Can we finally have religious harmony in Pakistan?

A Hindu temple in Sindh’s Khairpur District was set on fire on Sunday evening.

The suspects set holy books and statues on fire, both of which were housed in different rooms. The Hindu temple did not have a caretaker since it was located in a neighborhood which is majorly populated.

And the residents were incredibly dismayed and angry about the arson attack on their place of worship. The children playing in the street alerted everyone about the fire and thankfully, it was controlled fairly quickly and not much damage was caused.

But what is a cause for concern is the fact that this happened in the first place.

The Hindu community in the area has been living in religious harmony in the past and this attack has shocked the community

This attack on their holy place of worship has lead to them protesting and keeping their places of business closed for a day to show how upset they were.

Hindu traders from neighboring areas joined in on the protest. The Hindu community was disappointed that more Muslim neighbors did not join their protests.

And the advisor for the Pakistan Hindu Council, Rajesh Kumar Hardasani has demanded a special task force to be made which would provide security to places of worship for minorities.

Three suspects were arrested in association with the crime but no one has been formally charged yet. The matter is incredibly serious and should be looked into. An attack on a place of worship is a dangerous precedent to set. Authorities should make sure they take this case seriously since letting those behind it get away with it would only cause for more hate crimes to occur in the future.

The Hindu community in Sindh does not harm anyone by practicing their faith and should be allowed the freedom to practice in peace in return.

This incident is incredibly sad and mirrors the unfair treatment Indian Muslims get on the other side of the border which us Pakistanis are quick to crib about. But what about how we treat our own minorities?

Pakistan’s record of mistreatment of its minorities is certainly nothing short of shameful

People from religious minorities have often cited mistreatment from authorities and the civilian population, alike, as a cause for distress. Even sectarian conflicts within Muslims – killing of the minority Shia population – are issues that need to be addressed.

Contrary to the promise of freedom that lay the foundation to this country, the plight of minorities in Pakistan is not new. The Constitution that ought to be the mortar and brick dictates the rights of minorities over and over again, however, the custodians of that very Constitution have failed us. Whilst 2019 so far has seen a marked decrease in general terrorist activities, the systematic attacks over minorities only continue.

What do you think about this attack on a Hindu temple? Let us know in the comments below.

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Cover Image Source: @bilalfqi via Twitter.com