By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: Participants of an online discussion on combating the vilification of Muslims in India strongly urged the Pakistan government to take serious note of state sponsored and supported religion-based discrimination against Muslims – the largest majority of in India. Devcom-Pakistan organized the online deliberation on Saturday to divert the attention of Pakistan government, media and civil society toward the increasing hate crime against India Muslims and people in the Indian Held Kashmir (IHK).
Devcom Pakistan Director Munir Ahmed while introducing the topic said over 200 million Muslims in India are being assaulted on the false accusations of spreading coronavirus, denied of medical care and are subjected to social boycott. In score of cases, they are not allowed to do any business activity while the Hnidus are living their normal lives. Indian government and Hindu extremists are blaming Muslims for minimum 30 per cent spread of coronavirus.
Ahmed said “One tweet or two statements Pakistan government on the Indian state sponsored terrorism and extremist behaviours against the Muslims in India and Indian-Held Kashmir won’t serve the objective. Pakistan government needs to come up with an integrated campaign to global lobbying against the Indian vilification. Mere single wake statement of the foreign office won’t make any difference. It is new expression of old enmity against Muslims that will cause deep-rooted religion-based disintegration in the region.â€
Chairperson Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed noted that raising voce against the Indian brutal discrimination against their Muslim population is not on the Pakistan government’s priority agenda. Designing and implementation of lobbying campaign would not cost millions; government does not need to send delegations to different countries and forums but strongly worded letters to United Nations Human Rights body, European Union and US and British human rights forums could bring significant support for the Muslims in India and IHK.
Mushahid Hussain Syed said the Indian Muslims are victim of two types of virus corona and hate speech. Coronavirus would certainly go after taking its toll but the hate crime would last with deep-rooted disintegration of the region based on the religion.
He said, being chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, he will put the vilification of the Indian Muslims on the top of the agenda of the next meeting of the committee, and the government would advised to consistently take up the agenda with the international and global forums.
Afshan Tehseen Bajwa, the social activist, said: The hate-speech against Muslims is not new but it has been multiplied in the recent years. Not only India media is supporting the extremist Hindus but the social media is also flooded with the hate speech against Muslims in India and IHK. It is our national responsibility to combat the hate speech by putting up meaningful post on the social media platforms. At least, this is what the civil society and the Pakistani social media users can do without any cost to them. She also urged the government to put this on its priority agenda.
Well-known media expert Imran Riaz said: conflict and division in the subconitent countries is based on the two-nation theory and it has intensified over the years. The present crusade is the new episode of the continued series of hate crimes against Muslims. What is happening in India at present have a direct connection with occupying Afghanistan through jihad without understanding the cultural boundaries which are more stronger then faith what Pak Army possess. The policies government of Pakistan are driven in-accordance to British legacy not Hari Singh who successfully conquer the land. However times have changed and with similar techniques one can forecast only defeat at present and in the long-run.
Shaaref Munir, a student of the Istanbul-based Ozeiyn University, said the government needs to understand the strategic aspect of lobbying if wants to help the poor Muslims across the border. About seven decades now, Pakistan cannot get the Kashmir dispute registered adequately and get any framework done for its solution according to the will and self-determination of the natives. What response we shall expect from the Pakistan government on the present accusations based violence against Muslims in India.
Ghazala Nazir, a social activist, was of the view that public should get rid of their pity engagement on social platforms and concentrate on the challenges of national importance, such as vilification of Muslims in India and occupies Kashmir.
