Munir Ahmed
ISLAMABAD — Speakers at a seminar Thursday called for elimination of all sorts of discrimination and violence against minorities.
The seminar was organised by the World Minorities Alliance (WMA) to commemorate the World Minorities Day.
Several civil society representatives from Pakistan, the UK and Canada spoke on the occasion.
The seminar was symbolically presided over by the UN Secretary General Ban-ki-moon whose portrait was placed on the stage. Flags of the UN member countries also adorned the stage.
Federal Parliamentary Secretary Mahboob Ullah Jan said, “Islam has clearly defined the rights of the minorities in a Muslim state.
The founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah also spoke of equal rights of minorities in his speeches.
Pakistan’s flag marks the presence of minorities. Right from the day of independence, Pakistan has given equal opportunities to minorities to excel in all fields. The minorities enjoy a significant number of seats including the first law minister of the country.”
However, he said the minorities all over the world faced severe challenges including Pakistan.
That is though is not a common phenomenon yet of concern for all of us.
“We need to improve the situation at home he said, and urged the world authorities to make the situation better for all minorities across the globe.”
The speakers highlighted violence against Muslim minorities, maltreatment to the suppressed and denial of the fundamental rights to the minorities.
They said there was a need to draw a roadmap for efforts to establish international harmony and promote mutual respect for sensitivities of minorities in the world, particularly the sub-continent.
The day was observed to encourage peace activists and representatives of the minorities to ensure their regular assembly and exchange ideas for the interfaith harmony.
They said there was a need for increased understanding among the followers of different faiths. J Salik, the WMA chairman, highlighted his services for minorities that he said spread over the three decades.
He proposed minorities representation in the UN, World Minorities Bank and a parliament.
Faisal Mushtaq, Executive Director Roots School System, Saeed Wajid Bukhari, WMA Coordinator Europe, Sohail S Kiani, Globe Foundation of Canada, and Abdul Majeed Malik, a social activist from the UK also spoke on the occasion.
They urged the governments in different countries to implement the international treaties on the rights of minority in their respective countries in letter and spirit.
A majority in one country is a minority in the other. Therefore all majorities should take measures to provide enabling space to their minorities as the followers of their religion would certainly be minority elsewhere.
Published in daily Dateline Islamabad, Jan 13, 2012
http://www.dateline.com.pk/?cat=15
http://www.dateline.com.pk/epaper/index.php?date=2012-01-13&page_no=5
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