Religious Persecution In Pakistan | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

We Need To Talk About Religious Persecution In Pakistan

I cannot abide by the disgusting stigma that Pakistani society seems to have towards anyone who dares to follow their own religion.

204
Pakistani

This past summer, I had the opportunity to visit my family's homeland, Pakistan, for a wedding alongside my family. We stayed in Karachi for three weeks, during which I observed a disturbing trend since my last visit four years ago—an almost silent voice from the more prominent minority religious communities, specifically the Ahmadi and Christian communities, displayed by a conspicuous absence of any churches or places of worship for these factions.

While all of my family members were reveling in the ideals of change and justice that newly-appointed Prime Minister Imran Khan would bring to this beleaguered nation (corrupted since its inception by incompetent bureaucracy and religious extremism), I wondered what had happened to the already-slighted institutions that these minorities held sanctuary in, and why so few were willing to speak of their near-complete lack of presence in the local community. When I posed these questions to family, they shrugged off this seemingly bizarre phenomenon with a forced indifference, leaving me to do my own digging to find out why minorities in Pakistan appeared to be ignored by both the government and the common people.

Pakistan has approximately 2.5 million Christians (totaling about 1.6 percent of the population), and approximately 2.2 percent of its population are Ahmadis, a people who follow the teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and are almost identical to regular followers of the Islamic faith, save for one key difference—their refusal to acknowledge the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as the final messenger of Allah (SWT.)

In addition, Pakistan has a sizable population of Hindus, Atheists, Sufis, and various other peoples of different faith, and yet does nothing to shield these communities from the persecution that they face simply for choosing to follow their own faith instead of the one followed by the majority. There is no shortage of horrific instances of persecution against these minorities, which include ethnic cleansing of Hindus and Christians, the murder of students over the ridiculous social enforcement of so-called "Blasphemy Laws" that eradicate any notion of freedom of speech (which is, by the way, guaranteed under Islamic law, proving that these blasphemy laws that prohibit speaking out against Islam are completely idiotic), and the burning of a local church in a Christian-majority neighborhood in Lahore, amongst many other acts of discrimination against non-Muslims.

Often times, minorities are not allowed to obtain housing, jobs, or even proper schooling, all due to their choice to believe in something other than mainstream Islam. Their patriotism and devotion to Pakistan have always been in question, in the same manner that Muslims in America are constantly scrutinized as being un-American.

I find it extremely ironic and disgusting that Pakistanis, whose country was founded on the basis of religious freedom and tolerance, would dare to treat religious minorities with such vitriol, in the same manner that their forefathers were treated in India for being Muslim under a Hindu regime. I feel angry that a so-called Muslim country has the audacity to proclaim itself as such whilst also treating members of its own community in such a disgusting manner.

The Quran specifically teaches Muslims to have love and respect for one another and for their neighbors, and yet Pakistan is home to some of the most discriminatory laws against religious minorities on the planet. The country itself owes much to the Ahmadiyya community, which has produced some of the finest military officers (LTG Qamar Bajwa), scientists (Mohammed Abdus Salam), and artists (Saira Wasim) to represent Pakistan.

During the 1947 liberation of Pakistan from India, it was an Ahmadi missionary (Abdul Rahim Dard) who convinced Muhammad Ali Jinnah (the founding father of Pakistan) to return to British India to continue to headline the Pakistan movement. This ill-treatment of non-Muslims in Pakistan, backed by fervently extremist mullahs who demonize these communities as enemies of Islam, is wholly anti-Islamic and altogether no different than the racism that Muslims face abroad in the United States and Europe.

I can't pretend that I understand all of the nuances of the power-politics in play that keep minorities from establishing themselves as strong communities representative of Pakistan as a country.

However, I cannot abide by the disgusting stigma that Pakistani society seems to have towards anyone who dares to follow their own religion. I can only hope that the new Prime Minister, Imran Khan, notices the plight of the minority communities and works to alleviate them from the injustices that they suffer from their own home.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

10 Things to avoid your freshman year of college

Having this list as you enter college will be extremely valuable and beneficial to experiencing the best year of your life!

1380
girl friends
Madison Morgan

Ahhh good ol' freshman year. The best times and the worst times. Going to college six hours from home was the best decision I had ever made for myself, but the transition would have been much smoother had I known the things I know now. You cannot take on this beast by yourself, so allow me to lend a hand and guide you through one of the most exciting and different years of your life thus far. I have compiled a list of 10 key things to avoid your freshman year of college in order to ensure a smooth, happy, and fun first year!

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

A Deep Dive Into Taylor Swift’s Albums: 1989 (Taylor’s Version) Edition

I just know that the idea of releasing vault tracks came out of the moment Taylor remembered she wrote 'Is It Over Now?'

84
A Deep Dive Into Taylor Swift’s Albums: 1989 (Taylor’s Version) Edition
Edited by Hailey Hastings

I am fully emersed into diving deep into every single Taylor Swift album, which I do on my own all the time, but wanted to do it in a way where I am sharing what a special discography she has. I feel like 1989 is the perfect place to start, it's an era that changed everything, and will always be an album people automatically think of when you say "Taylor Swift."

Keep Reading...Show less
friends

Here you will find a list of many of the people you will come across in your life, and if you're lucky, you'll be able to give a name to all these characters that you hopefully see day to day. Don't take these friends for granted because they all add a little something to your life, and if you can't name all of them to your personal friends, chances are it might be you...

Keep Reading...Show less
gossip girl

On the Upper East Side, Blair Waldorf is an icon. She's what every girl aspires to be. She's beautiful, confident, and can handle any obstacle that life throws at her. Sure, she may just be a television character. But for me, she's a role model and theres a lot that can be learned from Queen B.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

The Perks of Being a Girl

“I just want you to know that you’re very special… and the only reason I’m telling you is that I don’t know if anyone else ever has.”

2907
girl

As frustrating and annoying as it can be, being a girl is really awesome. We are beautiful inside and out. Not a lot of people may see that, but girls have a ton of amazing qualities.

We have unique flirting skills.

Us girls have a significant way to flirt with other people. Even when we say the most random or awkward things, we have a way of making everything sound cute and planned. It’s just a gift; we’re good like that.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments