Israel and the Struggle over the International Laws of War

Petition Against Blasphemy Law

 

 

It is very important to understand  how much of a negative impact that the Blasphemhy Law  plays on the Religious Minorities in Pakistan.  Thousands of innocent people have become victims of the terrible law.  Please be pro-active to encourage a change that is positive for everyone in Pakistan.  Please sign this very important petition  and free the countless victims of this all too often abused legislation from the Pakistani Government. The link to the petition is  provided below:




<div id="change_BottomBar"><span id="change_Powered"><a href="http://www.change.org/" target="_blank">Change.org</a></span><a>|</a><span id="change_Start"><a href='http://www.change.org/petition'>Free Online Petitions</a></span></div>


Zemira Eli Natan
Executive Director
International Unity for Equality

Veerji Kolhi : Attack on Hindus prompts blasphemy case in Pakista...

Veerji Kolhi : Attack on Hindus prompts blasphemy case in Pakista...: Police officer Mohammad Hanif said Muslims protesting an anti-Islam film on Sept. 21 ransacked the Sri Krishna Ram temple in a Hindu neig...



Veerji Kolhi
Social Activist
Council for the Defense of Bonded Laborers in Pakistan

Statement of UN High Commissioner of Human Rights December 2010

The UN has 4 main purposes:

1. To Keep peace throughout the world

2.  To develop friendly relations among nations

3.  To help nations work together to improve the lives of poor people, to conquer hunger, disease and illiteracy, and to encorage respect for each other's rights and freedoms.

4.  To be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations to achieve these goals.


As  I look around the world, I am not seeing the results of any of these main purposes occuring.  I am concerned and devastated over the many losses that have occured worldwide that were completely unneccessary losses of innocent human lives.  I have heard that had some issues has not been raised in certain countries that the UN would have no knowledge of any such issues ever having taken place.  How do I trust and international organization such as the UN to be productive in doing the job it was formed for.  There are 4 main purposes yet I do not see any action as to these main purposes being carried out!  Here is a statement by the  UN High Commissioner  of Human Rights:


"

Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Since the United Nations was established over 60 years ago, there have been dramatic advances in crafting and implementing a system of universal human rights – rights which are, under international law, applicable to each and every one of us: old and young, male and female, rich and poor, whoever we are and wherever we are from.
We know the names of some of those who changed human rights history: those who were in the vanguard of the struggle to abolish slavery, such as William Wilberforce; those who engineered major advances in women’s rights, such as Gloria Steinem, Huda Shaarawi and Simone de Beauvoir. We also know about those who tackled the injustice of colonialism such as Mahatma Gandhi, and those – like Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Rigoberta Menchu – who campaigned to end institutionalized racism and discrimination against minorities and indigenous peoples.
But these inspirational figures could not have done what they did without the help of many others whose names we don’t know. Efforts to end slavery spanned 1,000 years, and still continue with adults and children being trafficked for sex and indentured labour. After a mammoth struggle that lasted more than 150 years, women have won the right to vote almost everywhere, but still lack many other fundamental rights.
We owe the progress we have made to the enormous efforts of hundreds of thousands of largely unsung heroes, known collectively as human rights defenders.
Human rights defenders come from all walks of life, ranging from princesses and politicians, to professionals such as journalists, teachers and doctors, to people with little or no formal education. There are no special qualifications. All it takes is commitment, and courage.
We can all be human rights defenders, and – given how much we owe to others for the rights many of us now take for granted – we all should be human rights defenders. At the very least, we should do our utmost to support those who do defend human rights. Every year, thousands of human rights defenders are harassed, abused, unjustly jailed and murdered. That is why Human Rights Day 2010 is dedicated to Human Rights Defenders and their courageous battle to stop discrimination of all sorts. We need to stand up for their rights as much as they stand up for ours.
Some of those who are unjustly detained become the subject of international efforts to win their freedom. This spotlight can provide them with a significant measure of physical protection, even if it does not always win them a speedy release. But most of those detained by repressive authorities languish largely unnoticed in jails, under house arrest, in ‘re-education centres.’ Often their families are targeted as well.
Some of those killed – like Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, murdered outside her apartment in 2006, and Floribert Chebeya Bahizire, the Congolese human rights defender found dead in his car earlier this year – are remembered and revered. But many of those less well-known defenders who are murdered for their belief in human rights remain unknown to the wider world.
The work of human rights defenders is as vital today as it has ever been, because hundreds of millions of individuals still suffer directly or indirectly from some form of discrimination every day.
There are an estimated 370 million indigenous people in the world, a great many of whom face discrimination. Even in the developed world, the life expectancy of some groups of indigenous children born today is up to 20 years less than that of non-indigenous children.
Minorities suffer similar disparities. In Latin America, for example, the some 150 million people of African descent tend to be trapped in poverty to a much greater degree than other sectors of the population. Similarly, of the estimated 650 million people with disabilities, more than two thirds (426 million) are living below the poverty line in developing countries.
Women – half the world’s population – still face rampant discrimination in some societies, and more subtle versions in others. One of the most alarming of many depressing statistics on this issue, is that 70 percent of the 70-100 million children who are not attending school are girls.
Around 100 million people are forced into poverty each year because they have to pay for health care. In many countries, children from poor backgrounds are 10 times less likely to be vaccinated than those whose parents are better off, and poor women are up to 20 times less likely than the richest 20 percent of women to give birth in the presence of a skilled health worker capable of saving their lives.
The more than 200 million migrants worldwide, and especially the irregular and undocumented migrants among them , face racism, xenophobia and other chronic forms of discrimination, in both developed and developing countries.
These are some of the daunting challenges facing today’s and tomorrow’s human rights defenders. I wish to salute their selfless determination. They work tirelessly in on all the issues singled out above, and many more besides – for example sexual orientation and the rights of stateless people, older people and those living with HIV.
One important set of statistics is missing: we have no idea how many human rights defenders there are, or how many of them are intimidated, harassed, beaten up, jailed or killed each year. We have also failed to develop ways to measure their successes, which are often credited not to them but to the politicians or governments that finally listen to them or give in to their pressure. We need to do a much better job of defending our defenders.
The 21st century is witnessing the emergence of new economic and political forces, which, like others before them, will face the responsibility of promoting development at home and abroad while at the same time being held accountable for their actions. Human rights defenders will play a crucial role in this process, by pointing out flaws and benefits in current and future policies and actions. Yet, despite the benefits they bring to society, in some parts of the world they are facing increased harassment, persecution and restrictions on their activities, especially freedom of speech.
On this Human Rights Day, I call on Governments to acknowledge that criticism is not a crime, and to release all those people who have been detained for peacefully exercising their fundamental freedoms to defend democratic principles and human rights. "

