• The commission may after being satisfied may order for the validity or otherwise of conversion or marriage after conversion of such person
• No court shall have the jurisdiction of recording the statement of such person or quashing the case or proceedings until and unless the commission has made an order in writing regarding such conversion

Advocate Mukesh Kumar G. Karara | Sukkur Sindh

Pakistan, a country with a rich cultural heritage and diverse religious landscape, has been grappling with the pressing issue of forced conversions for decades. The phenomenon of forced conversions, where individuals are coerced or deceived into renouncing their faith and embracing another, has been a persistent blight on the country’s human rights record.

The majority of forced conversion cases in Pakistan involve Hindu and Christian girls and women, who are often abducted, married off to Muslim men, and forced to convert to Islam. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, at least 1,000 Hindu and Christian girls are forcibly converted to Islam every year.

The issue of forced conversions is complex and multifaceted, with deep-rooted societal, cultural, and economic factors at play. In many cases, victims are lured by false promises of marriage, education, or employment, only to find themselves trapped in a web of coercion and exploitation. Others are abducted and subjected to physical and sexual violence, with their families often powerless to intervene.

At least 1,000 Hindu and Christian girls are forcibly converted to Islam every year.           

The perpetrators of forced conversions often enjoy impunity, with the police and judiciary turning a blind eye to these crimes. In some cases, the victims are even accused of blasphemy, a charge that can carry the death penalty in Pakistan.

The Sindh Government had taken some steps to address the issue, including the passage of the Sindh Forced Conversion of Religion Act in 2019, (but it did not have its approval due to the strong resistance and reservation shown by the scholars). However, more needs to be done to protect the rights of religious minorities and ensure that the perpetrators of forced conversions are brought to justice.

Read: Hindus Forced to Convert in Pakistan under State Patronage – Foreign Media

The international community has also expressed concern over the issue, with the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) designating Pakistan as a “country of particular concern” for its treatment of religious minorities.

However, these issues can be well taken care of, if a Commission be constituted with a clear mandate of inquiry and final determination as to the conversion of religion by way of force or consent. The Commission be notified, by way of a little amendment and insertions of the followings in the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898.

Proposed draft of amendment in PPC with insertion of Sections

– Insertion of new section 10-A, in Chapter II (General Explanations) Pakistan Penal Code, 1860,

-10-A. Commission; The Government (either Provincial or Federal) shall notify in the Official Gazette, as defined in chapter II of the Code of Criminal Procedure under section 25-A;

-Insertion of new section in Pakistan Penal Code, 1860

-Section 365-C. Kidnapping or abduction or inducing any person for forcible conversion to any other religion. Whoever kidnaps or abducts any person with intent that such person may be compelled or knowing it to likely that such person will be compelled to forced conversion against his/her will or in order that such person may be forced or seduced or induced to marriage after forcible conversion or knowing it to be likely that such person may be forced or induced for forced conversion to any other religion, shall be punished with imprisonment for life and shall also be liable to fine, and whoever by means of criminal intimidation as defined in this Code or of abuse of authority or any other method of compulsion or induces any person to go from any place with intent that such person may be, or knowing that it is likely that such person may be forced or induced to forcible conversion to any other religion, shall also be punishable as aforesaid;

Provided that if the commission, as defined in this Code, after being satisfied from the conduct and religious education (into which conversion took place) of such person may send him / her to a neutral Shelter place for making an independent opinion, or being so satisfied, may issue an order in writing that the conversion is not by force or inducement but is with free will of such person;

Provided further that any conversion to any other religion of any person who is a minor or under the age of eighteen years shall be treated as forcible conversion and shall be punishable as aforesaid unless the parents of the minor have consented to such conversion;

Provided that the commission may after being satisfied may order for the validity or otherwise of conversion or marriage after conversion of such person;

No court shall have the jurisdiction of recording the statement of such person or quashing the case or proceedings until and unless the commission, as defined under this code, has made an order in writing regarding such conversion (forcible or otherwise) of religion, as aforesaid;

Provided that the commission may after being satisfied may order for the validity or otherwise of conversion or marriage after conversion of such person;

In case of conflict in the order, the opinion of Majority of the members shall prevail.

Proposed draft of amendment in Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, with insertion of Sections

Insertion of new section 25-A in the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898;

Section 25-A. The Provincial Governments, so far as regards the territories subject to its administration, may by notification in the official gazette appoint such persons resident within Pakistan and not being the subject of any foreign State as it thinks fit to be, members of the Commission;

Provided that the Chairman of the Commission shall be the sitting or retired Judge of the High Court or Supreme Court, while two members shall be known scholars of Islamic studies, two members shall be the Human Rights activist or social workers, Two members shall be of the religion of the person, who is subject to conversion, and a Deputy Commissioner of the District to which the person under conversion of religion belongs,

Provided that the commission, so notified in the official gazette, may allow the parents of the person who is subject to conversion at the time of recording of proceedings.

Insertion of section 25-B in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898;

Section 25-C. Powers of the Commission. Subject to the provisions of this Code, a Commission, shall have the powers –

a) Vested in a Court or Magistrate for the purpose of inquiry;

b) To record the statement of the person under conversion to other religion;

c) For summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person or witness connected with the inquiry;

d) Of compelling production or discovery of documents;

e) For inspecting any place connected with the inquiry;

f) To medically examine the person for the purpose of determining the age;

g) To take the custody of the person for keeping him/her into neutral Shelter place;

In conclusion, the issue of forced conversions in Pakistan is a serious human rights violation that requires immediate attention and action. The government, civil society, and religious leaders must work together to protect the rights of religious minorities and ensure that all citizens are free to practice their faith without fear of coercion or persecution.

Read: Forced Conversion in Sindh: Would there be an end to woes of Hindu Community?

_________________

Mukesh Kumar G. Karara, Advocate Supreme Court, is President, Pakistan Young Hindu Forum, and Member Legislative Committee.

The post Constitution of Commission suggested to deal with Forced Conversion issue in Pakistan first appeared on Sindh Courier.

By Tom Arms

Tis the season. Eggnog, mulled wine, presents, Christmas trees, yule logs, Christmas cards, Midnight Mass, food, food and more food…. The list goes on and on. The Holiday Season is one tradition after another.

In fact, you could call it the Tradition Season just as easily as the Christmas or Holiday Season. But when and where did the traditions start? Well, they came from all over the Western world and some of the Eastern. Some have deeply religious roots. Others tell a political story. Some are strictly secular money making operations.

There was a time when Christmas was banned. And then there is the controversy about the actual birthday. The Bible does not actually give a date for the birth of Jesus, but Biblical historians believe that references to shepherds sitting outdoors at night on hills indicates that it was in the spring.

Early Christians didn’t bother with celebrating the birth of Jesus. Birthday celebrations were considered a pagan tradition. They concentrated on Easter. But fourth century Pope Julius I saw an opportunity to pull in pagan converts by setting a date for the birth of Jesus that coincided with the “birthday” of the Roman gods Mithras and Sol Invictus (25 December).

The chosen day also coincided with the feast of Saturnalia when Romans decorated their homes with wreaths (which symbolized eternal life) and greenery, including trees. They also indulged in a week of constant partying and exchanged gifts. Sound familiar?

Early Christians didn’t bother with celebrating the birth of Jesus. Birthday celebrations were considered a pagan tradition.

But other Christmas traditions go back further. Archaeologists have uncovered proof that Druids made extensive use of the parasitic mistletoe during winter solstice celebrations. They believed it encouraged fertility which of course led to the association with kissing, and we all know what kissing leads to.

