Have you ever noticed that all the students/teachers in you class/school are not the same? Some are intelligent and some may be struggling to follow the lesson; some have fair complexion, some light; some are short and some tall for their age; some are thin as sticks and some bulkier than average. Some may have Urdu as their mother tongue, while some may have difficulty expressing themselves in Urdu since they speak Sindhi, Punjabi, Pashto, Gujrati, etc., at home. Some may even not be Pakistani, but may have come from some other country, while some may be following a faith/religion that is different from yours.

What they all have in common is that they are all human beings. All the students have the same objective: to excel in education and pick up the careers of their choice, while all teachers wish to impart knowledge and inculcate good traits in their students so that they grow up to be good human beings and lead successful lives, though some teachers may be strict, and some lenient and friendly. The difference in their style of teaching has nothing to do with their physical appearance, gender or nationality, or religious believes.

Likewise, in our neighbourhoods, people belonging to all groups reside and, for peace in the neighbourhood, it is important that they live in harmony without any consideration for difference in appearance, language spoken or faith. It does not matter what language they speak; what racial/ethnic group/nationality they belong to, or which place of worship they go to.

What is important is that we respect each other and interact with them keeping in mind their age and status (not monetary).

It is sad, but it is a fact that many people give a lot of consideration to others’ racial/ethnic or linguistic group and religion when interacting or extending a hand of friendship. You might have noticed that some students in your class prefer to be friends only with those who belong to their race, caste, religion or speak their language. Like you, they usually have friends who have common interests, such as in school subjects and sports. Sometimes one feels drawn towards someone because they have more things in common, like language, it makes them feel more close and thus friendship blossoms, but to discourage or not be friends with someone just because he/she is not from the same ethnic/racial or religious group as you, despite them trying to be friendly, is not good behaviour. Similarly, it is not correct to discriminate or shun others just because they belong to a minority group.

Let me explain what is meant by minority or who is a minority member? By minority, we mean a group of people who have a common cultural/ethnic, lingual or religious identity (i.e. they have the same culture, speak the same language and follow the same religion), but it is different from that of the majority of the people in any country, city or place. It is quite common that one or more minority groups live in a country, and they are characterised by their own national, ethnic, linguistic or religious identity, which differs from that of the majority population.

People belonging to any ethnic, linguistic or religious minority are citizens of the country they live in — except some nationals of other countries who are temporarily living there because of work or any other reason. And, though they might be the minority group, they have the same rights as the majority in any given set up, such as right to education, healthcare, employment, housing, and freedom from discrimination, etc.

They have the right to follow their cultural customs and traditions and their religious beliefs and practices, participate in cultural, religious, social and public life as well as celebrate the festivals according to their beliefs. In fact, Article 1 of the United Nations Minorities Declaration, that was adopted in 1992, refers to minorities as “based on national or ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic identity, and provides that States should protect their existence”.

Unfortunately, there have been instances in our country where minorities have been denied their right to freedom of expression and the right to practise their faith, and their places of worship have been desecrated. This is not the right behaviour from any standards and is a violation of their human rights. Being citizens of this country, or because they live here temporarily, they have the right to follow their beliefs; the constitution of Pakistan grants them this right and nobody has the right to stop them.

It is especially important to let them practise their beliefs when they are not interfering in our beliefs or trying to preach or force their beliefs on us. It is, if we understand, a very simple case of ‘live and let live’.

Or let me put it this way: when you go abroad, do you leave your cultural practices and faith back home? Of course not, when you go to live in any country for any period of time, for study or work, you want to celebrate your festivals and live according to your cultural and religious beliefs. And if somebody tries to stop you, you get upset. I have heard people living in Europe or the US grumble that they do not get a holiday on Eid and that they had to go to office/school on Eid day.

In the same way, when minorities in our country are not allowed to celebrate their festivals, they feel bad. As we love to celebrate our festivals wherever in the world we are, people following other faiths also want to celebrate their festivals, be it Christmas, Easter, Holi, Diwali, or whatever. I see no harm in them doing it, especially when no one is forcing you to join them.

In fact, it gives diversity and adds colour to any society. If you care, you can get to see so many festivals and learn about them by reading about them or talking to people who celebrate them. In fact, it would be a good idea to develop friendship with people from different communities/nationalities and learn about their cultures and festivals. Being friends with people of other faiths is not a bad idea and in no way means that you are influenced them, nor would it mean, in anyway, that your faith is weak or you are not a true believer. In fact, it shows that you are a person with an open mind and a big heart.

Marked by the United Nations, the International Minority Rights Day is celebrated on December 18 across the world since 1992. It is celebrated every year to protect the rights of minority communities, as a contribution to nation-building, to ensure the security of minorities in their particular language, caste, religion, culture, tradition, etc.

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 18th, 2021