Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) remembers the tragic attack on Gojra, Pakistan, on August 1, 2009, where a reported mob of 20,000 murdered Christian men, women, and children, burned Christian homes, and burned Christian churches – all in the name of religious intolerance and a spurious charge of “blasphemy.”
August 1, 2009 Pakistan mob attack in Gojra: "A Christian house set ablaze" (Photo: UCAN)
We will join the Pakistan Christian Congress and members of other faiths in Washington DC on August 2, 2010 to remember this horrific attack, and the ongoing pattern of religious intolerance, hate, and violence that continues against religious minorities throughout Pakistan.
Religious intolerance is not the problem for any one faith or identity group.
On July 21, 2010, two Pakistan Christian brothers were gunned down in the street in broad daylight on courthouse steps after being falsely charged with “blasphemy.” Christians not killed are being imprisoned for “blasphemy,” including a Christian in March 2010, who received a life sentence for such a charge. Mobs continue to attack Christian families, such as the May 2010 attack in Essa Nagri Karach, and have Christian church services disrupted. Some Christians have been put to death for refusing to convert to “Islam.” In Karachi, a Christian nurse was raped in July then thrown from a fourth floor of a medical building where she worked; the Pakistan Christian Post reports that there are hundreds of unreported rapes of Christian nurses. Anti-Christian banners are seen in Lahore. In March 2010, a Christian housemaid was burned alive.
On July 31, 2010, seven of a Hindu family were killed in Jaffarabad, Balochistan in an attack there, and Pakistan Hindus are routinely oppressed for their faith, not just by the Pakistan Taliban, but also by government officials, including government plans to destroy an 87 year old Hindu temple in Rawalpindi. On July 9, 2010, the Pakistan Hindu Post reported that 60 members of a Hindu family had to take shelter in a Karachi cattle pen, after a Hindu boy drank from a drinking fountain in a mosque. In June 2010, a Hindu trader was shot dead in Quetta, Pakistan Hindus have had forced kidnappings and conversion to “Islam.”
Sikhs have been beheaded and targeted by the Pakistan Taliban, and have also been harassed and victimized for their faith.
Minority Muslims are also not safe from such religious intolerance. On May 28, 2010, attacks on Ahmadiyya Community Muslim mosques during prayers left 98 dead. The terrorist attacks were against Ahmadiyya Community Muslim during worship services in Garhi Shahu and Model Town mosques. On July 1, 2010, a terrorist attack against a Sufi Muslim shrine in Lahore, left 43 dead. Shiite Muslims have been targeted by bombings and attack, including a bombing in Karachi, and truck drivers murdered for every providing supplies to Shiite Muslims.
Religious extremist hate does not only reach to minority religious members, but also to majority religious individuals as well. In Punjab alone from January to June 2010, there have been 102 “honor killings” reported.
Whatever your faith or none at all, religious extremist hate and intolerance is a threat to us all. That threat seeks to deny freedom of religion, freedom of worship, and freedom of conscience, and our other universal human rights to all people, and rationalized such intolerance, hate, and violence based on religious views.
Peace in Pakistan and around the world begins respect for one another as human beings and respect for our universal human rights. This is why we call upon support for our universal human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 18 states that:
“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”
R.E.A.L. does not seek to suggest that such problems are limited to Pakistan alone. Such intolerance, hate, and, violence is unfortunately a universal problem. This is why we need a consistent, universal answer. We urge Pakistan’s government and the people of Pakistan, as well as people around the world to support the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Choose Love, Not Hate – Love Wins.