The actual feasting element is believed to extend back to the start of farming in around 10,000 BCE. It was introduced for the eminently practical reason that farmers could not afford to feed their animals through the winter, so they ritually slaughtered them at the Winter Solstice and ate them.

But back to the cancellation of Christmas. Oliver Cromwell, who ruled England from 1653-58, out did the modern Grinch by literally banning Christmas. This was because the ruling Puritans enforced a strict literal interpretation of the Bible and the Bible mentioned no specific date for the birth of Jesus. The cancellation of the festive season fitted in well with a dour Cromwellian period when theatres and dancing were banned and women were forced to wear black.

Even more severe were the New England Puritans who out-Cromwelled Oliver Cromwell. They continued the Christmas ban for 20 years after it was restored in England. In Boston, anyone who displayed “Christmas spirit” was fined five shillings.

But not all colonial Americans suffered a joyless mid-winter. Virginia was settled by Royalist Cavaliers fleeing the Cromwell government, and the Cavaliers enjoyed to party. They are credited with the heart-stopping Christmas drink eggnog. Virginian George Washington was famous for his eggnog recipe which included: rum, brandy, whisky, eggs, cream and milk.

The Christmas tree made its arrival in the US via Pennsylvania in 1830 and in 1870 Christmas trees were being sold for the first time at a Christmas tree lot in New York

The United States was a bit slow in grasping the Christmas nettle, possibly because of the anti-Christmas traditions of New England. In fact, many of New England’s churches are still closed on 25 December. It was not until 1870 that Christmas became a federal holiday.

The Christmas tree made its arrival in the US via Pennsylvania in 1830 and in 1870 Christmas trees were being sold for the first time at a Christmas tree lot in New York. Old Tannenbaum debuted in Pennsylvania because William Penn had recruited a large number of German Quakers for his colony.

Spruce and pine trees were first decorated in the Baltic States and Germany, possibly as early as the 8th century. Martin Luther is believed to be the first person to light his Christmas tree. He used candles. In Britain, the Christmas tree was made popular by the German-born Prince Albert. Today nearly 80 percent of American Christmas trees are artificial.

The expression “Yule” also comes from the North, specifically Scandinavia.  As in other parts of the world, the pagan Vikings celebrated the midwinter period with feasting which they called “Yuletide.” A central element was the yule log which was more like a yule tree as it was expected to burn for the 12 days of Christmas. By the way, it is estimated that all of the items in the Christmas Carol “12 Days of Christmas” would now cost a besotted lover $43,004.42 (up from a mere $39,094.93 last Christmas).

Also read: History of Christmas 

Speaking of Christmas carols, the world’s oldest carol, “Angel’s Hymn” (129 CE) is not sung and never will be because no one transcribed the tune or words. A number of Christmas carols had their roots in medieval Europe but the lyrics and tunes were not set down until the 18th and 19th century. Jingle Bells was not written as a Christmas carol. Its composer, James Lord Pierpont, was a New England lyricist who supported slavery and moved south just before the Civil War. His song about sleighs, snows and bells was a nostalgic ditty to remind him of Northern winters.

No article about Christmas traditions would be complete without Saint Nicholas. The historic figure was a 4th century Greek bishop who was famous for secret gift giving. On one occasion he is said to have saved three girls from prostitution by filling their stockings with gold so that their father could afford a marriage dowry. This is why we have Christmas stockings.

Saint Nicholas goes by many names: Father Christmas (British), Pere Noel (French), Weinactsmann (German), Papa Noel (Spain and Latin America), Baboo Noel (Italy) and Sinter Klaas (the Netherlands). The name Santa Claus was an American corruption of the Dutch Sinter Klaas. The image of the gift-giving bearded, jolly red-coated elf with a bushy white beard, sleigh and reindeer was created by Clement Moore in his famous poem “Twas the Night before Christmas.”

The patchwork of names for Saint Nicholas reflects the dozens of different traditions across Europe and Western Asia that are added to by thousands of family customs. But underlying them all is the oft-hoped for and rarely realized Biblical message of “Peace and goodwill to all men” (Luke, Chapter two, verse 14).

________________

Tom Arms is foreign editor of Liberal Democratic Voice, the author of America Made in Britain and the Encyclopedia of the Cold War and co-hosts the world affairs podcast TransAtlantic Riff

https://open.spotify.com/show/3ntjretAKNLZNFpA5ZEGDG

The post Observations of an Expat: Christmas around the World first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Menaal Munshey

In 2006, angry mobs burned down two churches in Sukkur, my hometown in Pakistan’s Sindh province, after a Christian man was accused of blasphemy – the act of allegedly desecrating the Quran. One of those churches was attached to the Catholic school my father attended when he was a child. The day after it was attacked, we walked into the destroyed building, distraught, and joined our Christian friends as they wept.

Standing there, it was clear to me, as a 15-year-old Muslim girl, that something had diabolically shifted in our mixed Christian, Hindu, and Muslim community.

Over the years, I realized that the attacks in 2006 were not isolated instances in Pakistan. In August this year, an armed mob of 1,200 men torched 22 churches and attacked 91 homes, businesses, and graveyards, all belonging to Christians, in the town of Jaranwala in Punjab province. Once again, their rampage was fuelled by accusations of blasphemy against two Christian residents.

In May, a lawyer from the Ahmadi religious sect – which the government of Pakistan has persecuted and repeatedly failed to protect – was also arrested on a blasphemy charge. The lawyer was arrested because he had the word “Syed” – an honorific given to someone who can trace their lineage back to the Prophet Muhammad – in his name.

Put simply, the lawyer was accused of blasphemy because he had the wrong name. As with so many other cases over the last decade, his legal team was subjected to online harassment and offline violence, despite being respected members of the legal profession who were simply doing their jobs.

In light of the numerous cases that have been lodged against Christians, Ahmadis, Hindus, and Muslims throughout Pakistan over the years, it increasingly feels like none of us are safe from dubious blasphemy accusations.

There have been repeated calls for the repeal of the blasphemy law – from international human rights groups and Pakistani activists, advocates, and academics – but that remains unlikely as, especially in times of flagging popularity, politicians continue to make public pronouncements about their support for blasphemy legislation.

In the meantime, living with the status quo is untenable. For Pakistan to begin to address blasphemy-related vigilante violence and repair the schisms it creates, we need a society-wide effort – including action by the government, educational authorities, civil society, and the media – to confront blasphemy-driven narratives, build safeguards into the criminal justice system, and emphasize the religious harmony that generations before us took for granted.

The origins of Pakistan’s blasphemy law

By definition, blasphemy is the act of “insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God” or something that is considered sacred. Blasphemy laws have been present in societies throughout history.

Pakistan’s blasphemy law was inherited from British colonial authorities, and it was later Islamised by General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, the military ruler of the country from 1978 to 1988 who was known for his hardline interpretation of Islam, and who hardened the law to include capital punishment.

“This violence, intimidation, and harassment shows that Pakistan’s blasphemy law lacks essential safeguards.”

Since then, the blasphemy law has led to violations of freedom of religion and belief through the intimidation of members of religious minorities, dissenters, converts, or reformers, and an exponential increase in blasphemy-related vigilante violence.

This violence, intimidation, and harassment shows that Pakistan’s blasphemy law lacks essential safeguards, such as evidentiary standards and robust witness protection – underlining why capital punishment, for starters, must be abolished.

The majority of blasphemy accusations, including the ones that led to the church burnings in my childhood home, stem from property issues or other personal vendettas, and too often they lead to mob violence well before there is any legal proof of guilt.