A key point in this statement is the call on governments to acknowlege that Criticism is NOT a crime!  This I direct to all 139  Islamic member states of the UN!  I urge Muslims to take a personal accounting of the countless number of human lives that have been lost around the world, the thousands of Hindu women, Christian women , Jewish women and women who we cannot account for , who have been raped and abducted and forcibly converted to Islam!  How  many Human Rights defenders are jailed , beaten, and murdered?  How long will it continue until action is taken to correct these issues?  Yes, I am speaking of ACTION, not merely discussion!  I am concerned for the future and ask that all understand that it is our fundamental RIGHT to speak out against terrorism, extremism in any form, rape, abduction, harrassment and murder of those who actively engage in the fight for the protection of Human Rights globally.  I call for the silenced victims to have their voices be heard and tangible results from concentrated efforts to free the oppressed be enacted post haste!  The time for action is NOW before the silenced whose cries are never again on this earth to be heard.

Zemira Eli Natan
Executive Director
International Unity for Equality

Status Update

We will be interviewing some great personalities those who had contributed a lot for protecting Human Rights.  IUFE visitors stay in touch with us.

Veerji Kolhi : Hindu Boy and Muslim Girl Are In Love And Want to ...

Veerji Kolhi : Hindu Boy and Muslim Girl Are In Love And Want to ...: 4 days ago Police Inspector Chetan Kolhi was murdered? This murder took place as a result of a relationship that occured between


Where is the outcry from the International Human Rights organizations when thousands of Hindu girls are abducted and forcibly converted to Islam?  How can Muslims justify the double standard that is committed in the case of a Muslim girl falling in love with a Non-Muslim yet a Muslim man may engage in any realtionship he wishes with a Non-Muslim?  When will self reflection be on the agenda of Muslims as they commit these vicious acts of violence?  It is reasonable to conclude that a peaceful discussion between both sets of parents of this tragic couple would have brought much better results than the vicious murder of a friend.  It is confusing when Muslims accuse people who were not involved in any way with such cases and who have no prior knowledge of the issues that took place.  When will Muslims be willing to do more  than a  little self reflection  and less acts of violence worldwide?  I wait for answers that I most likely will never receive, yet I will wait an eternity to see a change in this regard and see justice for these innocent victims!

Zemira Eli Natan
Executive Director
International Unity for Equality

Veerji Kolhi
Social Activist
Council for the Defense of Bonded Laborers in Pakistan

Veerji Kolhi : Young Activist Shot For Speaking In the Interest o...



Veerji Kolhi : Young Activist Shot For Speaking In the Interest o...: Malala Yousufzai Receives Treatment in the Hospital         A young activist with a bright future is recently shot for daring ...

Veerji Kolhi : Mohan Lal Kohstani, Minister of Minorities has not...

Veerji Kolhi : Mohan Lal Kohstani, Minister of Minorities has not...:   Veerji Kolhi Interview Mehran TV 11 October 2012   In Pakistan, the percentage of Hindus in the High castes/class is 15-20%,...

Outrage After Shooting of Pakistan Teen Activist

Please see the following link and watch the videos for details on this story. 


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/12/malala-yousufzai-shooting-taliban-hit-squad_n_1960955.html

As you can see in the link above the shooting of this girl has caused an outrage in Pakistan!  When will the Extremists stop eliminating the voice ans existence of those who wish to question their activities?  Why is it wrong to speak out for peace?  Why is the Muslim voice the only voice allowed to be heard?  Last month Hindus migrated in large numbers out of Pakistan!  How do the Muslims tell this story? They say that the Hindus were making a religious pilgrimage!  The international community needs to know that these are not the facts!  The Hindus were fleeing for their lives to gain a better life in India free of the oppression that they experienced in Pakistan.  The Muslim Extremists created a list of leaders from different Hindu communities of High ranking castes to have a meeting. Why are they gathering the leaders of these communities?  A common Extremist practice is to gather the leaders of religious minorities, do harm to them and then cause them to be an example for the rest.  This is a very old and well known practice among Muslim Extremists.  Pakistanis no longer wish to live under the constant oppression that these Extremists bring to their land. 

 

Veerji Kolhi  Interview with Mehran TV  Pakistan

 Currently a non-public protest is being held along with a meeting of a group of Hindu leaders  to find a solution to the problem  of misrepresentation of facts about  the Hindu community's migration and the state of affairs of Hindus in Pakistan.  We must all stand in solidarity to support them in their efforts to effectively support and protect their communities from harm caused by Extremists in the region.  The Muslim communities must learn to state facts and not spread false information to the international community!  Accurate census reports must be given with regard to the religious minorities living in their lands by religion and by district.  Muslim Extremists need to be held accountable for every action they commit in an effort to silence those who wish to speak out against unfair treatment of religious minorities!  The international agencies that are responsible for the protection of Human Rights must take the action necessary to  apply pressure to the Extremist governments an enforce peaceful co-existence and tolerance and do the job that these agencies were created  to do.  A real partner for peace does not silence their enemy!  A real and worthy opponent listens and then finds a justifiable reason why they should continue their fight!  Are the Muslim Extremists brave enough to do a self examination of their malicious acts?  Probably not, but surely the international community can force them to provide an answer to the many questions religious minorities have for them rather than allowing the Extremists to continue to rape, abduct, forcibly convert and murder and destroy communities and holy shrines.  It takes real courage to step beyond your own boundaries and be willing to do anything to establish peaceful relations with those different than yourself!  I challenge the Extremists to see if they are truly thinking they are courageous in committing their many acts of dishonesty and violence all across the globe!  I doubt they will ever be brave enough because they continue to lie to the world that everything is just OK and still dupe the world into believing them!

Zemira Eli Natan
Executive Director
International Unity for Equality

Veerji Kolhi
Social Activist
Council for the Defense of Bonded Laborers in Pakistan

Veerji Kolhi : Problems created by the word ‘sex’

Veerji Kolhi : Problems created by the word ‘sex’: Problems created by the word ‘sex’  By Fouzia Saeed  The protectors of this ‘land of the pure‘ have decided that the word ‘sex’ only promot...

Dr. Fouzia Saeed makes a flawless point on the lack of attention by extremist governments to real issues that are cause the death and torture of thousands!  The focus on banning words instead of  banning bad actions by these governments is picking away at humanity one  religious minority at a time resulting in the deaths, rape, abduction, property damage,  destruction of Holy sites and forced conversions of thousands across the globe!  When will the actions be banned rather than the words?  When will everyone be free to express themselves against tyrrany?  When will the paper reports leave the desks?  Time is passing by with little results!  We are here to tell you that we will forever work to change that!  We will never back down and we will fight until we win!


Veerji Kolhi
Social Activist
Council for the Defense of Bonded Laborers in Pakistan

Zemira Eli Natan
Executive Director
International Unity for Equality

Veerji Kolhi : With my best friend Dr. Kamran Ahmed, he is the a...

Veerji Kolhi : With my best friend Dr. Kamran Ahmed, he is the a...: With my best friend and my boss Dr. Kamran Ahmed, renowned scholar, psychologist, and chairperson of my organization Mehergarh- A Center...

If anyone knows about Peace and Religious Tolerance, Veerji Kolhi knows better than most.  Please follow his blog and share it.  His work has played a critical role to in advocating for the basic human rights of bonded laborers in Pakistan who are daily subjected to heavy labor, abduction, rape and murder.



Veerji Kolhi
Social Activist
Council for the Defense of Bonded Laborers in Pakistan


Zemira Eli Natan
Executive Director
International Unity for Equality

Dr. Richard Benkin Exposed

http://www.faithfreedom.org/articles/islamic-jihad-articles/richard-benkin-the-promoter-of-the-bangladeshi-fake-muslim-zionist-has-a-history-of-deception/

In a shocking disclosure concerning some activities that Dr. Richard  Benkin was involved in  it is to the credit of Brenda West of:  faithfreedom.org  that we are able to post the facts.  Please read the link above.  It is understood that many feelings will be hurt after seeing this news, but please be aware that the facts are confirmed by reliable sources.  Brenda West is a human rights advocate and has connections with Hindu leadership in her area; she is well respected by people I know, to name a few, Bat Zion Susskind Sacks and Ada Aharoni and by her colleagues.  It is a tragedy that such a deception of both of the Hindu community and to many of Dr. Benkin's supporters had to be brought to light.  It is my sincerest hope that the Hindu community of Bangladesh that was so mistreated and used for the sake of his advancement will soon recover from such a terrible disclosure.

Zemira Eli Natan
Executive Director
International Unity for Equality

No Hope For Hindus and Pakistani Minorities At 66th Independence Day

Hindus and Non Muslims are Isolated in Pakistan, 150 families of Hindus and Sikhs came to India, some more than 20 years ago, and made Amritsar their home.

And all these years, they have been surviving on hope - that one day they will be granted Indian citizenship.

Their applications to the government have remained stuck in bureaucratic red tape. Sixty-year-old Naam Singh says he has been trying to get Indian citizenship since 2007.

