the places of worship, will be addressed.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/742498-countering-hate