The most high-profile moment came in 2011, when Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan’s only Christian state minister at the time, was assassinated by the Pakistani Taliban in Islamabad after he spoke out against the death penalty for anyone accused of disrespecting the Islamic faith.

Bhatti’s killing came only months after Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab province, was killed by his bodyguard after he spoke in defence of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman accused of blasphemy. Taseer’s killer, Mumtaz Qadri, an elite police commando, was hanged in 2016, but the execution led to protests by thousands of his supporters.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif alluded to the trend of blasphemy accusations being used in personal grievances in 2017 and called for the punishment of those who weaponise the law, but the accusations persist.

The way blasphemy laws operate in Pakistan negates the presumption of innocence and violates fair trial rights. Witnesses often refuse to articulate the alleged act of blasphemy for fear of committing further blasphemy, lawyers are afraid of representing an alleged blasphemer, and judges are afraid of hearing – let alone deciding – the case. In other words, the blasphemy laws effectively disempower the criminal justice system.

Fear, violence, and feeling like the ‘other’

Blasphemy-related violence occurs against the backdrop of a state struggling with its religious identity and living with cultural and legal legacies introduced during General Zia’s regime. This has led to an antagonistic and disconnected relationship between communities and an atmosphere of fear, intolerance, and discrimination felt by minority communities in Pakistan.

In 2015, I conducted criminological research on the phenomenon of blasphemy-related violence and found that citizens commit vigilante violence because they believe blasphemy is a crime that deeply affects their morality. Defenders of this type of mob violence often feel that, although blasphemy is legally prohibited, the state is ineffective in upholding the prohibition and therefore protecting their religious sentiments.

Privately, police officers told me the violence was wrong, but they also sympathized with the perpetrators and felt that some action was necessary to protect Islamic religious beliefs. A police officer in Sukkur said, “If your religion is insulted, it’s unbearable. We are an Islamic country; our religion should be respected. If it’s not respected, how can anyone tolerate it? These are raw human emotions.”

“It’s just a simple thing, in restaurants they keep a separate glass of water for non-Muslims and Muslims. You see this form of discrimination everywhere.”

Many police officers felt betrayed by the judicial and political systems, with their low conviction and high corruption rates. They themselves appeared distrusting of the judicial system, mirroring the sentiments of vigilante groups.

In 2022, Pakistan ranked 140 out of 180 nations in Transparency International’s corruption index and 129 out of 140 countries in the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index. Ultimately, Pakistan’s criminal justice system suffers from a crisis of legitimacy and mistrust, which contributes to the public’s violent response to blasphemy accusations.

For my study in 2015, I interviewed Christian friends I grew up with in Sukkur. I recently revisited our conversations, and it appears nothing has changed in nearly a decade. They unanimously describe feeling society is unequal and discriminatory towards them, something they are taught to be cognizant of from birth in order to protect themselves.

Yaqoub* ,a 40-year-old Christian man, told me in 2015 that some of his earliest memories are of feeling like an outsider, the “other”, in Pakistani society. “It’s just a simple thing, in restaurants they keep a separate glass of water for non-Muslims and Muslims. You see this form of discrimination everywhere,” he explained.

This sense of being an outcast in your own country has led many Christians to find ways to conceal or downplay their Christianity.

“Our names are purposefully Muslim-sounding, so we are not identified immediately. As soon as they know we are Christians, we don’t get the spot in school or university, or the job later in life,” said Adam*, who works in a school.

The fear of overstepping certain cultural lines has also led Christians to constantly monitor their speech, said Mariam*. “We teach our children that they must stay away from any talk of religion,” she said. “If in class a child is talking about a subject related to religion, you must not get involved.”

‘The attackers have shamed us’

Since the violence in Sukkur in 2006, it has become clear to me that all state and non-state structures aimed at interfaith harmony have broken down, including educational programs, neighborhood peace committees, community policing, and de-radicalization programs.

Social media is also increasingly being used – with impunity – to fuel the violence, and online attacks too often translate to offline violence.

I have spoken to friends with large social media followings – men and women, those prominent and those less so – and many of them are afraid of the extremism they see online. They self-police, avoid certain topics and imagery, and fear the wrong type of attention. The fear of blasphemy accusations has already pervaded the online space in Pakistan, and anyone who draws the wrong attention feels vulnerable. This is particularly concerning given that prosecution of blasphemy leads to mob violence in Pakistan.

After the Jaranwala tragedy in August, Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, the chairman of the All Pakistan Ulema Council, the umbrella organization that brings together leaders from different Islamic sects, cried on national television, apologizing profusely and condemning the attack in no uncertain terms. “The attackers have shamed us, for which I apologize to Christians all over the world, including Pakistan,” he said.

It was the first time a prominent Muslim religious figure had stood next to a Christian priest and expressed solidarity on a national level. It shouldn’t have to take a tragedy of this magnitude to elicit gestures of support, but perhaps it is a first step.

_____________

Menaal Munshey holds a PhD in criminology from the University of Cambridge, and currently works for the United Nations in Iraq

Courtesy: The New Humanitarian (Posted on October 4, 2023)

The post Pakistan must confront blasphemy-related vigilante violence first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Syeda Anmol Ali

Political and legal anthropological research on human rights is categorized according to its contributions to understanding four processes of law and rights: the pursuit of rights through legal means; appeals made by local actors for national and international involvement; the adoption of human rights concepts into local vernaculars.

The subject matter of anthropology as well as the fate of the cultures that we study compels anthropologists to address the theoretical and practical aspects of human rights. One by one, almost every culture in the world has found itself subjected to a redefinition and constriction of its rights.

Being a student of anthropology, keeping in view the above definitions of relevance between the anthropology and the human rights, I have been attending various events on human rights issues organized by the government as well as non-government organizations at different times.

One of such event – a conference, was held in Hyderabad Sindh on July 15, 2023 by Youth Assembly for Human Rights, a rights advocacy network, in collaboration with Human Rights Department of Sindh government.

The theme of the conference was ‘Human Rights of every society, for every gender, for every community and the role of government besides the participation of youth.’

The main purpose of this conference was to inform the youth about human rights, and how the youth has to play a role in promoting and protecting the human rights and how to get the rights.

There were around thirty participants drawn from different communities including those described in Pakistan as the Minority Communities. Two guests were specially invited to share their views – Mr. Ayaz Latif Palijo, a politician, and Prof. Dr. Abdul Majid Mashrqi, a scholar.

At the outset, Mr. Arun Kagra, Coordinator Youth Assembly for Human, briefed the participants on aims, objects, and activities of their organization.

Mr. Palijo explained the human rights in very interesting terms. He not only talked about human rights, but also about the rights of every living and non-living thing. “Even a table placed in the room has rights,” he had said elaborating the wide arena of human rights.

He touched the most important issue of the present era – educating the girls. “If a girl wants to study, we stop her presenting various excuses and later at some stage compel her to get married,” he said.

“We neglect the fact that if the girl is educated, many good proposals will come for her,” Palijo said urging that a girl should be considered a human being and not a burden.

Dr. Abdul Majid Mashrqi spoke about human rights in the light of Islam. He said, “If Islam is to be understood properly, first of all one has to understand the Holy Quran, which is not only the Holy book but the first Charter of Humanity.”

He shared about a book ‘The Fragrance of Madina’, authored by him that contains all the information on human rights protected by Islam.

Ravi Valmiki, a participant belonging to a minority community, raised his voice for the rights of his community people. He said, “I am proud that I belong to a class that works to keep our country clean.”

