©2020 All rights reserved. Prime Minister Imran Khan has made repeated commitments to protect Pakistan’s religious minorities. Between 2004 and 2018, there were 7430 reported cases of kidnappings of Hindu girls in the Sindh province alone, while the actual number of cases is estimated to be much higher. However, Islamic law introduced in 1977 imposes regulations and constitutional injunctions that deny equal protection and religious freedom to non-Muslims. In the 1951 census, West Pakistan had 1.6% Hindu population, while East Pakistan (modern Bangladesh) had 22.05%. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. 2 other minor girls have been converted in the last 26 days. Stay up to speed on relevant issues relating to India and its neighboring countries. The mass violence caused by the Muslim League’s demands for a separate homeland for South Asian Muslims forced millions of Hindus and Sikhs to flee the West and East Pakistan (present day Bangladesh) for the safety of India. After decades of Pakistani independence, it seems as though Pakistan… In a Hindu Even mere allegations of blasphemy have instigated violence against minorities. Extremism and sectarian violence is rising. However, due to the targeted persecution of non-Muslims, the historic and indeginous Hindu community has drastically declined. Despite a new Bill giving sanctity to Hindu marriages being passed in 2017, Pakistan continues to be rattled The number and condition of Hindu temples in Pakistan have drastically declined since the country’s partition in 1947. These terrorist groups and Islamists foster an intolerant and regressive environment in Pakistan and hold great influence over the government and its policies, seeping into all aspects of life in the country, including education. There have been numerous attacks on temples, pilgrimage sites, religious sites, and religious leaders and the government does little to stop the attacks or protect the sacred places and people. Pakistan was especially created for Muslim Indians, while India was religiously pluralistic but tended to be mostly Hindu. Watch how Pakistanis react when a Hindu is harassed in Pakistan.   |   The Vanishing Hindus of Pakistan – a Demographic Study The Hindu population has faced persecution in Pakistan ever since 1947, but it didn’t vanish – it came home. Your choice regarding cookies on this site As Hinduism’s spiritual homeland, India will always be relevant to HAF. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. India vs. Pakistan (Hindus vs. Muslims) India has one of the world’s largest Muslim populations – 120 million -among its more than 1 billion people. On January 6, 2015, in an NDTV debate, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said (19:05): “When Pakistan was created there were 24% Hindus in Pakistan. Hindus constitute Pakistan’s largest non-Muslim minority, estimated at between two and four per cent of the population. Approximately 1000 Hindu and Christian girls in Pakistan are abducted and converted to Islam annually. In Pakistan, “blasphemy” allegations are often made on the basis of little or no evidence. There has been an even greater decline in major cities with historically large Hindu populations. By 1997, the percentage of Hindus remained stable at 1.6% in Pakistan, while in Bangladesh, it had dropped to 9.2% by 2011, with non-Muslims accounting for 10.2% of the population. Read more about Hindu population in Pakistan has grown at a faster pace than in India on Business Standard. The human rights organization’s call came as authorities in Islamabad capitulated to pressure from a discriminatory campaign mounted by politicians, media outlets and clerics to halt the construction of a rare temple in the Pakistani capital. Pakistan’s authorities must protect the right to freedom of religion and belief for the country’s beleaguered Hindu community, including the construction of temples to exercise that right, Amnesty International said today. The remaining 4% practise Hinduism, Christianity, Ahmadiyya, Sikhism and other religions. Our minorities are equal citizens of the country.”. Most Pakistanis belong to the Sunni sect, the major branch of Islam. the biggest problem in pakistan is they only compare there illness with indians. Every reported act of violence against minorities must be promptly investigated and those responsible must be brought to justice. For instance, caving in to the pressure from Islami-Jamiat Talaba, an Islamic student organization, the Punjab provincial government made Koranic studies mandatory at the university level, while the National Assembly of Pakistan approved the Compulsory Teaching of the Holy Koran Bill which makes Koranic education compulsory from Grade 1 through 12 in all federal educational institutions in Pakistan. Every reported act of violence against minorities must be promptly investigated and those responsible must be brought to justice. Today, Hindus comprise only 1.6%, and continue to flee to India to escape persecution. i have never hear forced converstions in india. In July 2020, the partially built wall of what would have been the first Hindu temple in Islamabad was destroyed by Islamists. An example of this occurred in 2019 when a mob in the town of Ghotki attacked three Hindu temples, several shops, and a school and a school after a Muslim pupil accused the Hindu principal of making blasphemous comments about Prophet Mohammad. Dishearteningly, when we have brought the issue up to policy-makers Get toolkits and learning