Census source of fear and hope for minorities
AFP
RABWAH - Marginalised, attacked and frequently hit by blasphemy charges, religious minorities are hoping the country's first census since 1998 will be a step towards greater political representation and rights.
When a Balochistan resident identified himself as Ahmadi to census officials, they chased him out of the mosque where they had gathered families to be counted, Saleemuddin, a spokesman for the community, told AFP, without identifying the man for safety reasons.In other cases, he said, census officials simply assume the Ahmadis are Muslim because their names are indistinguishable from the general population and tick that box on their behalf. It is a potentially dangerous move.Under laws, "If I declare myself as a Muslim ... I can be imprisoned for three years," Saleemuddin said. Even those groups keen for recognition are wary, their suspicion fuelled by bitter experiences that run deep among minorities. Citizens can declare themselves to be Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Ahmadi or "other".
But Hindu rights activist Kapil Dev accused the government of divisiveness by having a caste option in the census, when the community believes it should be recorded as one entity, while the Sikh faith failed to make it onto the survey altogether. Radesh Singh Tony went to court in Peshawar because there was no mention of Sikhism on the form. The court ruled in the activist's favour, ordering the government to include Sikhs - but the count had already begun, and Radesh was not optimistic. "The government has a record of ignoring court orders," he told AFP. And though Christopher was confident, many of his fellow Christians argued even if they are accurately counted it will change nothing until Pakistan's attitude towards non-Muslims improves.
"Muslims can't see a Christian progress, get a good education and a good job - this is a fact," said Pervaiz Jazbi, a 37-year-old Christian shopkeeper in Islamabad. "The element of discrimination is always there," agreed Christian student Sania Nishtar. Saleemuddin said the Ahmadi man who fled the Balochistan mosque became the target of a hate campaign, barred even from buying food. "He fled with his family," Saleemuddin told AFP. "He has been living in hiding ever since." Then there is the "potential" of census staff ( all Muslims) abusing or misusing confidential census data to "help target" young and innocent Hindu, Christian, Sikh and Ahmedi girls to" sexually hungry Islami suitors" looking for a second, third or fourth wife
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