'They misplace our files and ask us to apply afresh,' he adds.

In the meantime, the exodus from across the border continues unabated. In 2008, Bihai, Avtari, Jagtari and Gulzari families, comprising 60 members in all, came to India from Peshawar, wanting to stay here forever, according to sources.

The migrants in Amritsar do have permission to stay in the country from the home department, but they still consider themselves forsaken as the citizenship issue has been dragging on for years. MP Avinash Rai Khanna took up the cudgels for them after several families which had shifted to India long ago approached him.

After his intervention, the ministry of home affairs relaxed some norms to help the 'eligible' Pakistani Hindus and Sikhs take up citizenship.

But they still need to stay in the country for seven years and have no record of anti-India activity before they can become legal citizens.

'We hope to resolve the issue soon,' Khanna says.

According to the migrants, they felt insecure in the neighbouring country. The Hindus in Pakistan's tribal areas were the worst affected during the Taliban's regime in Afghanistan.

'They had been pressuring Hindus to convert to Islam. Our daughters were not safe there. We always feared death or kidnap,' says Bihari Lal Sharma, who came to Amritsar's Peshawari Mohalla from Pakistan's North West Frontier Province in August 2008.

'I had an established business of ayurvedic medicines in Peshawar. But we were not safe there,' he adds.

Bihari made the move after all his relatives migrated to India and his family was left alone in Peshawar. 'We did not have any other option,' he explains.

The family came in two batches - first his wife came with his son and the rest of the family shifted later with Bihari. HE IS still obviously attached to Pakistan as he clings on to his 'last' picture in the country.

'This was clicked with a van in which I came to Peshawar before reaching Lahore.' 

But he has no intention to return to his homeland. "We want Indian citizenship," he insists. Bihari's son Chetan talks in detail about the helplessness they felt in Pakistan. "Hindu boys don't get brides. Girls don't get Hindu boys to marry.
Pakistan is conservative and doesn't permit girls to go to school. We wanted our sister to study," he says.
'Hindus and Sikhs remain on the margins of society there,' he adds.
Shiv Kumar, 20 years old, came to Amritsar in July 2005.
'We get a visa for Delhi and extend it for Amritsar,' he explains.
The migrants are forced to undertake odd jobs as they do not get proper ones because of the 'Pakistani' tag.
Shiv works at a tyre shop at Jahaj Garh, Amritsar's scrap market. And others, including Chetan, sell vegetables

some famous non muslims of pakistan:
 Shahbaz Bhatti aka Clement Shahbaz Bhatti ( Pakistani Politician )
 Imran Masih ( Blasphemy Victim )
 Sohail Masih ( Professor at the University of Peshawar )
 Michael Javed (  Former Sindh MPA and Christian leader )
 Richard D'Souza ( Pakistani Catholic Priest )
 Ramesh Kumar Vankwani ( Pakistan Hindu Council patron )
 Bherulal Balani ( Politician )
 Pitamber Sewani ( Member of the Sindh Provincial Assembly (MPA) )
 Dr.Ashothama Lohano( Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Sindh Taskforce Coordinator) 
 Kishan Kumar ( Unknown )
 Ram Singh Sodho ( Politician )
 Haroon Masih ( Human Rights Activist )
 Veerji Kohli ( Social Activist )
 Rooplo Kohli ( Freedom Fighter )
 Danish Kaneria ( Professional Cricket Player )
 Deepak Perwani ( Fashion Designer,Model,Actor)
 Naveen Perwani ( Snooker Player )
 Suneeta Marshal ( model and television actress )
 Hemu Kalani ( revolutionary and freedom fighter)
 Saleem Khursheed Khokhar ( Member of the Sindh Provincial Assembly (MPA) )
 Saleem Raza ( Playback Singer )
 Samuel John ( Psychology professor at University in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa )
 Aisa Bibi aka Aisa Noreen ( Blasphemy Victim ) 
 Peter Jacob ( national secretary of NCJP ) 
 Rimsa Masih ( Blasphemy Victim )
 Rinkel Kumari ( Former Hindu )
 Asha Kumari ( trainee in a beauty parlor )
 Lata Kumari ( Doctor )
 Amarnath Motumal ( Vice Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Activist , Lawyear )
 Babu Mahesh Lakhani ( the head of a Hindu panchayat )
 Esther John ( Nurse )
 Yousuf Youhana ( Professional Cricket Player )
 Giyan Chand ( Pakistani Hindu Diplomat )
 Krishan Bheel ( Politician )
 Ramesh Lal ( Politician)
 Kanji Rano Bheel (  coordinator of the HRCP ) 
 Amarnath Randhawa ( Secretary General ,Hindu Sudhar Sabha ) 
 Heera Lal ( Chairman, Hindu Sudhar Sabha ) 
 Anil Dalpat Sonavaria ( Cricketer ) 
 Rana Bhagwandas ( Former Chief Justice, Senior Judge ) 
 Dr.Mahesh Kumar Malani  ( Politician, President of Pakistan Peoples Party Minority Wing )  
 Jagdish Malani ( revolutionist,National Assembly of Pakistan and Provincial Assembly of Sindh)
 Motiram Malani ( National Assembly of Pakistan and Provincial Assembly of Sindh )
 Rajesh Ramesh ( Cricketer )
 Dr. Tara Chand ( Provincial Minister, Central Secretary General of Baloch International League for Peace and Freedom )
 Bhawani Shankar Chowdhry ( ICT Professional and an electronics engineer )
 Comrade Sobho Gianchandani ( social scientist, and revolutionary writer )
 Dr. Khatumal Jeewan (  scheduled caste Hindu Senator of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) )
 Lal Kumar ( Criketer )
 Amar Lal ( advisor to minority affairs in the country )
 Seth Vishandas Nihalchand ( Business Man, Politician )
 Anoop Santosh ( Cricketer)
 Rana Chander Singh ( Politician )
 Surendar Valasai  ( Journalist  ) 
 Satish Anand ( a prominent Pakistani filmmaker and Bollywood actress Juhi Chawla’s uncle )
 GC Harcharn Singh ( First Sikh Officer In Pakistan Army )
 Kalyan Singh Kalyan ( Province Assembly Member in Pakistan and he is a member of the Pakistan Peoples Party  )
 Dr. Gulab Singh Shaheen ( First Sikh traffic police inspector )