Valmiki raised his voice against the persecution at the hands of the Brahmin caste. “The people should thank those who used to work in their houses and clean their filth,” he said.

He also spoke of every girl who is picked up from her home and later accused of being a stray woman.

There were two more participants belonging to Christian community – the one was Tracy Ann and another Anas Elhai. They too had a major point for discussion that even with so much education they don’t get government jobs because the government has fixed a specific quota for minorities. “Out of fifty seats, only five seats are reserved for our community,” they told and urged to raise voice against this injustice. “Christians too are Pakistanis, and they should have the same rights in this country as everyone else.”

Amidst such discussion, I thought of the rights of a wife to discuss. “If a man imposes restrictions on wife, she also has the right to say no to her husband.”

I also talked about the carelessness of the university administration, as I had observed during the admission process, when many students were not able to get admission, because half of the merit-based seats are filled by the children of acquaintances and relatives. My demand was that justice should be done so that talent is not seen on the streets but in the institutions.

Ajay Kumar, Hasan Hyder Lodhi, Jamal Kumar, Waqar Shaikh, Athar Qaimkhani, Shiv Das, Agha Sharukh, Arshad, Allah Dino, Sikander Khushik, Amajad and Royail also took active part in the discussion.

They conference concluded with a decision that the NGO will consider the issues raised by all the people and extend support to them. It was suggested that CVs of all those who were rejected due to quota should also be sent to the NGO to get the issue resolved if they are eligible. NGO officials pledged that the efforts will be made to place all the scavengers and the girls who have been driven away from their homes in a respectable society.

At the end of the conference, all the speakers were awarded with certificates.

_________________

Syeda Anmol Ali from Hyderabad is student of BS Anthropology at the Anthropology and Archaeology Department, university of Sindh, Jamshoro

The post Anthropological Perspective of Human Rights first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Only 60% of the holy places of the non-Muslim minority community are in their original condition.

Karachi

Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC) has received more than 500 photographs from across the country for All Pakistan Minorities Heritage Photo Competition, of which 167 have been shortlisted.

The photographs include that of Hindu, Buddhist, and Sikh, Jain, Parsi and other non-Muslim religious places. The PHC had invited the entries in December last.

“The photos received include 43 percent of Hindu heritage places of worship, 10% of Christian heritage, 5% of Buddhist heritage, 28% of Sikh heritage, 10% of Jainism and other religions,” Chief Coordinator PHC Kirshan Sagar said in his briefing in a meeting chaired by Patron-in-chief Pakistan Hindu Council Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani on Tuesday.

He said that the statistics reveal that about 24% of the contestants are females. “The photos reveal that some 60% of the holy places of the non-Muslim minority community are in their original condition, 13% are not in use, 7% of the sites have been converted into educational institutions, 10% of the sites are being used for residential and commercial purposes, and 1.2% of the sites have been transformed into government offices,” he added.

The last date for participation in the photo competition being held with the technical support by the Press Network of Pakistan is 31st January 2023. The contestants submitting outstanding photos will be awarded with winning prizes worth Rs.50000, Rs.30000 and Rs.20000 respectively in addition to special prizes and certificates of appreciation.

Pakistan Hindu Council has asked every citizen of Pakistan, especially journalists and students studying in educational institutions to actively participate in this photo competition.

Patron-in-chief Pakistan Hindu Council Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, in his opening remarks stated that the nationwide photo contest in collaboration with the Press Network of Pakistan aims to explore, honor and highlight various sacred ancient religious sites across the country. “The message of interfaith harmony and peaceful co-existence is being delivered through the active participation of Pakistani citizens, especially university students and people of various faiths,” he said.

According to him, the promotion of religious tourism has huge potential that can help earn foreign exchange to free Pakistan from external debt and also strengthen our national economy.

“The first step to protect the sacred sites across the country was about awareness,” he stated adding that “I am glad that the Pakistan Hindu Council has taken the first step in the right direction.”

He expressed satisfaction over the recently held successful annual mass marriages for the 16th consecutive year.

Secretary General Prashotam Ramani, Advisor Raja Asarmal Mangalani, Joint Secretary Paman Lal, Roop Mala, MPA Mangala Sharma, Bharat Kumar Mangalani, Vikram Rathi, Roshan Lal and other members were present.

The managing committee members also appreciated the efforts of the participants who provided the best photos in the photo competition. According to them, more steps will be taken in future including online Dharmik quizzes, which will give a positive image of the country to the international community. (PR)

________________________

The post All Pakistan Minorities’ Heritage Photo Contest will be held on Jan 31 first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Situation remains unchanged even after 75 years 

By Asif Aqeel

Asia Bibi was on death row for blasphemy, after offering drinking water which she, as a Christian, was considered to have made “unclean” by her touch. She got into an argument over this.

Many Pakistani Christians – who are about 2% of the population – are children of converts to Christianity from the downtrodden “untouchable” Hindu tribal caste – they are sometimes called “chuhra” (a modern equivalent might be something like “toilet cleaner”). Their families converted in the late 19th to early 20th centuries in the villages of what is now the central Punjab of Pakistan. This “untouchable” caste status is at the root of several blasphemy charges against Christians.

Also synonymous with “low born”, “filthy”, “deprived of morals and values”, of “low intellect”, and condemned to suffer for sinful past incarnations is their expected work as “sweepers”, also known as “janitors” in the Indian subcontinent.

Why do so many Christians sweep?

At the time of partition of the Indian subcontinent into India and Pakistan in 1947, hundreds of thousands of people crossed the newly created borders. Before partition, most Christians worked the land for their Sikh agricultural landlords.

At partition, Hindus and Sikhs left for India and Muslims left for Pakistan. At least 50,000 Christian families were rendered jobless in Pakistani Punjab after the lands evacuated by Sikhs were given to Muslim migrants. These laborers had no choice but to seek employment in cities in whatever occupation was available.

Five years ago, World Watch Monitor reported on the disproportionate number of Pakistani Christians in sewerage or sanitary work, or sweeping the streets. These roles, hazardous for health, and sometimes causing death, are considered demeaning for Muslims. Sanitary workers, mostly illiterate, also often live in illegal settlements that lack basic amenities.

Recently World Watch Monitor learned that, as a direct result of that report, the law on recruitment policies was actually changed in the Punjab, where most Christians live.

Punjab removes ‘only Christian’ sewerage workers policy

In September 2015, an advertisement by the Punjab Institute of Cardiology of sanitation job vacancies requiring only “non-Muslims” to apply, based on the Health Department’s Service Rules of 2003, drew huge criticism.

“By-elections were going on in a constituency of pivotal importance in Lahore, and Christians’ vote could play a decisive role. In a high-profile, closed-door meeting, then-Punjab parliamentarian Mary Gill raised the Christian community’s anger with then-Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. “Mr. Sharif ordered to revoke such a policy,” then-Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Khawaja Imran Nazir, told World Watch Monitor. “As I was Health Minister, so the lot fell to me, which was passed on to the Strategic Reforms Unit [a government think-tank] to carefully review.”

Salman Sufi, who led the think-tank, explained: “The basic reason for creating the unit was to address issues of marginalized sections of society, including religious minorities.

“When this came up, we discussed it with minority parliamentarians, including Mary Gill, and Christian clergy. On one hand, many among the Muslim majority believe it’s a duty of Christians to work as janitors and, on the other, many Christians had internalized that it was their lot and nothing could change.

“It was a red alert as to why very few Christians were scientists or educationists and a disproportionate number were in janitorial work.

“The Unit discussed with several secretaries of government departments and then, on behalf of the Chief Minister, contacted the then-Chief Secretary, who issued a notice to strike out this policy.

