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UPDATE (Pakistan): Tensions continue to simmer in alleged blasphemy case at Sangla Hills, Pakistan

November 29, 2005

UPDATE ON URGENT APPEAL UPDATE ON URGENT APPEAL UPDATE ON URGENT APPEAL

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME
Update on Urgent Appeal

29 November 2005

[RE: UA-214-2005: PAKISTAN: Desecration and destruction of churches and Christian property after blasphemy allegations at Sangla Hills, Pakistan]
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UP-148-2005: PAKISTAN: Tensions continue to simmer in alleged blasphemy case at Sangla Hills, Pakistan

PAKISTAN: Religious intolerance and violence, destruction of churches and Christian properties, threat and intimidation, rule of law
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Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to update you on the case involving the desecration and destruction of churches and Christian property after blasphemy allegations at Sangla Hills, Pakistan (to see further details on the original urgent appeal, please refer to UA-214-2005).

According to the information we have received, an inquiry has been launched into the events of November 12, which saw a mob attack three Churches, a Sister’s Convent, a Christian school building and a Pastor’s house. On the fifth day of the inquiry, the District and Session Judge, Sheikh Mohammad Yousaf, heard statements from 13 Christians; Fr. Samson Dilawar, Pastor Tajamul Pervaiz, Saqib Bhatti, Babar Emmanuel, Zulfiqar, Emmanuel Julius, Nadeem Lazar, Babar Buta, James Masih, Ilyas masih, Johnson Martin, Lazar Masih and Sultan John. The 13 persons cited the names of Malik Azam, Maulvi Jamat Ali Masoomi, Anwar Baloch and Saleem (Kaloo) as the instigators of the burning and destruction of the churches and properties. The Judge also called the 88 persons detained on charges of destruction to appear before him. The inquiry is expected to finalise its report within days.

On November 27 Rev. Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury was in Pakistan. Besides visiting the earthquake hit areas, he met several state officials, including President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and the Minister for Religious Affairs. He condemned the desecration and destruction of churches and Christian property at Sangla Hill. Dr. William called for the scrutinising of the country’s hard blasphemy laws. Similarly, Bishop Alexander John Malik, the Moderator of the Church of Pakistan and Bishop of Lahore, while speaking at the International Islamic University Islamabad, asked the Muslim Ulema to come forward to build interfaith harmony and condemn violence in the name of religion. Further, the National Commission for Justice and Peace called a consultation meeting of civil society organisations on December 4 at Lahore to plan responses to religious intolerance.

While these measures are going some way to properly investigating the events of November 12 and seeking interfaith dialogue and harmony in Pakistan, the situation continues to simmer. The Daily Times, on November 28, reported that Aalmi Tanzeem-e-Ahle-Sunnah, an organization comprising of Muslim scholars called an emergency meeting at Jamia Naeemia in Lahore to discuss the alleged desecration of the Holy Quaran. An official statement said the meeting would discuss the desecration of Quran Mahal and the arrest of 88 Muslims in Sangla Hill, and would be presided over by Pir Muhammad Afzal Qadri.

Furthermore, an editorial printed in the same newspaper on the same day stated “While the Punjab government has shown initiative in preventing the Sangla Hill incident from becoming a wave of province-wide intolerance, Lahore’s clergy has become active too”. Unfortunately, it has taken a position that will shock the world. Maulana Dr Sarfraz Naeemi, secretary general of Tanzimat Madaris Diniya, has said that the government had paid scant attention to the desecration of the Quran but “rounded up 88 Muslim citizens of Sangla Hill on the false charges of destroying the Christian churches”. He declared that the “Christian clergy had set the churches on fire after the desecration incident and should be put behind bars and not allowed to leave the country”. He warned that he was taking a procession to Sangla Hill to get the Muslims released from jail. He protested religion minister Ijaz ul Haq’s statement that the Muslims had destroyed the churches. He said that the Quran “library” was burnt by the Christian clergy with the help of a special incendiary powder they first used in Shantinagar in 1997 (Shantinagar was destroyed by Muslim fanatics on the pretext of desecration of the Quran).

Some other organisations have also been mobilized by the vandals of Sangla Hill to issue dire threats to the community. Thus, the situation continues to simmer.

There is therefore, an urgent need to hold a High Court-level judicial inquiry into the details of the Sangla Hill incident so that the truth can be sought quickly. It will be interesting to establish as to why the procedure set by the government under the desecration law (295-B) was not followed by the police authorities and why the nazim had decided to take ‘direct action’ without proper judicial procedure. During the past 12 months, Muslims and non-Muslims alike have been equally the victims of such laws in the country, particularly in Punjab. Significant damage has been sustained to public property and bodily harm has occurred against innocent people. In some incidents the police are alleged to have joined the mobs.

In light of this situation, we again call on you to write to the relevant authorities seeking their intervention in this matter. A thorough investigation should be conducted into the initial violence that occurred at Sangla Hill. Full compensation must be provided to the Christian community so that they can repair and rebuild any damaged property. All responsible persons must be charged and brought before a court of law. In regard to religious tolerance it is the responsibility of the Pakistani government to ensure that religious minorities are protected against intimidation and threats. Thus, please ask the Pakistan government to introduce legislation that will ensure that religious minorities are protected and treated fairly. A step towards achieving this would be to repeal the discriminatory laws against ethnic minorities. 

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission
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Sample letter:

Dear ________________,

PAKISTAN: Tensions continue to simmer in alleged blasphemy case at Sangla Hills, Pakistan

I am writing to bring to your attention the tension that continues to simmer between religious groups following the desecration and destruction of churches and Christian property after blasphemy allegations at Sangla Hills, Pakistan.

According to the information I have received, tensions are still riding high amongst the people of the Sangla Hills community, with threats and intimidation still very much in existence there. I am aware that Maulana Dr Sarfraz Naeemi, the secretary general of Tanzimat Madaris Diniya, said that the government had paid scant attention to the desecration of the Quran but “rounded up 88 Muslim citizens of Sangla Hill on the false charges of destroying the Christian churches”. He declared that the “Christian clergy had set the churches on fire after the desecration incident and should be put behind bars and not allowed to leave the country”. He also warned that he would be taking a procession to Sangla Hill to get the Muslims released from jail.
Such threats by a key leader are of no benefit to improving religious tolerance in the area. They are also highly premature given that the inquiry into the incident has not yet been completed, and therefore there is no evidence to support his claim that the church leaders set their own property on fire. For this purpose, Dr Naeemi would do well to wait until the inquiry report is released, before publicly making statements that will only further fuel religious tension.

Given the situation in Sangla Hill, and owing to the fact that people are living every day in fear, I call on the government of Pakistan to properly intervene. A High Court-level judicial inquiry should be conducted into the initial violence that occurred at Sangla Hill. Full compensation must be provided to the Christian community so that they can repair and rebuild any damaged property. All responsible persons must be charged and brought before a court of law. In regard to religious tolerance it is the responsibility of the Pakistani government to ensure that religious minorities are protected against intimidation and threats. Thus, I call on the Pakistan government to introduce legislation that will ensure that religious minorities are protected and treated fairly. A step towards achieving this would be to repeal the discriminatory laws against ethnic minorities. 

I look forward to your intervention in this matter.

Yours sincerely,

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PLEASE SEND LETTERS TO:

1. General Pervez Musharraf
President
Pakistan Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 4768/ 920 1893 or 1835
Email: CE@pak.gov.pk 

2. Mrs Saira Karim
Joint Secretary for Law, Justice and Human Rights
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: + 92 51 9202819
Fax: + 92 51 9203119

3. Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao
Minister of the Interior
#404, 4/F., R Block,
Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9212026
Fax: +92 51 9202624

4. Dr. Muhammad Shoaib Suddle
Deputy General (BPR&D)
National Police Bureau
Old Navel Headquarter,
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9202963

5. Ms. Asma Jahangir
Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief
c/o Office Of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations at Geneva
8-14 ave de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: (+41 22) 917 9006
E-mail: freedomofreligion@ohchr.org or nmontchovet@ohchr.org

6. Ms Gay Mcdougall
Independent Expert on Minority Issues
c/o Global Rights
1200 18th Street, N.W.   
Suite 602   
Washington, D.C. 20036
Phone: 202.822.4600 
Fax:  202.822.4606 
Email: gaym@globalrights.org

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission

Document Type :
Urgent Appeal Update
Document ID :
UP-148-2005
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Extended Introduction: Urgent Appeals, theory and practice

A need for dialogue

Many people across Asia are frustrated by the widespread lack of respect for human rights in their countries.  Some may be unhappy about the limitations on the freedom of expression or restrictions on privacy, while some are affected by police brutality and military killings.  Many others are frustrated with the absence of rights on labour issues, the environment, gender and the like. 

Yet the expression of this frustration tends to stay firmly in the private sphere.  People complain among friends and family and within their social circles, but often on a low profile basis. This kind of public discourse is not usually an effective measure of the situation in a country because it is so hard to monitor. 

Though the media may cover the issues in a broad manner they rarely broadcast the private fears and anxieties of the average person.  And along with censorship – a common blight in Asia – there is also often a conscious attempt in the media to reflect a positive or at least sober mood at home, where expressions of domestic malcontent are discouraged as unfashionably unpatriotic. Talking about issues like torture is rarely encouraged in the public realm.

There may also be unwritten, possibly unconscious social taboos that stop the public reflection of private grievances.  Where authoritarian control is tight, sophisticated strategies are put into play by equally sophisticated media practices to keep complaints out of the public space, sometimes very subtly.  In other places an inner consensus is influenced by the privileged section of a society, which can control social expression of those less fortunate.  Moral and ethical qualms can also be an obstacle.

In this way, causes for complaint go unaddressed, un-discussed and unresolved and oppression in its many forms, self perpetuates.  For any action to arise out of private frustration, people need ways to get these issues into the public sphere.

Changing society

In the past bridging this gap was a formidable task; it relied on channels of public expression that required money and were therefore controlled by investors.  Printing presses were expensive, which blocked the gate to expression to anyone without money.  Except in times of revolution the media in Asia has tended to serve the well-off and sideline or misrepresent the poor.

Still, thanks to the IT revolution it is now possible to communicate with large audiences at little cost.  In this situation there is a real avenue for taking issues from private to public, regardless of the class or caste of the individual.

Practical action

The AHRC Urgent Appeals system was created to give a voice to those affected by human rights violations, and by doing so, to create a network of support and open avenues for action.  If X’s freedom of expression is denied, if Y is tortured by someone in power or if Z finds his or her labour rights abused, the incident can be swiftly and effectively broadcast and dealt with. The resulting solidarity can lead to action, resolution and change. And as more people understand their rights and follow suit, as the human rights consciousness grows, change happens faster. The Internet has become one of the human rights community’s most powerful tools.   

At the core of the Urgent Appeals Program is the recording of human rights violations at a grass roots level with objectivity, sympathy and competence. Our information is firstly gathered on the ground, close to the victim of the violation, and is then broadcast by a team of advocates, who can apply decades of experience in the field and a working knowledge of the international human rights arena. The flow of information – due to domestic restrictions – often goes from the source and out to the international community via our program, which then builds a pressure for action that steadily makes its way back to the source through his or her own government.   However these cases in bulk create a narrative – and this is most important aspect of our program. As noted by Sri Lankan human rights lawyer and director of the Asian Human Rights Commission, Basil Fernando:

"The urgent appeal introduces narrative as the driving force for social change. This idea was well expressed in the film Amistad, regarding the issue of slavery. The old man in the film, former president and lawyer, states that to resolve this historical problem it is very essential to know the narrative of the people. It was on this basis that a court case is conducted later. The AHRC establishes the narrative of human rights violations through the urgent appeals. If the narrative is right, the organisation will be doing all right."

Patterns start to emerge as violations are documented across the continent, allowing us to take a more authoritative, systemic response, and to pinpoint the systems within each country that are breaking down. This way we are able to discover and explain why and how violations take place, and how they can most effectively be addressed. On this path, larger audiences have opened up to us and become involved: international NGOs and think tanks, national human rights commissions and United Nations bodies.  The program and its coordinators have become a well-used tool for the international media and for human rights education programs. All this helps pave the way for radical reforms to improve, protect and to promote human rights in the region.