 Some Important Links : 

 1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Pakistani_Roman_Catholic_priests
 2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Pakistani_Roman_Catholics
 3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Pakistani_Christians
 4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Pakistani_Hindus

Source : dailymail and wiki

Humanrights reports Hindu american Foundation about Afghan Hindus & sikhs

Human Rights In Afghanistan: Excerpts From Hindus In South Asia And The Diaspora, 2011
By HAF ( Source : Fagirchand Chandihok )
  
Recent events in Afghanistan have demonstrated the country’s continued instability and the fragile nature of its government and institutions. In fact, there was widespread speculation that Afghan President, Hamid Karzai was losing power and influence, and that his position was becoming increasingly precarious. Moreover, throughout 2011, Afghanistan was plagued by rampant violence, political assassinations, and a resurgent Taliban.

For example, the burning of a copy of the Koran by U.S. pastor Terry Jones in April 2011 led to massive countrywide protests in Afghanistan and resulted in at least 24 deaths. Moreover, in July, President Karzai’s half-brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, who was considered the most powerful man in southern Afghanistan, was assassinated by the Taliban. Similarly, in September, Burhanuddin Rabbani, the former president of Afghanistan tasked with bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table, was assassinated.

As the Washington Post summarized, “The attack [on Rabbani] also became the latest reminder that nearly a decade after U.S. troops helped to topple the Taliban regime in Kabul, the insurgency remains capable of carrying out strikes even in the most fortified sections of the capital.” And at the end of a troubled year, bombings targeting Shia Muslims killed at least 58 people in Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif in December.

Nevertheless, President Barak Obama announced in June 2011 that the U.S. had largely achieved its goals in Afghanistan and would begin a substantial withdrawal of its approximately 100,000 troops from the country.

Although Afghanistan’s current population of 29,835,392 is 99% Muslim (Sunni 80% and Shia 19%), Afghanistan is considered one of the oldest centers of Hindu civilization and was once home to a thriving Hindu population. In recent years, however, the Hindu population in Afghanistan has become nearly extinct, with barely an estimated 3,000 Hindus and Sikhs remaining in the country (there are no clear estimates on the numbers of Hindus still living in Afghanistan). During the 1970s, there were approximately 200,000 Hindus residing in Afghanistan, but due to years of civil war, violence, and persecution, large numbers of Hindus fled for their safety to countries such as India, Germany, and the U.S. In particular, under the Taliban’s reign, Hindus faced pervasive discrimination and were forced to wear a distinguishing yellow stripe on their arm, similar to the Jews in Nazi Germany.

Prior to the civil war, Hindus and Sikhs purportedly lived peacefully with Muslims in several parts of the country, including Khost, Ghazni, Paktiya, Kandahar, Jalalabad, Laghman, Kabul, Helmand, as well as other provinces. Prem Nagar village in Khost province, for example, was once a prosperous Hindu village with 243 Hindu and Sikh families who enjoyed good relations with Muslims, but now there is only one Hindu who lives there. Many Afghan Hindus and Sikhs living near New Delhi now want to return to their native village of Prem Nagar. They hope to restore their once-thriving trading community by opening pharmacies, grocery stores, and textile shops in the booming border town.

Given the current instability and extent of discrimination in the country, however, it is unclear whether the small Hindu and Sikh minority will be able survive in Afghanistan for much longer. Ironically, Indian pop culture, including movies and music remain extremely popular in the country. Moreover, India is the sixth largest foreign aid donor to Afghanistan, with an aid budget of $1.3 billion, and Indian companies are rebuilding roads and schools in Afghanistan despite perpetual security threats.

Those Hindus and Sikhs still living in Afghanistan continued to face widespread social discrimination, inequality, and severe restrictions on their religious freedom. According to Abdurrab Rasul Sayyaf, a Member of Parliament, “The Sikhs and Hindus of Afghanistan are considered part of the dhimmi [non-Muslim subjects] in line with sharia law. The government has an obligation to protect them, but they are required to pay a poll tax. They can hold civilian occupations, such as doctors, but they cannot be in charge of a governmental body or office. Upon meeting a Muslim, a Hindu is required to greet the Muslim first. If a Muslim is standing and there is a chair, the Hindu is not allowed to sit down on the chair.” This attitude is shared by many other Afghan politicians as well as ordinary citizens and effectively provides a justification for treating minorities as second-class citizens.