“In this entire work, the World Watch Monitor story helped members of the Unit understand the background and reasons why this discriminatory policy existed in the first place. That’s why, when the Unit issued a press release, it clearly referred to World Watch Monitor’s story.”

Since then, this trend has decreased in the province of Punjab. However, in other provinces, it is still common for advertisements for street sweepers or sewage cleaners to request only “non-Muslim” applicants.

‘Non-Muslims’, or just Christians need apply?

World Watch Monitor’s article came out when the current federal defence minister, Pervez Khattak, then Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, publicly stated that “non-Muslims will be recruited as sweepers”.

Although “non-Muslim” means Hindus, Sikhs, Zoroastrians or any other minority, it was only Pakistani Christians who angrily protested and held social-media campaigns. The reason was obvious: it actually meant “only Christians” because, across the country, it is only the Christian community which has a disproportionately high representation because of their origins in the “untouchable” caste designated to this occupation.

Several advertisements clearly state they require a “Christian” (or a “scheduled-caste” Hindu) for the work of “janitor”.

On 26 August this year in Sindh, the Rangers, a paramilitary force under the Pakistan Army, advertised for only “non-Muslims” to apply for the job of janitors.

Three days later, the education department of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa advertised that candidates for the job of “sweeper” must be “healthy” and “Christian” by faith.

Similarly, an advertisement earlier this year for a college hospital in Sindh province required that those applying for janitorial work should be a “scheduled-caste” Hindu or member of another minority.

In July 2017, the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation required applicants for the janitorial service “to take an oath on their religious holy book – Geeta or Bible – that they will never do anything else but work as a sanitary worker, and will never refuse to carry out the work”.

And in March 2017, Bannu Tehsil Municipal Administration advertised jobs for sweepers, saying “Shi’as, Hindus/Balmikis, and Christians will be eligible”, though the administration quickly retracted it, saying the mention of “Shi’a” was a typographical mistake.

Disproportionate representation of Christians

World Watch Monitor’s 2013 survey of Pakistani cities showed Christians were disproportionately represented in janitorial work, especially in the larger ones. Recent data shows things have not changed much.

Lahore

Capital of Punjab, largest province and home to most of the Christian population.

68% of total workforce directly employed to clean the city (12,687) are Christian (8,628).

(Data provided by Lahore Waste Management Company)

Water and Sanitation Agency

70% of c.5000 employees are Christian (3,500).

A WSA employee, on condition of anonymity, told World Watch Monitor that Muslim employees would never dive into a clogged manhole: “It is always and in every case the responsibility of a Christian.”

University of Punjab

The largest provincial institution of higher learning. Roles of Christian workers (January 2009-November 2015):

Staff nurse          1

Technician           1

Sewer man (janitor)         2

Coolie (loader)   1

Sanitary Worker 76

Research Scholar              1

Electric Coolie    1

Software Engineer           1

Mali (gardener)  5

Naib Qasid (low-level office “runner”)      2

Junior Clerk         1

Junior KPO           1

Laboratory supervisor     1

Laboratory attendant      1

Driver (tractor) in Sanitation Wing              1

Driver (transport wing)    1

Total      97

Islamabad

Pakistan’s capital, population of just over 1 million.

The Capital Development Authority has about 2,700 workers in sewage cleaning and garbage collection. Almost all of them are Christian.

Data from the Capital Administration Department shows the total number of non-Muslim employees is 500 – again almost all of whom are Christian.

Public service ranking starts grade 1, ends at grade 22 (for all heads of department including the President).

Eleven Ahmadi employees are all on the high-scale income (grades 14 to 18).

There are four Hindus: two are grade 18 and two grade 17.

Of the Christians, 448 are at the lowest-income grade (1). Of the remaining 37, one is grade 2, three grade 7, one grade 9, 12 grade 14, nine grade 16, eight grade 17 and three grade 18.

Karachi

Capital of Sindh province, c.20 million population

Sindh is the main hub of the Hindu community, but Christians are the largest minority in Karachi.

“The number of sanitation workers is decreasing. Firstly, people hate to join this profession, and, secondly, the nature of work is slowly changing from labor-intensive to technology-intensive.

“Of roughly 17,000 sanitation workers, about 80% are Christian. Some work has been outsourced to a Chinese company that employed Afghan refugees, but collecting garbage is still mostly for our Christian fellows.

“There are a good number of scheduled-caste Hindus in this occupation, but in Karachi they prefer to work in banks, schools, universities etc., not in the municipal corporation.”

(Syed Zulfiqar Shah, All Pakistan Local Government Workers’ Federation President)

Hyderabad

Second city in Sindh, population c.1.7 million, can be considered as capital of interior Sindh.

Hyderabad Municipal Corporation

“Of 150 sewage workers, 143 are Christian, seven are scheduled-caste Hindus. Similarly for waste management, of about 1,900 sanitary workers, about 1,500 are Christian.

“Others are scheduled-caste Valmiki Hindus, particularly of Gujarati origin, and Muslims.

“But it is mainly the Christians who work and bear the entire suffering and hardship.”

(Butta Imtiaz, human rights activist)

Muzaffarabad

Capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, self-governing polity administered by Pakistan.

Municipal Corporation of Muzaffarabad

“Of about 275 workers, 17 are Christian; most of the 33 Christian families living in this city are related to the occupation of janitor.”

(Sonia Riast, social activist)

Quetta

Capital of Baluchistan province. Christians are the main religious minority

Quetta Municipal Corporation

“Of around 978 workers, about 550 are Christian.”

(Local source, on condition of anonymity)

Peshawar

Capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Christians are the main religious minority

C.5000 employees in the janitorial profession; c.3500 (70%) are Christian.

Gilgit

Capital of Gilgit-Baltistan since 2009, borders Xinjiang, China.

Gilgit Waste Management Company and other departments have c.330 workers.

“Several Christian families live in the city of Gilgit, they came from Punjab several decades ago.”

(Israruddin Israr, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan)

“Those who work in the day are local Muslim youths, but those who collect garbage at night, until 2am, are all Christian…Christians work as janitors in several government and private departments and institutions. They are present in all 10 districts and their presence in Gilgit-Baltistan is associated with janitorial work.”

(Muzhar Mughal, local journalist)

Discrimination against Christians or Muslims?

Article 27 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan:

“No citizen otherwise qualified for appointment in the service of Pakistan shall be discriminated against in respect of any such appointment on the ground only of race, religion, caste, sex, residence or place of birth.”

So, technically, advertisements for only “non-Muslims” discriminate against Muslims.

A lawyer, Asad Jamal, told World Watch Monitor that a few months ago a young Muslim came to him. He had applied to the Pakistan Railways for the job of sanitary worker but was refused and told the job was only for a non-Muslim. He wanted to file a case against this “discriminatory” act of the state.

But in reality, due to the stigma of the profession, the few Muslims who do janitorial work have a reputation for opting out of the dirtiest aspects of the job. A local English-language newspaper reported in 2016 that the “appointment of Muslims as sweepers on a political basis has been badly affecting cleanliness at the public-sector hospitals of [Khyber Pakhtunkhwa] province as most of them think it against their status to brush latrines”.

No returns for huge labor

Hazards of sewerage work include direct contact with hepatitis, smallpox, rabies, influenza, measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus and tuberculosis.

Data by the Lahore Waste Management Company shows 250 have died while cleaning sewers, while according to the Minority Rights Commission, at least 70 people have died since 1988 while cleaning manholes, due to inhaling poisonous gasses.

