Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lahore (Fides Service) - Religious intolerance in Pakistan is an evil to monitor and to eradicate according to civil and religious leaders who gathered for a recent seminar held in Lahore organised by the “Commission for Peace and Human Development”, with contributions from civil and religious bodies. Participants included Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore, who is also President of the Pakistan Bishops’ Conference and the prominent Muslim leader Abdul Khabir Azad who preaches at Khatheeb Badashi mosque in Lahore.
The leaders agreed that they share common responsibility to identify causes and remedies for the phenomenon of religious intolerance which still afflicts Pakistan. It is the government’s task they said to promote religious pluralism and tolerance and to guarantee equal rights for all citizens and for religious minorities. For their part religious leader must make more effort and use better their capacities to speak to the consciences of the people in order to foster peace and harmony.
In his intervention Archbishop Saldanha stressed the need to separate religion and state and religious belief and public life: “Examples of overlapping are the blasphemy law and the hudud (prescriptions of Islamic law)”, he said. “the State school curriculum includes several elements which can foster hatred towards Hindus or Christians. So how can we expect our children to become open and tolerant adults?”, he asked. Archbishop Saldanha lamented that religious minorities, Hindus and Christians, have insufficient space in the media which makes it difficult to further better understanding and harmony and give an authentic picture of their life and activity.
Muslim leader Azad said Islam has the duty of pluralism, dialogue and respect of other religions, recalling that Islamic leaders were among the first to visit Christian communities in Sangla Hill, near Lahore attacked by Muslim fanatics in October 2005. “On that occasion we also urged the local ulema to act with responsibility: our common task is to play an active part in building harmony in society” he said.
Other leaders present stressed the need to intensify Muslim/Christian dialogue, and to undertake shared programmes in the fields of solidarity and education to peace, meetings, seminars.
To emphasise the importance of pluralism, various religious bodies, civil movements and associations recently formed a National Solidarity Coalition for Equal Rights with the purpose of promoting peace, religious tolerance and human rights in Pakistan. Members include the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Justice and Peace Commission and Caritas Pakistan. (Agenzia fides 30/1/2006 righe 29 parole 293)