One aspect of the discrimination encountered by Afghanistan’s Hindu population involves the social ostracization and bullying their children face in schools from Muslim classmates and teachers. For example, there are approximately 70 Hindu and Sikh school age children living in Kabul, but many have been forced to switch schools or drop out all together as a result of bullying and religious prejudice, according to Cheran Singh of the Hindu and Sikh Association of Afghanistan.

In addition, according to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), there have been several cases of the illegal seizure and occupation of Hindu owned lands by Muslims in Kabul and Khost province. In these cases, Hindus have been unable to reclaim their lands and have received little assistance from the government or law enforcement. “There were even cases that after the final decision of the High Court, Hindus have not re-owned their lands,” said Shamsullah Ahmadzai, regional head of AIHRC. Similarly, Charan Singh, the former Hindu representative in the Afghan parliament, maintains that Hindu and Sikh homes had been been recently seized by a Muslim woman in Khost province.

Furthermore, although Afghanistan's Constitution grants equal rights to all its citizens to practice their religious ceremonies, Hindus and Sikhs face significant obstacles in cremating dead bodies. In some instances, crematoriums have been forcibly occupied by local Muslims, while in other cases Muslims have physically interfered with cremations. In Kabul, for instance, Hindus and Sikhs used to cremate their dead in an area called “Hindu Suzan” (or Hindu crematory site), but some Muslim residents have recently built houses near the area and are preventing Hindus and Sikhs from cremating dead bodies there. AIHRC says Kabul municipality has identified another area in Kabul for the cremation of the Hindu dead, but it is not clear whether the land has actually been handed over to Hindu and Sikh communities.

Religious minorities in Afghanistan are also politically marginalized and lack effective political representation. In the 2010 elections, for example, there were only two Hindu/Sikh candidates out of 600 contending for parliamentary seats. Although a Sikh woman, Dr. Anarkali Honaryar, was elected to the lower house of parliament in the 2010 elections, minority politicians have been unable to significantly improve the conditions of non-Muslim communities in the past. Honaryar was supported by President Karzai, which reportedly angered many of his conservative Muslim supporters.

Additionally, a large number of Afghan minorities who fled Afghanistan several years ago continue to endure problems while living as refugees in other countries. In India’s capital city of New Delhi, for instance, many Afghan Hindu and Sikh refugees have not been granted official status and live on the margins of society. Out of an estimated 25,000 Afghan refugees, only 9,094 have been recognized as refugees and issued “blue cards” by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR).

Moreover, since 1981, thousands of Hindus and Sikhs have fled to India, but only 650 of them have become naturalized Indian citizens. Many others are still waiting for Indian citizenship. According to Nayana Bose, Associate External Relations Officer of UNHCR, more than 90% of Afghan refugees living in India are Sikhs or Hindus. Many of the refugees feel frustrated and insecure and complain that both the Indian government and Afghan embassy in New Delhi are insensitive to their problems.

Afghan refugees have also faced lengthy delays in asylum applications and in some cases faced deportation proceedings. In Britain, for instance, a Hindu family faced possible deportation to Afghanistan, where they fear religious persecution by the Taliban. Arti Kumar fled Afghanistan in September 2007 with her two sons, Akash and Ravi, after being targeted by the Taliban. She said they decided to leave after a Taliban guard attacked older son Ravi, then age 17, hitting him on the head with a rifle. The assault left him brain damaged. They sold the family textile business to raise money to pay an agent to take them out of Afghanistan. But they were told he could only take three of them. Arti Kumar said that she had not heard from her husband and that her 16-year-old daughter Rekha was abducted by the Taliban. She has never been found.

In another case, a 23 year-old Sikh man that fled Afghanistan with his family when he was only 5 years old was recently detained by Afghan authorities after being deported to Afghanistan from the United Kingdom because he was allegedly unable to prove his Afghan citizenship. News reports indicate that he has faced abuse in prison and was forcibly converted to Islam by other inmates.

 Anar Kali Hunaryar, a human rights activist and representative of Hindus in the Afghan Senate, has urged the Karzai government to build schools for the minority in different parts of Afghanistan, according to a Pashtu-language website.

SOURCE : 

1) www.afghanhindu.info
2) www.rights-4-afghanhindus-and-sikhs.com
3) www.afghan-hindu-germany.de

Fagirchand Chandihok (Global Human Rights Defense)      

Why Muslims Are Not Happy In Islamic State As Well As In Non Islamic State

The Update of This Article Will Come Shortly

A Community Without a Voice || No Justic So Far To The Hindus and Non Muslims of Pakistan

Pakistan is a country which is home to near about 15 million non muslims.Hindus constitutes the majority population of pakistan’s minority population.Hindus are treated as third class citizen in Pakistani soil, though they did not migrate from different land.The hindu civilization came in Pakistan before the arrival of islam in Pakistan.Persecution  of non muslims in Pakistan is witnessed in every walk of life.The school curriculam all the time disseminates the anti non msulim propaganda along with many libelous remarks against the non muslims. Non muslims are bound to study the Islamic history and many other Islamic books which is not needed in modern education.Pakistan and even Bangladesh all the time attempts to create the delusive nosecount report to evince the international community petite population of non muslims. At the time of Partition in 1947, the Hindu population of Pakistan was estimated at approximately a quarter of the total population. For example, the population of Karachi, Pakistan in 1947 was 450,000, of which 51% was Hindu, and 42% was Muslim. By 1951, Karachi’s population had increased to 1.137 million because of the influx of 600,000 Muslim refugees from India. In 1951, the Muslim population of Karachi was 96% and the Hindu population was 2%. In 1998, the Hindu population in all of Pakistan was 1.60%, and the most recent census would certainly be expected to demonstrate consistent demographic trends and a further diminution in the Hindu population.