On top of all this, such workers have no job guarantees. They are hardly regularized, nor given benefits like social welfare, health insurance, or pensions. And above all, no self-esteem, no good salary and no hope for a better future.

______________________

Courtesy: World Watch Monitor (Posted on November 1, 2018)

The post ‘Untouchable’ caste identity haunts Pakistani Christians first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Jimmy Lindero

The Kutchi Kohli people belong to one of the indigenous ethnic minorities of Hindu background in Pakistan. The government calls them ‘Scheduled Castes’ which really means outcasts or untouchables. Economically, they are very poor. Most of them are landless farmers who work for feudal landowners. They earn extremely low wages and landowners manipulate them and take advantage of their lack of education. So the Kutchi Kohli people are often caught in a debilitating cycle of debt.

In the late 1970s, the Mill Hill Missionaries responded to the invitation of the Bishop of Hyderabad, to work with minorities in Sindh. There’s a big population of Kutchi Kohlis living around Tando Allahyar. So the Mill Hill Missionaries chose and made this the center of this apostolate.

The Kohli people often live in constant fear. They fear their landlords and the majority and dominant populace. They fear for the security of their women and girls. And they fear the Hindu deities who are believed to be quick to inflict calamities and sickness on disobedient devotees. But in Jesus, they see a God who shares their joys and sorrows and freely offers them unconditional love, mercy and forgiveness.

Creating opportunities for children

A ‘Village Children’ program is conducted on an annual basis. Our pastoral team focuses on the faith formation of the laity and empowering the potential parish lay leaders. We strive to promote peace and justice, interfaith dialogue, and integral development of the Kutchi Kohli people. We do this through formal and non-formal education, medical outreach, community building, empowering women and livelihood projects.

Central to the missionary activity of the parish are the boarding houses for Kutchi Kohli girls and boys. On average, there are around 50 boys and 40 girls benefiting from the care and education they provide. One of the challenges we face is convincing parents to send their girls to study; many only prioritize educate their boys. So we have a policy that we will only accept boys if their sisters also receive an education, to ensure equal opportunities for these children. The parish has one main school in Tando Allahyar and several satellite schools in the villages which are all run by the Presentation Sisters.

We conduct a ‘Village Children’ program on an annual basis. We invite children from the villages to the parish center for three days of catechesis, prayers, games, and health and hygiene lessons. Around 300 children participate each year.

A new church for the Kutchi Kohli

Our parish pastoral team visits over 900 families scattered in more than 400 villages across an area of roughly 60 kilometers. So it involves a lot of travelling and overnight stays in the villages. And the Kutchi Kohli Christians are a minority within their Hindu community; their faith is young and fragile. They face discrimination and their own Hindu relatives or fellow villagers often pressure them to renounce their Christianity. So regular home visitation is a pastoral priority of our parish team, to support and help people.

But numbers of the Kutchi Kohli Catholics are increasing. And soon we found we needed a bigger church building for daily and Sunday Masses, and for other community prayers. We presented a concept to the faithful and the parish community agreed to support this project. They began fundraising for the new church building almost immediately.

Even Hindu friends and contacts contributed to this project, saying in Gujarati, ‘Isu Parbhu haro’, which translates to ‘For the Lord Jesus’.

Bishop Max J. Rodrigues officially opened and blessed the new church on the feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist, our parish patron saint. Some 17 adults received the Sacrament of Confirmation that day. Before the final blessing, the parish priest thanked both local and international benefactors.

[In England and Wales, the Mill Hill Missionaries work with Missio through the Red Box to support faith communities and share the Gospel throughout the world]

________________

Courtesy: Missio (Posted on June 11, 2019)

The post The history and life of the Kutchi Kohli Christians in Sindh first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Meeting approves setting up of a sub-committee on holding scholarship tests under IBA Sukkur for meritorious students.

Karachi

Sindh Non-Muslim Welfare Committee on Friday decided to give the financial assistance to the deserving Christian community members before December 25 on the occasion of Christmas.

The decision was taken at a meeting held with Provincial Minister for Minorities Affairs Giyanchand Essrani in the chair. The cheques of financial assistance will be distributed among the deserving Christians.

The meeting also approved to set up a sub-committee on the matter of holding scholarship tests under IBA Sukkur for meritorious students from the minority communities. The sub-committee will submit its recommendations on the matter in the next meeting.

The Non-Muslim Welfare Committee also approved 165 new development schemes. The Minorities department presented a survey of worship places affected by the recent rains and floods in which 255 places of worship have been identified.

Minister Giyanchand Essarani advised all the members of the committee to submit the list of affected places of worship in their respective areas and said that the department has completed its survey. Schemes will be prepared soon for the repair of these places of worship. However, the committee members should check in their respective areas to ensure that no affected places of worship missed out.

He said that the schemes of the affected places of worship will be prepared soon and the summary will be sent to the Sindh Chief Minister for approval. He said that the scholarship matter should be decided on time so that students can get scholarships before the end of the financial year.

Senator Krishna Kumari, Special Assistant to Chief Minister Sindh Surender Valasai, Special Assistant Dr. Khatu Mal Jeevan, MPA Rana Hameer Singh, MPA Anthony Naveed, MPA Mangala Sharma, Engineer Giyanchand, Roma Matto, Kamla Bai, Ramesh Lal, Prashotham Ramani, Krishan Sagar, Hiranand, Ramesh Kumar Rathore, Komal, Secretary Minorities Affairs Department Muhammad Abbas Baloch, Director Minorities Affairs Mahesh Lal Dodani and others attended the meeting. (PR)

__________________

The post Christians of Sindh to get financial assistance before Dec.25 first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Sindh Courier

In 1933, a number of Christians, and the Hindu Sindhi traders from Shikarpur, Sindh province of Pakistan, were massacred by the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang province of China. As per historical accounts, the Christians were murdered because they were originally Muslims and had converted by the Swedish missionaries, but the reasons given by historians for the killings of Shikarpuri traders are conflicting.

These are the same Uyghur Muslims for whom the China has been a center of contention for the world. The Western media across the World has come down heavily on the Chinese government, for reported detention of Uyghur Muslims in its re-education camps. It is said that these Muslims are forced to undergo psychological indoctrination programs organized by the Chinese Government. Let’s share the historical accounts of gory incidents that took place in Xinjiang.

Who are Uyghur?

The Uyghur are predominantly Turkic-speaking ethnic groups primarily from China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang. It is said that more than 10 million Uyghur Muslims live in this region. Uyghur speak their own language, which is quite similar to the Uzbek language. Most of the Uyghur practice Sunni Islam.

This Xinjiang region is under China’s administrative control since 1949. It is an extremely important province which has high strategic and business importance since ages. It shares borders with other Muslim countries like Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia. It is situated along the ancient Silk Road trading route and known for its abundance of oil and other natural resources including rare earth metals.

The cause of current disturbance is the demographic shift due to the increasing number of Uyghur and Han ethnic people and a constant fight to retain control over this area.

History of Uyghur people

The current Xinjiang region was known for its Buddhism roots, the same was documented by the famous Chinese pilgrim traveler Xuanzong in 7th Century AD. We can still see the ruins of many Buddhist monasteries in the Turfan area of Xinjiang. Buddhism was adopted by the famous Kocho kingdom of Uyghur, later on, Christianity also started spreading its influence via missionaries.

However, the balance started changing since the arrival of Islam into the Tarim Basin area. In 821 AD, an Arab ambassador visited the Uyghur kingdom and Islam spread like a wildfire since 11th century AD, and in just a few decades, Islam became the most dominant religion of the entire region and its neighboring states. It is said that Uyghur people started conversion at a rapid pace.

