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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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19 March 2009
URGENT ALERT: Pakistan– Write to the Pakistani High Commission/Embassy in your country airing your concern over the increasing levels of religious discrimination in Pakistan.
Contents
1. Summary
2. Background
3. Action required
4. Sample letter
5. Addresses for Sample letter
1. Summary
IHRC is concerned with the increasing level of religious discrimination in Pakistan and asks campaigners to write either to the Pakistan High Commissioner or Ambassador in their country to highlight some recent cases of discrimination.
2. Background
IHRC is concerned regarding increased reports of cases of religious discrimination in Pakistan, including against Muslims. These reports include Pakistan International Airlines which recently introduced a policy banning its employees from sporting beards. Another recent case involved Jinnah Hospital in Karachi where the administration has decided to ban nurses from wearing the headscarf. Reports from female nurses and students in Jinnah Hospital even describe physical assaults by male employees on those who wear the headscarf. There was one particular case when a male Dr allegedly physically removed the headscarf from one nurse.
3. Action required
Write to the Pakistan High Commission or Embassy in your country expressing your concern over the recent infringements upon religious practices especially with regards to manifestation of religious beliefs.
4. Sample letter
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If you receive a reply to the letter you send, we request you to send a copy of the letter you sent and the reply you received to IHRC. This is extremely important as it helps IHRC to monitor the situation with regards to our campaigns and to improve upon the current model letters.
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Sample letter to the High Commissioner in the UK. You may write to either the High Commissioner or the Ambassador in your country via the mail addresses attached at the bottom of this Sample letter.
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
Mr. Hamid Asghar Khan
High Commission for Pakistan
34 – 36 Lowndes Square
London
SW1X 9JN
[Date]
Dear Mr. Khan
Re: Recent cases of religious discrimination in Pakistan
I am concerned about the recent cases of religious discrimination that have emerged from Pakistan. Pakistan International Airlines policy of banning its employees from sporting beards and the decision by Jinnah Hospital in Karachi to ban nurses from wearing the headscarf both show a clear disregard for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states clearly that “everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion” and everyone has the right “to manifest his/her religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance.”
Both these cases, which serve as an example of the increasing levels of religious discrimination in Pakistan, also go against Article 18 of the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which grants individuals the liberty to exercise their religious freedom.
Reports coming out from Jinnah Hospital even describe physical assaults on female employees who wear the headscarf by their male counterparts. Such measures violate the constitutional and fundamental rights of these employees.
In light of such worrying reports and discriminatory policies, I urge you to look into these cases and take the necessary and required action to bring an end to such discrimination.
I look forward to your reply regarding this urgent matter.
Yours sincerely,
[Your signature]
[Your name]
5. Addresses for sample letter
Below please find the addresses to either the High Commission or Embassy of Pakistan in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Netherlands, South Africa, Turkey, UK and US. Campaigners should use the address of the respective embassy in their country.
Australia:
H.E. MR. JALIL ABBAS JILANI
PO Box 684
Mawson ACT 2607
(Australia)
Email: parepcanberra@internode.on.net
Belgium:
Mr. M. Shafkat Saeed
EMBASSY OF PAKISTAN
57 Avenue Delleur
1170 Bruxelles
Belgium
Fax: +32 (0)2 675 83 94
Canada:
Mr. Musa Javed Chohan
10 Range Road
Ottawa
Ontario, K1N 8J3
Canada
Fax: (613) 238-7296
Denmark:
Mrs. Fauzia Mufti Abbas
Valeulrsvej 17
P.O. Box 107
2900
Hellerup
Copenhagen
Denmark
Fax: +45-39401070
France:
H. E M. Aneesuddin Ahmed
Pakistani Embassy
18, Rue Lord Byron,
75008 Paris
France
Fax: 33 1 4562 8915
Germany:
H. E. Shahid Ahmed Kamal
Pakistani Embassy
Schaperstr-29
Wilmersdorf
10719 Berlin
Fax: 49 30 2124 4210
India:
Mr. Shahid Malik
High Commission of Pakistan
2/50-G, Shantipath
Chanakyapuri
New Delhi
India
Fax: 91 11 2687 2339
Indonesia:
EMBASSY OF PAKISTAN
50, JALAN, TEUKU UMAR
PUSAT, JAKARTA
FAX: 062-21-3103945
Malaysia:
Mr. Tahir Mahmud Qazi
HIGH COMMISSION OF PAKISTAN
PERSIARAN STONOR 55000
KUALA LUMPPUR
FAX: 60-3-264958
Netherlands:
EMBASSY OF PAKISTAN
PLEIN 1813 NO.3 2514 JN
THE HAGUE
FAX: 31-70-3016047
South Africa:
HIGH COMMISSION OF PAKISTAN
69 KORANNABERG AVENUE
WATERKLOOF HEIGHTS
PRETORIA
South Africa
FAX: 27-12-456824
Turkey:
CONSULATE GENERAL OF PAKISTAN
KORU SOKAK ‘S’ BLOCK DAIRE 3
ISTANBU
FAX: 90-212-2335802
UK:
Mr. Hamid Asghar Khan
High Commission for Pakistan
34 – 36 Lowndes Square
London
SW1X 9JN
FAX: 44-171-4168417/4168419
US:
H. E. Husain Haqqani
Embassy of Pakistan 3517 International Court NW Washington, DC 20008.
Fax: 202-686-1534
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“And what reason have you that you should not fight in the way of Allah and of the weak among the men and the women and the children, (of) those who say: Our Lord! Cause us to go forth from this town, whose people are oppressors, and give us from Thee a guardian and give us from Thee a helper.”
Holy Qur’an: Chapter 4, Verse 75
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