Since Pakistan declared itself an Islamic nation and pursued a decidedly Islamic course in its political and social life since the 1980s, Hindus as a minority in Pakistan have had considerably fewer privileges, rights and protections in comparison to minorities in India, which constitutionally avows itself secular and giving of equal rights to its religious minorities including the Muslim, Christian and Sikh communities. Cultural marginalization, discrimination, economic hardships and religious persecution have resulted in many Hindus converting to other religions (Islam, Christianity), and today Hindus constitute barely 1.8% of Pakistan's population. Because Hindus are not "People of the Book" like Christians, they have generally been given fewer rights informally (de facto) by the Muslim majority than the country's Christians (see Dhimmi), even if de jure Hindus have equal rights under the law.

Almost no Hindu holds any public position of significance in government, military, business, or society. Government regulations and laws shaped by Islamic Sharia injunctions discriminate against the Hindu minority as well as other minorities in Pakistan. Section 295-C of the Pakistan penal code mandates the death sentence for blasphemy against the Prophet or desecration of the Koran. Dozens of blasphemy cases are pending in the courts, and the accused spend long periods in jails under brutal conditions once the accusation has been made, although most such allegations of desecration are the result of personal grudges. On March 24, 2005, Pakistan restored the discriminatory practice of mandating the mention of religious identity of individuals in all new passports. Tausiq Kumar, a resident of Islamabad, Pakistan, has recently applied for asylum in India, after his relative, Ramesh was murdered while trying to resist a kidnapping. Kumar, a trader is a resident of Patel Bagh near Quetta, from where he applied for asylum.

According to Kumar, the Hindi community in Balochistan, is full of fear of kidnappings and other abuse which leads to a lifestyle full of insecurity and uncertainty. There is a 27,000 strong community of Hindus in the area of Pakistan. Although Kumar had been considering for a while to move to India, Ramesh’s murder is what brought him to take action immediately and apply for asylum. He said that he first considered moving out of Pakistan when a local Hindu Priest was kidnapped and never found again.

Just after his relative’s murder, Kumar got in touch with the Indian High Commission, filed an application and then has been waiting for a response. Since he got no response for a few months, he has now moved into Islamabad where he is staying at a guest house and taking steps to speed up the process. Kumar knows a number of people who have applied to move to India, fulfilled the criteria and migrated to India. He is hopeful that he will be one of the next few that are chosen to leave Pakistan for good.

Saeed Ahmed Khan, the Balochistan director from the federal human rights ministry stated that over 24 Hindu families from the area are looking to move to India due to daily fear.

In the last three years, at least 43 Hindus have been kidnapped from the province of Balochistan of which three resulted in fatalities. Regardless of how many times the issue has been brought forward to the government, parliamentarians have either ignored the complaints consistently or at last resort have tried to blame the intelligence agencies themselves for the kidnappings according to Khan.

Hindus feel more safe in the Baloch area of the province as opposed to the Pakhtun area. They also felt safer when Hindu activist Akbar Bugti was alive because he provided the Hindu minorities protection and support that they needed.

Kumar is still patiently waiting for his file to process so that he can move to India. In the meantime he was looking for a safer place to reside at but is unsure if such a place even exists anymore due to the constant targeting of Hindus across the province.

Not only are Pakistani Hindus a people without a voice but also a people without an identity or existence to the outside world.  Most people are not even aware of the fact that about 2.5 million Hindus (about 2% of the total population according to the last census but this number is decreasing rapidly due to fear and is soon expected to be less than 1% ) exist in the Muslim majority Pakistan. The dwindling numbers of Pakistani Hindus are the result of a quiet and steady cultural genocide in a state that has little  ’Separation of Church and State’ .

Just before the end of colonial rule and independence in 1947, the land, which is now Pakistan comprised of about 26% Hindus out of its total population.  However, after the partition of India, the largest forced migration in human history resulted, during which large scale massacres took place.  Unfortunately, the 26% had dropped down to only 15% Hindus in Pakistan.

With such a high death toll and even greater rate of forced resettlements, many Hindus still chose to remain in their ancestral homeland and were promised protection by the Pakistani government.  Needless to say, the Hindu population of Pakistan, got no such protection, but instead were subject to persecution and had to live a daily life in fear—something they live with even to this very day.

The constitution and legal system created for Pakistan, openly discriminated against Hindus with a high level of crime and harassment against them.  Moreover, periods of tension between India and Pakistan were the worst times for Hindus in Pakistan, during which large numbers were killed and expelled by the Pakistani people, who were supported by the government.  Furthermore, in 1965 a law (The Enemy Property Act) was passed, which openly legitimized the confiscation of the property of Hindus whether it was their homes or temples that were destroyed. This also resulted in a great drop of the Hindu population.

