Dr. Sabir Michael, a Pakistani, who was born blind in 1978, recently visited the St. Nicholas Home for the Visually Handicapped in Penang to obtain first-hand information on the work for the blind in Malaysia. He is currently the Chairperson of the Department of Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, Greenwich University in Karachi. He shares his thoughts on being a minority in a Muslim majority country to Herald. (Lily)
Herald (30 September 2007, Vol.14, No. 38)
‘Ａ minority in a Muslim-majority country’ (p.12)
Dr. Sabir began by saying “Pakistan was declared an Islamic Republic in 1973. Although the Constitution says everyone is equal, the minorities are treated as second-class citizens. There is very limited freedom to practise one’s religion other than Islam. It is very difficult to erect any places for worship other than Islam. After 9/11 religious freedom has bee further restricted. And minority groups face lots of discrimination.”
“Minorities form roughly four per cent of the population of Pakistan, out of which about two millions are Christians. Minorities generally form the lower rank of the socio-economic group,” said Dr. Sabir. Literacy rate is low. They are deprived of basic facilities. Economic opportunities are restricted,” Dr. Sabir added.
Dr. Sabir was very vocal on this topic of minorities because he said he was an authority on the subject and “I stand by my words because I am speaking the truth.” He went on to say that certain menial jobs like provision of sanitation was reserved for the Christians. Jobs in the military are near impossible to obtain. “If two people with similar qualification are applying for a job or promotion the Muslim will usually get it.”
But institutions like schools and hospitals founded and managed by Christians are generally held in high regard by educated and liberal Muslims. “Even the present President and the Prime Minister are products of Christian schools,”said Dr. Sabir. “But because of the pressure from fundamental groups things have become very difficult even to maintain such institutions.”
Dr. Sabir then talked about the blasphemy laws by which one can be put to death if one blasphemes against the Prophet of Islam. “But generally Christians never do this,” said Dr. Sabir. “What happens is that some people with vested interested use this to take revenge against the Christians. We are not against the law itself but the misuse of the law.”
Another fact that Dr. Sabir wanted to highlight was that what he termed as “an identity crisis”. Christians are generally considered lower class. “You know,” he said, “Although I am highly educated and have a Ph.D I cannot go to my neighbourhood shop and have a drink because my parents were sanitary workers.” Dr. Sabir believes that Muslims are perhaps doing this because before independence they received similar treatment from the Hindu ruling class.
In the first constitution of Pakistan there was equal status for people of all religions but over the years things changed because of vested interest said Dr.Sabir. In 1974 all Christian institutions were nationalised but since President Musharraf took over the reigns of the country, the institutions were allowed to be back in Christian hands. “But there is a catch. We have to pay to buy back our own institutions,” remarked Dr. Sabir with a laugh.
(End)
