Daily Times

Pakistan is a country where multitudes of thought, people, and geography exist. Yet it is a nation that suffers severely from an identity crisis, which has bred easy ground for social chaos and discrimination against the vulnerable, marginalised and minority classes in the country. Resultantly, social bigotry has become a common phenomenon, further fuelled by judgmental fervour that has been propagated through misunderstood interpretations of the ideology of Pakistan. Orthodox rhetoric makes society lose its appreciation of cultural, ethnic and religious diversities, and a sense of helplessness and desperation grows stronger in the affected communities when it comes to their ultimate struggle for fundamental rights.

In order to understand the spread of discrimination here, it is important to learn how, at the mass level, hate messages are disseminated unchecked through the fundamentalist clergy who use radio, television and the internet as their popular media tools. The grooming of bigotry and its impact starts at a very early stage of life because children are at the forefront of primal brainwashing and direct victimisation, defining their worldview during their formative phase.

It is imperative to rationalise objectively to understand the relationship of the minorities with their state and their society, and their resistance to what they feel they cannot conform to. It further elaborates the degree of assimilation of these groups in society and whether the Pakistani state and society in general are developing any sensitivity towards these affected groups.

In finding a remedial discourse, let us have a look at the actions already being undertaken by the government, the judiciary and civil society, and whether they have been effective enough so far in helping to remove the misconceptions spread by extremists and their right-wing political affiliates or sympathisers. Based on the geo-political and cultural structure of Pakistan, there is a need for a strong mass campaign for removing biased perceptions against minorities on a social level.

Pakistan’s minorities have gradually but dramatically decreased in number to just 25 percent from when Pakistan was created in 1947. Pakistan has a Muslim majority but there are other ethnic groups that are economically less privileged, marginalised and are not given their full citizenship rights. Among the religious minorities are Ahmedis, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Jews (in nominal numbers), Kalash cultures and other animistic groups. Among the marginalised communities are the cultural and language communities that form their own distinct identities in terms of heritage, traditions and social norms. These groups include sex workers, eunuchs and musician communities in the Walled City of Lahore; the nomadic groups and the Urdu-speaking Mohajir communities, it is argued, are also among the major marginalised language groups in Pakistan, mainly in the port city of Karachi and the city of Hyderabad in Sindh province. All the religious minorities, except for Ahmedis, consider themselves to be non-Muslims, thus highlighting the plight of Ahmedis even further, the plight of their entire community’s disenfranchisement based on their religious beliefs.

Constitutionally, the term ‘minorities’ falls in the ambit of religious minorities as it is dependent on their electorates and their citizen participation in relation to the state. They remain largely underprivileged and are alienated from social norms as ascribed by social moralists like the community elders, the clergy and those in leadership positions. It may include the nomadic communities, the migrant communities (a major contingent of which are the Afghan refugees), and the ethnic communities largely. The other communities that may also be classified as those who suffer from social and economic injustice are the bonded labour or the haris that work under the command of the feudal lords. These communities are devoid of their freedom to decide and choose, and are used by their powerful landlords as vote banks in their favour. In most cases, the marginalised classes remain deprived because of their statelessness, gender (if female), and ethnicity.

Pakistan is primarily comprised of pluralistic ideas, values, cultures, languages and religions where the hegemony of one set of values over all others can explain why there are so many internal conflicts within. While it is important to understand basic human rights and justice, it must be based on the principle of equality; in Pakistan’s case, it was Jinnah who insisted on the equality of all citizens, which, unfortunately, was never implemented because of hardline indoctrination in the constitution and the laws.

The generally bigoted and less tolerant perceptions in society can only be challenged by forming objective, fact-finding and neutral discourses that are based on the real paradigms of Pakistan’s pluralism. This must ensure honest dissemination of information, without showing prejudice or partiality. The discrimination that is widespread and on false fundamentals should be confronted by opening dialogues.

Education must be ensured for all, with reforms in the language of the text, and with inclusiveness and respect for all existing identities of Pakistan. Civil society and human rights activists can play an important role in sensitising the public on the negative impacts a society has not only on humane values but also on its economics by marginalising and alienating specific groups of people based on their gender, religion and ethnicity. These groups must also be encouraged to take active part in politics to exert pressure on their local representatives to build political manifestos that can serve everybody’s economic and developmental interests.

The writer is a freelance columnist and may be contacted at zeeba.hashmi@gmail.com