During 1970 and 1971, a huge undocumented number of Hindus were massacred by the Pakistani army in which the estimated death toll was up to 3 million.  However, an actual study has never been done to determine the casualty figures.  In addition, during this time, millions of Hindu women were raped and killed.  It was not only one of the largest but also one the most ignored massacres in human history.

In 1977, Islamic Law was introduced by General Zia ul-Haq, who led a military coup in Pakistan.  This further excluded the Hindu minority in Pakistan creating an arena of open discrimination and hatred against people in their ancestral homes.

According to the facts of history, one would assume that there no longer remains a Hindu population in Pakistan.  Surprisingly, Hindus still exist in Pakistan, most of whom reside in the province of Sindh.  The Hindus of Pakistan, still today are threatened by constant discrimination and fear of the Pakistani people and their government.  Their security, property and lives are at risk on a day to day basis.  Hindus in Pakistan are forced to live in a state in which they cannot openly identify themselves as Hindus.  Their low profile existence, not only affects their self-identity but also, results in a misrepresentation of the number of actual Hindus in Pakistan, hence there is no exact percentage that is completely accurate.  They have become a people without a true identity.  Without an identity there exists no real voice.  Hindus in Pakistan are a people without a voice.  Unfortunately, human rights groups around the world and the international community takes no interest in helping these Hindus without a say.  Due to this, the Hindus of Pakistan remain a forgotten people for whom no help is available to voice their views and fears.

If the outside community does not raise awareness and concern for the Hindus of Pakistan, they will remain a voiceless people and eventually cease to exist within the Pakistani population.  We must come together and help these Hindus without a voice.

Hindus continue to be the target of kidnappings, rape, and intimidation in Pakistan. Sapna Giyanchand was taken to a shrine in the Shikarpur District by Shamsuddin Dasti, a Muslim married man and father. The custodian of the shrine, Maulvi Abdul Aziz converted Sapna to Islam, changed her name to Mehek, and married her to Dasti. When Sapna’s case was presented in court, Muslim extremists deluged her with rose petals and chanted religious sayings. Sapna, terrified by the setting, could not manage to speak to her parents, who were also present in court. Aziz, also in attendance, is claimed to have said, “How can a Muslim girl live and maintain contact with kafirs [non-believers of Islam]?”.

At partition the population of Hindus in Pakistan was close to 30%, I'm not sure about Sikhs but considering Pakistan got the larger part of Punjab I'm guessing it would be alot.

Today Pakistan is something like 95% Muslim; the minority population is decreasing - fast

Theres a number of reasons for this
1) Some interpretations of Islam allow for polygamy - so Muslims tend to have more children
2) Minorities are at best 2nd class citizens - Constitutionally, a non-Muslim can't be head of state
3) Even when there was a sizeable minority population, they were never represented politically
4) Pakistan's legal system has become increasingly Islamicized since the 1980s
5) Immediately after partition, lots of Muslims travelled to Pakistan and lots of non-Muslims left
6) Hindus and Sikhs are considered "dharmic religions" Islamic law gives certain rights to "people of the book" or "judaic religions"
7) Islamic fundamentalism has penetrated the psyche of some radicals in Pakistani society - they persecute people for believing in Islam the wrong way, imagine what they do to people who don't believe in Islam at all...
8) Their justifaction for partition is that Pakistan should be a Muslim homeland DESPITE the fact that both Sikhsim and Hinduism developed on the same land! Its very concept for existence excluded minorites
9) Many people convert to Islam so they would have an easier time finding jobs and stuff.

Recent Missing and Kidnapping case of Rinkel Kumari, Dr. Asha , Dr. Lata And The killing of Three Hindu Doctors(Ajeet Kumar, Naresh Kumar and Ashok Kumar.) and the injury of Dr Satyapal sparked the whole world. Surprisingly the Pakistani administration did not arrest the perpetrators  inspite of that they protected them which is really a very ignominious act.

AFTERMATH :

The Hindu Council of Pakistan demanded a compensation of five million rupees for the families of slain Hindu doctors, Ajeet Kumar, Naresh Kumar and Ashok Kumar, and two million, for the family of Sathya Pal, who was injured.

The patron of the council, Ramesh Kumar, said that there has been an increase in faith-based violence in the country in last few years. The authorities have failed miserably in protecting us and this is why the minorities were vulnerable to religious exploitation.

“We are Pakistanis first and Hindu second,” asserted Kumar. “The attackers believe that they can get away with killing members of a religious minority.”

He was afraid that the killing could lead to chain reaction. “Not only were the lives of the doctors taken but it also was an indirect attack on the less fortunate public,” he added.

Mohan Lal Harchandani, the general secretary of the council, said that the Hindu community has been living in the in this region for thousands of years. “Not only do we see Pakistan as our country but we work and pray for its prosperity,” he added.

Pakistan Medical Association also demanded security from the federal and provincial government. According to them, the Hindu community has been left no choice but to migrate because of continuous harassment.

Will the hindus and non muslims of Pakistan accept the continuous oppression as a fate ?

 

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