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DATE: April 4, 2004
TAMPA, FL: The Hindu American
Foundation (HAF) strongly condemns the Pakistani Government's
restoration of the religious column in future passports. On
March 24, the Pakistani federal cabinet, with Prime Minister
Shaukat Aziz in chair, directed the Ministry of Interior to
reintroduce the controversial column on all new passports
issued by the government of Pakistan that specifies the religious
affiliation of the passport holder. The column had been repealed
repeal under the Zafaraullah Khan Jamali government. The move
is widely seen as a concession to the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
(MMA), a coalition of hardline religious parties.
A number of prominent Pakistani
leaders have voiced their concern. Taj Hyder, Secretary of
Information for the Pakistan People's Party, exclaimed, "The
mentioning of one's religion in passport columns creates a
feeling of discrimination and exclusion from the national
mainstream in the minds of religious minorities and is thus
in conflict with national objectives, human values and the
living spirit of our belief in Tauheed. Lip service to our
faith is no service to our faith and adhering in action to
its true spirit is no great sacrifice." National Commission
for Justice and Peace Chairperson Bishop Lawrence J Saldhana
lamented that religious minorities were neither consulted
or taken into confidence. Altaf Hussain of the Muttahida Quami
Movement expressed his concern that such bigotry did not reflect
the values of the founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
"Jinnah himself had
envisioned a Pakistan that was politically blind to the religious
identity of its citizens, yet Hindu identity in Pakistan has
been a burden inviting official persecution for too long,"
said Neil Krishan Aggarwal, M.D., a member of the Hindu American
Foundation. "HAF hopes that all pluralistically-minded
people, of all religions and creeds, will join together to
oppose this move."
HAF took the position that
nothing less than the repeal of the column was acceptable.
Such a move would not be unprecedented in Pakistan. In an
opinion column for the Washington Post dated June 1, 2004,
President Pervez Musharraf called for "enlightened moderation"
among the Muslim world to counter the tendency of "people
to link Islam to fundamentalism; fundamentalism to extremism,
and extremism to terrorism."
"If President Musharraf
truly subscribes to his own assertions for enlightened moderation
in the Islamic world, HAF urges President Musharraf to set
an example and first take convincing steps at home,"
Dr. Aggarwal added.
For
further information: Please contact
HAF.
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