Xinjiang has been home to many ethnic groups throughout history, but Uyghur were comparatively new in this region. Various Chinese dynasties (Han ethnicity) at times have ruled over Xinjian, but the brutal uprising started in the early part of the last century.

In the early 1930s, Uyghur leadership started an uprising to snatch their land from Chinese Han dynasty rulers. Uyghur were led by Muhammad Amin Bughra and Abdullah Bughra, who infused hatred against Hans, Hindus, and Christians and initiated bloody battle which cost thousands of innocent lives.

Massacre of Hindus and Christians

The Uyghur people and their battles have a long history, but here we will share a part of it related to massacre of Hindus traders and Christians.

The Bughras applied Shariah law in the Xinjiang region and started attacking the Hindus and Christians and were forcing them to convert into Islam. Uyghur leader Amir Abdullah Bughra attacked many Swedish missionaries and killed many Christians. Bughra’s army beheaded and killed thousands of Muslims also who had converted to Christianity. Several thousand other Uyghur Muslims who were converted to Christianity were executed at Uyghur Habil in 1933.

Uyghurs killed hundreds of Hindus in Shamba Bazaar, Khotan and Posgam on 25th March 1933. They snatched the belongings of Hindus, slaughtered them with their families, and asked the remaining Hindus to desert the Xinjiang region.

Muslim Turkic Uyghur plundered the possessions in Karghalik of Rai Sahib Dip Chand (famous businessman) and his fellow Hindus on 24th March 1933. Several hundreds of Hindus were massacred in Keryia city, where a huge number of migrant Hindus from Sindh’s Shikarpur district were living for decades. Many Hindus’ throats were slit and thrown in wells to die slowly, just like Kerala’s Mopla Style.

The selective slaughter of the Indian Hindus was infamously called the “Karghalik Outrage“. The Emirs of Khotan (Uyghur) orchestrated this ethnic cleansing of Hindus and Christians and declared Shariah law in Khotan on March 16, 1933.

Hindus were living in Xinjiang for ages, and they were economically well settled. On the other hand, Uyghur were nomadic and they used to loiter and being fanatics. They used to mistreat their women in inhumane fashion, they used to marry and divorce at will and used to treat their Women like an animal. Uyghur men used to sell their children.

To escape this pathetic treatment, Uyghur women used to desert them and marry non-Muslims, which is Hindus, Christian, or Han Chinese. For this act, they targeted only Hindus and Christians, as Han were out of their bounds, hence they never tried to do any sort of misadventure against them.

Uyghur were extremely violent, and they were always up in arms against Hindus and Christians. There is much documentary evidence which proves that they used to slaughter cows purposefully to offend Hindus and to show them their rightful place.

The details of massacre are given in a book ‘Warlords and Muslims in Chinese Central Asia: A Political History of Republican Sinkiang 1911-1949’ by Andrew D. W. Forbes (1986).

Some other accounts of history also state that the Bughras applied Shariah law while ejecting Khotan-based Swedish missionaries. They demanded the withdrawal of the Swedish missionaries while enacting Shariah on March 16. 1933. Uyghur leader Amir Abdullah Bughra violently assaulted the Yarkand-based Swedish missionaries and executed them; however, they ended up only being banished thanks to the British interceding in their favor. There were beheadings and executions of Muslims who had converted to Christianity at the hands of the Amir’s followers.

Several hundred Uighur Muslims had been converted to Christianity by the Swedes. Imprisonment and execution were inflicted on Uighur Christian converts and, after refusing to give up his Christian religion, they executed the convert Uighur Habil in 1933.

The East Turkestan Republic also banished the Swedish missionaries and tortured and jailed Christian converts, mainly Kirghiz and Uighurs. The Islamic East Turkestan Republic forcibly ejected the Swedish missionaries and was openly hostile to Christianity.

They subjected former Muslim Christian converts like Joseph Johannes Khan to jail, torture and abuse after he refused to give up Christianity in favor of Islam. After the British interceded to free Khan, he was instead forced to leave his land and in November 1933 he came to Peshawar.

Meanwhile, the killings of two Hindus at the hands of Uighurs took place in Shamba Bazaar. Plundering of the valuables of slaughtered Indian Hindus happened in Posgam on March 25 and on the previous day in Karghalik at the hands of Uighur. Killings of Hindus took place in Khotan at the hands of the Bughra Amirs. Antagonism against both the Hindus ran high among the Muslim Turkic Uyghur rebels in Xinjiang’s southern area. They plundered the possessions in Karghalik of Rai Sahib Dip Chand, who was the aksakal of Britain, and his fellow Hindus on March 24, 1933, and in Keryia they slaughtered Hindus, who belonged to Sindh’s Shikarpur region. The slaughter of the Sindhi Hindus was called the “Karghalik Outrage”. The Muslims had killed nine of them.

However, French historian Claude Markovits in his book titled The Global World of Indian Merchants, 1750-1947, narrates a different story.

An Indian community that earned notoriety and the ire of the Uyghurs and Chinese was the Shikarpuris. The diaries of the Kashgar agency, which would become the British consulate in the city had detailed information about the Shikarpuris in Xinjiang, according to Markovits. “It gives a fairly detailed, although extremely hostile account of the activities of Shikarpuri moneylenders in southern Sinkiang or Kashgaria (there is no evidence of a Shikarpuri presence in the rest of this huge territory), from the 1890s to the 1940s, which saw the last Shikarpuris leave the region,” the French historian wrote.

By 1907, there were 500 Shikarpuri moneylenders in the region. They had a so-called “shah-gumastha” system where the shah advanced capital to junior partners, the gumasthas, who had no capital of their own but were engaged to travel and collect debts. “Some of these gumasthas were described as ‘bad characters,’ men against whom there were cases in Shikarpur for housebreaking,” according to Markovits. “Their exactions against the local population in the course of collecting debts, in particular their seizing of women and children as sureties, led to a string of protests from the Uyghur peasantry, which were relayed by the Chinese authorities to the British consular authorities.”

The British consular officers used to regularly receive complaints about the moneylenders, who were accused of charging exorbitant interest (12% per month), not returning bonds despite loans being fully paid up and forcibly keeping people in confinement until loans were paid back.

Allen Robert Shuttleworth, who was a British consular officer in Kashgar, wrote that the Chinese and the British were ready to help the Shikarpuris collect their debts but there was no satisfying the moneylenders who he called “vultures” and “an unlovable lot”.

By 1909, half of the Shikarpuris were sent back to India. Others managed to stay on in Xinjiang until 1933, when Uyghur uprising against the Chinese led to violence against the moneylenders. The violence claimed several Indian (Sindhi) lives and led to a flight of most Shikarpuris, although some stayed back until the early 1940s.

According to another narrative, a communal riot between local Muslims and Hindus in Yarkand when a Muslim woman was found in the room of a Hindu cook. The situation threatened to spiral out of control, but the Chinese authorities took swift action, including fining the cook, administering mild beatings on those who used insulting languages against Muslims and a gift of carpets. Muslim rioters were also punished with similarly mild beatings and banned from slaughtering cows or selling beef in front of Hindu serais.

__________________

Source: Turnicle, Scroll, Wikipedia and some other websites

The post Uyghur Uprising: Why Sindhi traders were massacred in 1933? first appeared on Sindh Courier.

[After decades of activism, I was leading a peaceful retired life with my family, when Prime Minister Modi was re-elected in 2019, with larger margins than in 2014.

