Doing journalism in a country like Pakistan, which is dominated by Muslim religious extremists, is not easy, especially when you write about the religious minorities. Pakistan is ranked the third most dangerous country for reporting. The country also has one of the highest numbers of journalists threatened, kidnapped and killed.
Before the partition, the vision of Muhammad Ali Jinnah was of a nation that would adopt secularism to accommodate its historically multi-religious and culturally diverse population. The Christians who chose to stay back were assured of security and basic equal rights. Sadly, what is happening is at total variance with Jinnah’s vision. Today, the very existence of these communities is under threat. It seems that Pakistan exists as an Islamic state, comprising only of the traditions of a Sunni state like Saudi Arabia. Pakistan has been carrying out the most insidious ethnic cleaning over the last four decades right under the eyes of the world.
My aim is to create a peaceful environment in society and to help eliminate human rights violations/persecution through my writings, as I bring the plight of these brave people under the spotlight.
In Pakistan, those working to change an incredibly hostile climate for free speech have found themselves under fierce attack. Thus in this situation journalists do not dare to write about these activities. Being a Christian journalist, it is indeed becoming more dangerous to write on minorities’ issues. Many newsrooms forbid their journalists from reporting these kinds of incidents. And it happens to me as well. Apart from my routine work, I usually write on the minorities’ issues. During my working with different papers in the country, one editor told me to keep a low profile, or stop writing for a while, and if I had to, it would go without a byline.
Threats are a routine matter; I don’t even want to mention the threatening phone calls or anything of the sort that I receive. People know me and know that even if it is without a byline, I am the writer. Sometimes they ask me who I am working for, and my answer is simple: I work for Christ Jesus. No one can stop me until and unless it is God’s will. I work as a diplomatic correspondent, also covering the foreign office and Parliament House in addition to what I do for my paper. Apart from my office responsibilities, I raise voice for one of the most deprived portions of society. They are usually called churas (a derogatory term used for Christians in Pakistan, also among the poorest sections of society consigned to menial janitorial jobs). Sometimes, they use this word for me as well, even if it is not in my presence. I am familiar with the mentality of the bigoted mindset.
It is quite distressing to see a region that has for millennia been the hub of civilisation and religious integration, with an abiding heritage of multi-ethnicity and linguistic/cultural diversity, degenerate into a fanatical society in such a short span of time. It is astounding to see how some fanatical groups have converted the rich diversity into a liability. But it will make no difference; threats are a hazard of this job, living in an increasingly intolerant society. The most painful is the attitude of the Christian religious leadership’s behaviour towards its congregations. Missionary schools have expelled Christian students from their school. Christian institutions have hired squads of Muslims, while skilled and deserving young Christians are jobless. Those who are responsible are not the visionary intellectuals and thinkers of society; they are the fringe elements seeking to further their business, economic and political interests by playing the politics of sectarian hatred.
The world needs to take cognizance of the genocide that is slowly taking place in Pakistan. The responsibility on the United States of America is all the more acute; while being concerned about all the groups that are suffering, special attention has to be given to the Christian community and to the people who are really deserving.
The writer is a human rights activist and is working as a stinger, specialising in writing about minority rights for various national and international papers