Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lahore (Fides Service) - To affirm civil society's desire to remain secular, democratic and pluralist associations, movements, unions, religious minority groups staged a street demonstration in Lahore demanding that growing religious fundamentalism be stopped. Human rights groups warned of the danger of “Talebanisation” of Pakistan which would mortify respect for human rights and plunge the country into an era of closure and intolerance.
The Association of Catholic Women and the Catholic Bishops' Commission for Justice and Peace supported the demonstration and encouraged civil society to make its voice heard. The demonstrators called on the government to safeguard religious freedom and freedom of expression.
Representing the demonstrators a delegation will meeting Justice minister Mohammad Iftikhar tomorrow 5 May. The associations will ask the Minister to assign funds and contributions to educate to a culture of respect for human rights; to eradicate abuse, take concrete steps to increase respect for the fundamental rights of every person in the territory of Pakistan. Signalling the various challenges facing the government to guarantee respect for human rights, they will recall that urgent reforms are necessary in the legislative, social and political fields and that civil society must reinforce the vision of human rights at every level in the country.
The civil society forum intends to combat terrorism, violence in the name of religion, differences of ethnic group and social class, questions of legality and security, gender discrimination To build a society based on solid principles of justice and transparency they call all sectors of society to work together to reinforce a culture of peace, tolerance and respect for human rights, praising the role of media operators, legislators, politics, unionists, civil society organisations already committed to eradicating all existing discrimination. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 4/5/2007 righe 27 parole 270)