guides on Hindu holidays and festivals that you can use at home and take to the classroom; Podcasts, animated videos, and blogs will keep you up to date on all things Hindu. Cookie Statement Here are some positive … A little-known fact: Hinduism is the fastest-growing religion in both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia Hinduism is also the fastest growing religion in Ireland and Italy. A video surfaced on TikTok earlier this year in which a boy of four or five years old warned Prime Minister Khan on camera that if he allowed the Islamabad temple construction to proceed then he would kill a Hindu as it was his duty. Many of these groups have engaged in a proxy war in India’s Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir since the 1980s. The blasphemy laws stated in Pakistan’s Penal Code (Sections 295B and C, and 298A-C), impose severe punishments for perceived insults to the Prophet Mohammed or desecration of the Koran, and prohibit Ahmadiyyas from using Islamic terminology and symbols and from “preaching their faith or pos[ing] as Muslims.” Punishments range from imprisonment for three years and a fine to life imprisonment and the death penalty. Hinduism is the second largest religious affiliation in Bangladesh, covering about 7% of the population.Most Hindus in Bangladesh are Bengali Hindus. The Pakistan government does not protect Hindu temples or settlements and the marginalization of Hindus in Pakistan has left the community unable to protect or restore destroyed and decaying Hindu temples and scriptures. The Hindu population in Bangladesh is 12 million as per 2021. Consequently, the number of Hindus declined from 15% in West Pakistan at the time of Partition to approximately 2% in 1951. For example, when an Islamist mob vandalized and burned sacred Hindu scriptures at the Mata Rani temple or when a private developer illegally demolished a temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Hanuman and the homes of 20 families living nearby, the government did nothing. Balinese Hinduism is a distinct type of Hindu worship that incorporates local animism, … The report said, Hinduism has become fastest-growing religion in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, while more than one million Hindus are expected to move to […] Pakistan’s legal system lacks laws safeguarding underage minority girls from abductions, forceful conversions, and marriages. This Report suggests that nearly 1 million Hindus are expected to … Quotes from tebooks include “A Hindu has always been an enemy of Islam” and “The religion of the Hindus did not teach them good things.”.   |   Pakistan is home to several ancient Hindu temples and pilgrimage sites, but there has been a drastic decline in the number and condition of Hindu temples since the country’s partition in 1947. Even the thought of a Hindu temple in Pakistan is not tolerated. Some Islamic seminaries teach that forcibly converting Hindu girls is equivalent to Haj-e-Akbari, or the greatest religious duty for a Muslim. #Gravitas #Pakistan #Hindu About Channel: WION -The World is One News, examines global issues with in-depth analysis. A 13-yr-old Hindu girl in Pakistan has been converted to Islam at a public ceremony. Pakistan’s Hindus will soon finally have a law that legitimizes their marriages. The modern country of Pakistan was created by partitioning India in 1947, after the British granted independence from colonial rule. info@hinduamerican.org, Hindu American Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It originally appeared in 'Voice of Ram.' The federal government initially allowed the construction of the temple but then succumbed to the pressure from Islamists, media outlets, and ordinary citizens who campaigned against the temple and reversed its rule, ordering that a Hindu temple should not be built in the Muslim country of Pakistan. Imagine the impact of such khutbas delivered to an audience of gullible people across Pakistan. In recent years, they have faced increasing marginalization, with individuals facing false accusations of “blasphemy” – a crime that carries a mandatory death penalty in Pakistan – attacks on temples and shops, and the horrific abduction, forced conversion and forced marriage of hundreds of young Hindu women. The Hindu Marriage Bill 2014, a private member bill was jointly moved last year by Ramesh Lal of PPP and Dr Darshan of Pakistan Muslim League - … In February 2020, he said: “I want to warn our people that anyone in Pakistan targeting our non-Muslim citizens or their places of worship will be dealt with strictly. The reactions are not what the media shows. | Website by Mittun. Privacy Policy Let's review the key terms contained in this lesson. Permissions In Lahore, for instance, the Hindu/Sikh community was approximately 40% of the population in 1941 and today makes up less than 1%, with only two functioning Hindu temples remaining. T: (202) 223-8222 | F: (202) 223-8004 By caving into hateful pressure, it now threatens to reverse that achievement and deepen the discrimination that Pakistan’s Hindu community faces.”