I immediately understood the ominous significance of that election and what it meant for the future of Indian democracy. For anyone who had followed the trajectory of Hindu nationalism, the writing was on the wall: With complete control over all the levers of power, this was the time that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would go full steam ahead with implementing their agenda of creating a Hindu Rashtra.

By happenchance, I met others like me — in particular, progressive Hindu women’s rights activist Sunita Viswanath — who also recognized that the most important missing link in countering Hindutva ideology were the voices of progressive Hindus like us.

That was the genesis of Hindus for Human Rights, which plunged me overnight back into activism, much to the concern of my family about my safety.

Events in the last two years not only demonstrate that our predictions about the Modi government were right, but that we had underestimated the ferocity with which Hindu nationalists would proceed with their agenda. To be honest, even we did not expect open calls for genocide of all Muslims that we heard from the holy city of Haridwar last week, or the anti-Christian incidents in churches all across India on Christmas day.

What is clear today is that HfHR must redouble its efforts to push back on Hindu extremism both in India and the diaspora, and to appeal to moderate Hindus to join us. What gives us hope is the enormous level of support that we have received from people of all faiths and nationalities, who want Indian democracy to thrive once again – Namaste, Salam, Shalom, Sat Sri Akal and Peace – Raju]

Dear Hindu brothers and sisters

No doubt you would have seen the recent chilling videos of saffron-clad Hindu religious leaders from Haridwar and Delhi calling for the extermination of Muslims in India. You may have also read about the disruption of Christmas celebrations in many parts of India and the increasing threats faced by pastors and places of worship.

We hope that you are as shocked and dismayed as we are that such vile acts could be happening in our names.

On the other hand, perhaps you are among those who feel that there is no reason for alarm and that these are fringe groups not worthy of our attention. Or, you may be part of that vast silent Hindu majority, who are either ambivalent about Hindu nationalism or are reluctant to speak up.

Whatever be your inclination, we hope that you will take some time in the New Year to reflect upon India’s long tradition of respecting diversity and pluralism, as it enters the 72nd year of constitutional democracy.

‘Majority rule with minority rights’

US President Thomas Jefferson, one of America’s founding fathers, in his inaugural address in 1801, spoke of “majority rule with minority rights” as the essence of a constitutional democracy.

“…bear in mind this sacred principle that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect…”

It was a cruel irony of the time that those famous words were addressed only to the newly independent white colonists, and did not consider Blacks, Native Americans, and women as worthy of inclusion under the “sacred principle.” Nonetheless, the foresight of the US founding fathers in protecting the nation against the “tyranny of the majority” and their attention to safeguarding minority rights, have stood the test of time.

The Bill of Rights, which captures the essence of President Jefferson’s words, is the bedrock of the American dream, which is today conferring equal rights to immigrants of all faiths and ethnicities, including Hindus. No one can take those rights away on the basis of the color of their skin, or the language they speak, or the Gods they worship.

But if ever constitutionally guaranteed minority rights were to be stripped away by a democratically elected government, we would be left only with brute majoritarianism, which would inevitably open the door to mass discrimination, violence, and even civil war – as it happened in Sri Lanka after the rights of minority Tamils were taken away overnight in 1956.

Unfortunately, what we are witnessing in India today is not just majoritarianism, but a run-away majoritarianism, which is not only threatening the constitutional rights of religious minorities, but is obliging open calls for mass violence as the solemn duty of Hindus.

Whether those calls pose an imminent danger or not is beside the point. The Indian Muslim community is taking them seriously, as they must. The latest incitement is clearly intended to drive fear and confusion among the minorities and to intensify attacks against them at the merest excuse and call it self-defence – a tactic often used by Hindu nationalists.

At this critical moment for Indian democracy, it is important for all of us to ask ourselves, what kind of India do we wish to bequeath to future generations – A nation torn by internecine conflicts like in Afghanistan and Lebanon – Or a secular, pluralistic – if imperfect – democracy?

Run-away majoritarianism

For Hindus like us, this is also a moment to recognize that we possess far more power than others to put a break on India’s run-away majoritarianism. In fact, our failure to use that power will not be forgiven by history.

So, as we wish you all a Happy New Year 2022, we humbly offer some thoughts for your reflection:

Contrary to what we are repeatedly told, minority rights are not special privileges that are denied to the majority community. It is a necessary mechanism under constitutional majority rule to ensure that everyone is treated as equals in the eyes of the law. In fact, the fundamental rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution were heavily influenced by the US Bill of Rights.

Hindus are huge beneficiaries of constitutionally guaranteed minority rights in countries around the world. Is it not a travesty that many of them are joining hands with Hindu nationalists in India to attack minority rights as appeasement?

In any case, “appeasement” is not a bad word, as we are often led to believe. Indeed, it is the very nature of democracy, as politicians juggle the demands and expectations of various sections of their constituencies. If American politicians are holding back criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in return for campaign funds from Hindu Americans, that too is a case of appeasement.

Hindu Khatre main hai, Hindus are in danger has become the new war cry of Hindu nationalists. This is driven by the false narrative that the Muslim population will outgrow Hindus in the near future (“population imbalance” as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh calls it). But, if you care to look at the census data, you will see that the growth rate of Muslims is actually slowing dramatically, and, at the current rates of growth, Hindus will remain a substantial majority for the foreseeable future.

Laws enacted by Bharatiya Janata Party-controlled states to curtail religious conversions and inter-faith marriages are based on this false narrative of “population imbalance”. An important question to ask yourself is how you might feel if a low-level bureaucrat were to someday tell your children or grandchildren whom they can marry and what gods they may worship?

Virtually no Hindu spiritual leader outside Haridwar has condemned the recent hate speech and violence. If they continue to remain silent at this time of crisis for India (and for Hinduism), then what are we to make of their larger role in society, outside their ashrams and devotees? Doesn’t “Vasudaiva Kutumbakam”, the world is one family, not mean anything to them anymore? We must challenge our own spiritual gurus to publicly denounce hate speech and violence against the minorities and Dalits. There can be no better way to put the brakes on hate speech and violence than condemnation by respected spiritual leaders.

We are often told that we are alarmists and that things are not really as bad as we make them out to be. But please remember that it is easy to be in denial or become complacent when you are surrounded mostly by people like yourself and you are not the target of all the hate. If you live in such a communal cocoon, please challenge yourself in the new year to reach out to a Muslim or a Christian or a Dalit or an Adivasi who has been a victim of hate campaigns and discrimination.

As Eboo Patel, author and interfaith leader puts it, the essence of pluralism is not merely tolerance, but a true recognition that there will be times when your self-identity (say, as a believer in ahimsa) may directly clash with the self-identity of your neighbor or friend from another community (say, as a meat eater). A truly pluralistic society is one where we care for one another despite such seemingly unbridgeable differences, in the larger interest of the community that we are part of.

Bishop Desmond Tutu, who is no more with us, once said, “God is not upset that Gandhi was not a Christian, because god is not a Christian! All of god’s children and their different faiths help us to realise the immensity of god.”

That must be the new mantra of all faith communities in India if they wish to save Indian democracy. They must work hand in hand with their secular brothers and sisters who are on the frontlines every day defending religious freedom and democratic rights for all.

Yours Sincerely,

Raju Rajagopal and Sunita Viswanath

Co-founders, Hindus for Human Rights (.org), USA

_______________________

Shared by Mr. Raju Rajagopal through email. Originally published in Scroll and later by NRI Affairs

The post Hindus have a special responsibility to denounce hate speech and violence first appeared on Sindh Courier.