This past year has been a sobering and troubling year in terms of the state of human rights in Pakistan. In Pakistan, we are seeing a continuing trend of oppression of religious minorities, with continuing attacks against Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Ahmadiyaa, and Shiites.
On this day, Human Rights Day, December 10, we call upon the Pakistan government and calling upon the Pakistan people to respect the human rights and human dignity of Pakistan religious minorities, their families, their houses of worship, and especially their children in Pakistan.
The oppressive Pakistan blasphemy law has been used by those to target, attack, and even kill religious minorities. This law must end, so that Pakistan people are no longer oppressed by those who use this to deny their basic human rights.
We remind the world that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights calls for equality in freedom, liberty, safety, and freedom of conscience for all people around the world. We remember the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on December 10, 1948, over 60 years ago today. These are not new ideas or new suggestions. These universal human rights are what the assembled United Nations agreed to for all nations of the world. Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) condemns and rejects all violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Some of the major passages of the universal declaration of human rights include:
— Article 18 of the UDHR states: “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.”
— Article 3 of the UDHR states: “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.”
— Article 16 of the UDHR calls for men and women of “FULL AGE” to marriage and a family, and specifically points out that “[m]arriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.”
Yet throughout the past year, we have seen attacks on Hindu temples and we have seen the abduction of Hindu girls who have been forcibly converted from their religion. This has included 12 year old Hindu girl Kajal Bheel, as well as similar abductions of other Pakistan Hindu girls: Neelam Kohli (11 years old), Anjali Menghwar (12 years old), Kiran Kumari (14 years old), Parsa Kolhi, and Wali Kolhi. They have been denied their human rights to freedom of conscience, freedom of security, and even freedom of marriage.
We have seen barbarous attacks on religious minorities in Pakistan. We have seen a mob of 1200 attack and burn to death a Pakistan Christian couple. We have seen a Sikh physician Sardar Bagwan Singh gunned down in broad daylight. We have seen a Christian women and her crippled husband sentenced to death on blasphemy. We have seen a Pakistani court confirm a sentence of blasphemy for Christian Asia Bibi. We have seen Christian Zafar Bhatti arrested for blasphemy, and gunned down by an employee of the police force, while he was in jail.
Article 15 of the UDHR states “Everyone has the right to a nationality. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.” Yet the disgraceful oppression of the people of Balochistan continues daily. This oppression and violence in Balochistan is a rejection of our universal human rights.
We were also sad to see this year, that this has included the murder of Balochistan Assembly member Hendery Masih, who had called for security measures for Christians but was killed.
But perhaps the most important clause of the UDHR is:
Article 1 of the UDHR which states: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”
When we use our reason and conscience, and act in a spirit of brotherhood, we really don’t have to discuss any of the other articles of the declaration of human rights.
We wouldn’t have to ask Pakistanis to stop kidnapping little Hindu girls and forcing them to deny their religion.
We wouldn’t have to ask the Pakistan government to stop oppressing religious minorities and using a “blasphemy law” to trump up charges to silence any religious minority someone wants to target or get rid of, let alone shooting them in jail.
We wouldn’t have to call for the end to broad daylight murder of religious minorities in Pakistan.
We wouldn’t have to demand that Pakistan stop such mob violence, as the mob of 1,200 who attacked a Christian coupled and burned them to death.
We wouldn’t have to call for an end to the oppression of the people in Balochistan who seek to have their rightful identity.
Let us be clear.
We are not here with the arrogant belief that we need to need to educate the Pakistan government and the Pakistan people on human rights laws. Nor do we need to educate them on the difference between right and wrong.
The Pakistan government and the Pakistan people already KNOW the difference between right and wrong. They already understand the basic human dignity that we all deserve to have respect as human beings.
We are not here to educate. We are here to call for action and change. We are here to call for the Pakistan government and the Pakistan people, not only to abide by universal human rights, but also to use their reason and conscience to extend compassion, human rights, dignity, and justice to others, because it is the right thing, the human thing, to do.
As always, R.E.A.L. offers an outstretched hand, not an upraised fist, even in these darkest of days. We have faith and confidence that we can reach the hearts and decency of our brothers and sisters in humanity.
Today, we give this message in Washington D.C. The day will come when we and others will have such calls for universal human rights and dignity in Islamabad, and throughout every part of Pakistan, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and every territorial area. To those protesting there for human rights now, please know that we stand with you, and know that the day will come when we are standing side by side with you in Pakistan to call for human rights for all.
We urge them all to remember: every day is a good day – to be Responsible for Equality and Liberty.