. The Pulitzer Prize –winning journalist Sydney Schanberg covered the start of the war and wrote extensively on the suffering of the East Bengalis, including the Hindus both during and after the conflict. The state religion in Pakistan is Islam, which is practised by 96.28% of the population. Additionally, the Pakistani Constitution states that only a Muslim can be the president of the country and that all high officers must take the oath of office by invoking an Islamic prayer, regardless of their religion. Moreover, educational institutions (both public schools and Islamic schools) teach hatred towards Hindus and Christians. There are also significant numbers of Shiʿi Muslims. For example, the Pakistan constitution theoretically guarantees religious freedom to all of its citizens under Articles 20-22. Among Sunnis, Sufism is extremely popular and influential. Thousands of temples have been According to the Future of World Religion report, some countries will witness doubling of the number of Hindus by 2050 – mostly because of massive migration and increase in fertility rate. Hindu American Foundation In 2019 alone, at least 84 individuals were imprisoned on blasphemy charges, at least 29 of whom had received death sentences according to the US State Department. If you are talented and passionate about human rights then Amnesty International wants to hear from you. Pakistan - Pakistan - Religion: Almost all of the people of Pakistan are Muslims or at least follow Islamic traditions, and Islamic ideals and practices suffuse virtually all parts of Pakistani life. South Asia: COVID-19 hits marginalized hardest as pandemic used to escalate repression, Pakistan: Supreme Court judgement bans executions of prisoners with mental disabilities, Turkey: Women across the world demand reversal of decision to quit gender-based violence treaty, Israel/ OPT: End brutal repression of Palestinians protesting forced displacement in occupied East Jerusalem, Afghanistan: Unspeakable killings of civilians must prompt end to impunity. “The respect for the right to freedom of religion was promised to Pakistan’s Hindus by the country’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. And receive our Hindu Human Rights country reports. A few aspects of Secularism has also have been adopted by Pakistani constitution from British colonial concept. In Conversation With A Pakistani Hindu On Religion, India And Peace Editor's Note: The following interview was sent by email to The Citizen by the interviewee, Dr. Rajesh Kumar. A recurrence can only be prevented if adequate measures are taken," said Omar Waraich. The life of minorities in Pakistan has become an endless ordeal of indignity & humiliation. The boundary wall of the site where the temple is supposed to be constructed has also been torn down by a mob. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed – that has nothing to do with the business of the state.”. 910 Seventeenth Street NW, Suite 316A Pakistan is home to many extremist and terrorist groups who operate freely throughout the country, promoting Islamic rule, violent jihad, and hatred towards non-Muslims. Rinkle. Washington, DC 20006 In a landmark speech on religious freedom, Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah said in August 1947: “You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or any other place of worship in the state of Pakistan.   |   It is not Hinduism but the implementation of Pseudo-Secularism which is causing interfaith friction between the Hindu majority and the Muslims. "The Pakistani authorities must clearly and publicly condemn such acts instead of giving into them. The continuing controversy and present threat of nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan is religion: India is basically Hindu and Pakistan is Muslim. Its two large cities, Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, were located in present-day Pakistan’s Punjab and Sindh provinces, respectively. There is overwhelming evidence that the laws violate human rights and have encouraged people to take the law into their own hands. The destruction of the Hindu temple site is yet another example of persistent discrimination faced by the Hindu community in Pakistan. There are many disturbing videos similar to this containing young children declaring their wishes to destroy India or kill non-Muslims. These sources of extreme Islam and hatred of non-Muslims have even influenced children from a young age. Pakistan’s authorities must protect the right to freedom of religion and belief for the country’s beleaguered Hindu community, including the construction of temples to exercise that right, Amnesty International said today. In 2019, in two separate incidents, mobs attacked Hindu properties and places of worship in the southern Sindh province after allegations of “blasphemy” were made against a Hindu school principal and a Hindu veterinarian. Hindus have often been regarded as a minority in Pakistan. Otherwise, we'll assume you're OK to continue. There is no respect, no tolerance, no freedom and no compassion for religious minorities, their lives and religion is always At the Hindu American Foundation, we have worked for nearly a decade to give voice to the especially dire plight of Hindu and other minority girls in Pakistan. They include members of parliament, a former chief justice, military officers, and prominent names in the arts. Their parents say they have been kidnapped and forced into marriage, but local Muslim leaders say … Hindus did not take any revenge of from the off springs of these invaders. Pakistan: Protect religious freedom for Hindus. First and foremost it establishes that Hindus enjoy equal rights as the Muslims of Pakistan and are Pakistani, not only by birth but also by rights granted to all citizens. You can use this tool to change your cookie settings. 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