There was a time when there was no division with respect to religion in Pakistan. Different religions existed but human behaviour was reflective of universal moral principles. So, a kind of harmony, sincerity and tolerance tied them together, so that they would come together on occasions of suffering and goodwill.
They not only respected religious festivals but also attended and fostered the spirit of brotherhood. Don’t go too far. You can see the Punjab of eighteenth-century. Read Heer by Waris Shah and you’ll see the atmosphere of the era through the poetry.
In the society reflected in the story of Waris Shah, Muslims, living in all religions, respected the virtuous, intellectual human beings of all other religions. Humanity was the focal point of morality.
In Waris Shah’s poetry, the era depicted through reference to living people and their associated items is worth praising. But the main expertise of Waris Shah is he analysed the behaviour of the people, like a psychiatrist, and made it a part of the history. How strong was eighteenth-century Punjab concerning its vast heart and optimism?
In Waris Shah’s poetry, the era depicted through reference to living people and their associated items is worth praising
People were open-hearted. Consider how the hero of the story, Ranjha, pleads for favour with a Hindu yogi because he believes every human is the creature of God and the prayers of the righteous are heard. The nineteenth-century has come, and the atmosphere of tolerance continued flourishing in Pakistan after independence. It should have been that with culture and education, the atmosphere could be more civilised, but the situation overturned and destroyed centuries-old harmony and religious tolerance.
In the face of a bright day, the night was such that the star of the morning had become difficult to see.
When believers of one religion become divided into different sects and start to shed blood, there is no room left for other religions. Pakistan faced a similar situation when sacred buildings of other religions were destroyed. The boastful attitude was shown after thousand-year-old Buddhist statues and monuments were demolished. The ones who demolished them boasted of their ill-doing and the world kept on laughing at our quality.
Although the number of such people was very small, the news was big and the whole of Pakistan was blamed.
Similar attitudes were done with the buildings and inhabitants of Hinduism, Christianity and other religions.
It was a strange period in which a particular sect by the use of force began to converge other religions to itself.
Islam says, “?? ??????? ???” that there is no compulsion in religion. When we study the teachings of our Prophet (PBUH), he showed the expansiveness of Islam by allowing other worshippers of other religions to enter and worship in the mosque, which is the holy sanctuary of Muslims. Their self-esteem is also a blessing to all people, and their attitude is also a perfect example of compassion and kindness.
In the history of Pakistan, the world has seen the vast alchemy sloping into a narrow ideology and a black chapter has become money. Today, he is not far away, but there is still some part of this ink inside his heart. Due to the shadows, the eyes do not see a clear picture. Extremism cannot be abolished. Things take time to build. It takes much longer to connect broken values like this. This is why people today seem to be very educated and enlightened, but their views are narrow. It is no longer an individual issue but a matter of the society as a whole. Bad things spread quickly and good things take some time to reach people. Happily, the Punjab Government has made some very important announcements regarding minorities.
A Christmas grant has been announced for nearly 6,000 families; ensuring drainage, roads, gas, electricity and other facilities are being upgraded and improved in minority-populated areas. Planning for the maintenance, renovation and renovation of minorities’ religious sites is a great start. These centuries-old sites are a historical heritage of Pakistan. It is the job of the government to protect and care for the individual, not the bus.
Thankfully, the government drew attention to it soon and made it a priority and an important responsibility. Religious destinations can attract tourists from all over the world and earn foreign exchange. Similarly, several steps are being taken to bring minorities, especially the Christian community, into the stream of development so that they can have social well-being and create an atmosphere of equality in society. Education is man-made, therefore, besides providing technical training to the 5,000 youth under the PS, DF, the education benefits for the youth have been kept and five per cent quota has been put in the job. This will not only make them specific jobs but also contribute to the development of the country by taking part in all kinds of high jobs and feel proud as a Pakistani. I hope minorities will feel more secure after the current measures. We also expect a declaration by the Sindh Government that legislation will be put in place to forcibly convert religion. If we want to make Pakistan a bright country and keep the coming generation away from all these problems, today we have to include writings in our curriculum that teach respect for all We should also tell them that in Pakistan, thousands of ancient religious monuments exist in the city and are a symbol of our historic heritage and prestige. We have to preserve them a good place for civilisation. We have to strengthen our connection to this world, rather than making ourselves the creatures of another planet. Our dignity in the world is subject to it. It is easy to ask for rights, but it is a bit difficult to provide rights because it takes labour and the other party benefits. This is why the rights of others become a duty to us. A duty is an act required to be performed in all circumstances. Let’s look round us and rebuild their confidence as far as possible by trying to relieve the suffering of people of other faiths at the individual level. His name is humanity. Sufis have always talked about the wider society. They consider all human beings to be the family of God and promote the equal rights of all. Sufi teachings need to be made part of the curriculum for Pakistan to live on a level of peace.
The writer is a senior columnist and has a PhD in mysticism