Need to change mindset towards minorities stressed

LAHORE
Federal Minister for Minorities and Ports and Shipping Kamran Michael Thursday announced bringing legislation to protect respect of Christian Community by calling them ‘Maseehi’.
He said along with legislation there is need to change social mindset and attitude towards minorities and marginalised sections of society to give them sense of respect, protection and equality.
He was addressing a conference arranged to commemorate national peace and minorities day at Ali Institute. The conference was part of celebrations and commemorations to express solidarity with the minorities of Pakistan.
The event was arranged in collaboration with Punjab government youth affairs department, Young Parliamentary Forum, Punjab youth Parliamentary Caucus, and Umeed Jawan.
Hundreds of students from different schools and colleges of the city participated in the conference.
Punjab Minister Rana Mashhood and Minister for Human Rights and Minorities Khalil Tahir Sindhu, Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, MNA Romina Khurshid Alam, Khalil Jones, secretary youth affairs department Humayun Mazhar, a number of Punjab Assembly members, peter Jacob, Sabiha Shaheen, executive director Bargad, Asif Aqeel, Mary Gill MPA, Sardar Vikas Hassan Mokal and many others addressed the conference. The conference was part of “Green for White” campaign of Bargad that means Muslim majority representing green in Pakistani flag stands for the white representing minorities.
Kamran Michael addressing the conference said there is need to give importance to minorities and give them complete rights.
“There is a need to implement the laws to give rights to minorities too,” he said, while making promise to bring a new law to call Christians as “Maseehi” rather than “Eesai” in Pakistani society. He said “Green for White” was a unique campaign. 0
Rana Mashhood said Pakistan is for all and there is a need to bring policies that promote equality.
He said Punjab government was treating students from minority sections in a well way offering them scholarships.
He praised government endowment fund to help needy and intelligent students in the studies offering reasonable scholarships.
He said: “Our identity is Pakistan and in the world we are not known as minorities or majority but Pakistanis”. He said Punjab government fully supports such initiatives to safeguard the rights of minority.
Khalil Tahir Sindhu, who was representing Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, said the government has taken many good steps to shun extremism and hate speech that incites to mob violence against minorities and marginalised sections of society.
He said there is need to end root-cause of all such discriminations against minorities.
Ayesha Ghaus, Punjab Finance Minister, offered support to the minority sections for listening to their issues and problems all the time.
Romina Khurshid Alam said the objective of the commemoration is to reassure religious minorities in Pakistan that the majority stands with them as fellow citizens of the country. She urged the need to promote diversity by showing equal acceptance for people of all religions.
Sabiha Shaheen said aim of the campaign is to build public and policy imperatives through youth engagement for freedom of religion and equal citizenship for all and to provide a platform to support the National Action Plan to counter terrorism announced by the government in December 2014.
She also took oath from the participants of the conference to promote the slogan of “Green for White” in their areas so that we can make this society peaceful and tolerant.
Asif Aqeel, an activist, in his presentation, gave historical background how the illiterate Christian community members were inhabited from rural areas to the urban areas for the jobs of sweepers.
He said such advertisements in press from government departments offering the posts of sweepers and cleaners only for non-Muslim further increases discrimination and sense of deprivation. Why not Muslims can do these jobs in government departments, he questioned.
The organisers appealed to the youth to support the campaign to ensure respect and rights of minorities.
The Interactive Resource Centre (IRC) had a theatrical performance on Youhanabad twin blasts in churches last year. While participant students also had a “selfie video campaign”, drum beating by Goonga Sayeen.