Tolerance stressed

LAHORE :A good society is one where people are good to each other, one where there is peace but we are living in times when intolerance is on the rise world over. Until people stop uttering hate, minorities will keep suffering as they have always been on the receiving end.

These views were expressed by speakers at a conference held here at the Lahore Press Club by Rawadari Tehreek to observe International Day of Tolerance. Samson Salamat of Rawadari Tehreek regretted that a list was issued of militant organisations in 2015 but they have not been stopped from operating till this day. Until they are actually nabbed, the country will keep facing increase in intolerance, he added.

Irfan Mufti, deputy executive director South Asia Partnership Pakistan, said, “There is a misconception that people are intolerant. There has been no war on the basis of religion in this region. This is a land full of culture and music. We are not intolerant at individual level nor we have a history of intolerance. Intolerance is associated with the state. When the state asked for religion on papers, it divided people. Intolerance is in law, in the textbooks at school level which is very sad. There is no explanation for missing persons. An unjust society is an intolerant society. Tolerance is a gateway to prosperity,” he said.

Others who spoke were Jalila Haider from Balochistan, Asif Khan, former MPA Tahir Naveed and Amarnath Randhawa. At the end a cake was cut on the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak.