BOOK REVIEW: Our scared minority communities —by Khaled Ahmed

Thread not Scissors: Common Spiritual Heritage for Peace and Harmony
Compiled by Ahmad Salim; South Asia Resource Centre Islamabad 2009
Pp245
Price Rs400

Thank God we have got over our love of the Taliban or we would have had to apostatise a lot of other ‘potentially excludable’ communities to make the national flag almost half white. Shia, Ismaili, Bohra and Barelvi all would have found themselves in the white patch


The white patch in our flag are the non-Muslims. There was no one in our midst who objected to this separate white patch which means that there is a tacit Muslim acceptance of ‘separation’ of the non-Muslim. Even the Quaid did not protest who should have because he didn’t want people defined, divided or separated on the basis of religion. ‘Separation’ was something in the air after 1947. And the Muslim League flag had to be modified; so why not do it with a white patch?

If the white patch represented a proportion then it should have been shortened after East Pakistan left us. It should have been widened after we apostatised the Ahmedis and made them non-Muslim. Thank God we have got over our love of the Taliban or we would have had to apostatise a lot of other ‘potentially excludable’ communities to make the flag almost half white. Shia, Ismaili, Bohra and Barelvi all would have found themselves in the white patch.

Ahmad Salim and his authors talk about the Bahais, potentially excludable, but one of the most honourable and lovable communities of Muslims. There are approximately 30,000 of them in Pakistan. After the death of Bahaullah and the inauguration of the ministry of Abdul-Baha, the Bahai community in the Indian subcontinent was split as a consequence of the activities of the followers of Mirza Muhammad Ali who had challenged his half-brother’s right to legitimate leadership.

Abdul-Baha directed a number of prominent emissaries to India, both Persian and Western, to guide the community and encourage teaching. Among these were Mirza Mahmud Zarqani, Aqa Mirza Mahram, Mirza Hasan Adib, Ibin-i-Asdaq, Lua Getsingers Stanndard, Sidney Sprague, Hooper Harris and Harlan Ober. By 1908 these individuals along with a small group of local converts had produced functioning communities in Bombay, Calcutta, Aligarh and Lahore.

The Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahais in Pakistan date from 1904. In 1944, the Karachi Spiritual Assembly sent out pioneers to Lahore and the assembly there was formed between 1945 and 1950. Spiritual Assemblies in Multan, Hyderabad, Sukkur, and Rawalpindi were established later.

The Christians of Pakistan are the largest religious minority in Pakistan. The total number of Christians in Pakistan was at least 2 million in 2008, or 1.1 percent of the population. Of these, 1.4 million in 1998 were Catholic. However, the current number of Christians is debatable as the Catholic Church record of births contains higher figures than this. In 1998 there were 1.4 million members of the Protestant Church. That yields a total number of Christians at 2.8 million.

The Church of Pakistan is the largest Protestant denomination, which is a union of Anglicans, American Methodists, Scottish Presbyterians and Scandinavian Lutherans. It was formed in 1970. The Presbyterian Church of Pakistan is the third largest Christian denomination and the other Christians come from different indigenous and Pentecostal Free Churches. (p.98)

For centuries, Christians have been a part of this country. According to an estimate more than 90 percent of the country’s Christians reside in Punjab, making them the largest religious minority in the province. Approximately 60 percent of Punjab’s Christians live in the villages. The centuries-old presence of the Christian community in Pakistan is proof of their historical roots in the land where they lived in harmony and peace (p.98)

The history of the churches is an important part of the history of Christianity in the Indian subcontinent. Their history can be traced to several Christian missions from the 16th century onwards. Initially there were four dioceses in the Church of Pakistan, i.e. Karachi, Multan, Lahore and Sialkot; but in 1980, through a special resolution and for better ministerial work, four new dioceses were created: Hyderabad, Raiwind, Faisalabad and Peshawar. There are now 13 dioceses with eight active diocesan bishops and one bishop for the Gulf for Urdu-speaking Christians working there.

The Christian community of Pakistan has always played a vital role in nation-building, from the education to the health sector; from sanitation services to the general useful workforce. The Christian community feels that they cannot participate in the political and social aspects of the society as much as they would like as they feel that the society has not given them a sense of belonging.

Christian schools that were nationalised in 1972 have been returned to the church. The largest, Forman Christian College Lahore, was given back to the Presbyterian Church in 2003. Christians have also developed some outstanding institutions like the United Christian Hospital Lahore, Gujranwala Theological Seminary, St Thomas Theological College Karachi, Edwardes College Peshawar, Mission Hospital Sahiwal, and Kinnaird College for Women in Lahore.

There is a significant Hindu community in Pakistan. Presently Hindus make up 2 percent of Pakistan’s population. This is at least five times the number of Hindus in Britain. Prior to 1947, Hindus constituted 26 percent of the population in areas that comprise Pakistan. The Partition of India was the biggest forced migration of people in human history. After partition, the Hindus population decreased to 15 percent in this region.

Today there are 2.5 million Hindus in Pakistan. The largest Hindu population is in Sindh but there are small Hindu communities all over Pakistan. In Sindh, Hindus are a part of the society. For centuries Hindus and Muslims have lived together in Sindh. They speak the same language and share the same heritage and history. In other parts of the country there have been occasional threats to their property and lives. The authorities rarely intervene to help Hindus and that often makes matters worse.

For Sikhs, there are many historical sites in present-day Pakistan which are very important for the Sikh community. Nankana Sahib has special importance. The Samadhi of Ranjit Singh is located in Lahore. Nankana Sahib has nine Gurdwaras which are associated with different events in Guru Nanak Dev’s life. The town is an important site of pilgrimage for Sikhs from around the world. Each year thousands of Sikhs come to Pakistan from India and different parts of the world to pay homage

But after partition there was a marginal Sikh population left in Pakistan. There was an influx of the Sikh population to Pakistan during the civil war in Afghanistan. There was a Hindu and Sikh minority in Afghanistan and due to porous borders a large number of them fled from their homes in Kabul, Kandahar and Jalalabad to settle in different parts of Pakistan. Among these refugees were the Afghan Sikhs who joined their kinsmen in Peshawar and Lahore.

Harcharan Singh became the first Pakistani Sikh to join the Pakistan Army as a commissioned officer. Another Sikh Gulab Singh was selected as the traffic sub-inspector in Lahore. Both these Sikhs belong to the historic city called Nankana Sahib. Sikhs have been also encouraged to take part in the politics of the country as Kalyan Singh Kalyan was elected as the first Sikh provincial assembly member in Pakistan representing the Pakistan People’s Party. (p.225)

Parsis are the most pacific, public-spirited and gifted of Pakistan’s minorities. Bombay emerged as a hub of the community in the 19th century. Regional developments intervened and Sindh became part of the Bombay Presidency, opening new avenues for the Gujarati-speaking business community of Bombay.

Ambrin Hayat writes: “Parsis along with the Gujarati Hindus and Muslims came to Karachi to set up business. Some even went to Thatta and Hyderabad. Some drifted further and settled in Quetta. An adventurous family went to Multan and a few went on to Lahore and a couple to Peshawar.” However a major part of the community settled in Karachi where they lived and prospered with other Gujarati-speaking groups.

Parsi memory takes us back to Iran. Their biggest shrine is there. Seti Pir is situated east of Yezd and it is the shrine that marks the place where Yezdagird’s queen (Shahbanoo Hastbadan), the mother of the princesses, Banu-Pars and Hayat-Banu, herself fleeing from the invaders, jumped into a deep well, together with her two attendants, to save her honour.

Seti Pir is, therefore, regarded as the mother of the other five great Pirs. Avesta is the ancient scared text of the Parsis. Zend Avesta is a commentary on these holy texts. The scripture Avesta is divided into two parts, the Avesta and the Khorda Avesta. Avesta contains Yasna, Vispered and the Vendidad. *

(Daily Times)