Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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http://www.paktribune.com/speakout/index.php?id=79

Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

“A young Pakistani student belonging to the Christian faith has posed an interesting question through a petition in the Lahore High Court. The question is: Am I, a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow citizen who is a Muslim ?For those of the readers who missed the news item reported by an English daily, this young student belongs to a low income group, is a practicing Christian and extremely bright. She has been competing to get into the King Edwards Medical College but was beaten on the list by 20 marks by a Muslim student who got the extra 20 marks for being Hafiz–e-Quran. So, now this young Christian girl has filed a plea in the Lahore Court declaring that she and the Muslim student had equal marks but the latter got the advantage of religion. The young Christian student claims that ``this is discrimination against religious minority students and a violation of fundamental rights granted by the Constitution of Pakistan.” The petition admitted by the Lahore High Court demands that either the LHC should rule to abolish the policy or should declare that a parallel policy should be made to award twenty additional marks to religious minority students on the basis of their religious knowledge. Fifty eight years after the creation of the country to ask such a question through the courts is both tragic and hopeful".

Constitution of Pakistan, Part II, Chapter -1, Fundamental Rights, Article 22 says:-
(1) No person attending any educational institution shall be required to receive religious instruction, or take part in any religious ceremony, or attend religious worship, if such instruction, ceremony or worship relates to a religion other than his own.

(2) In respect of any religious institution, there shall be no discrimination against any community in the granting of exemption or concession in relation to taxation.

(3) Subject to law: (a) no religious community or denomination shall be prevented from providing religious instruction for pupils of that community or denomination in any educational institution maintained wholly by that community or denomination; and

(b) no citizen shall be denied admission to any educational institution receiving aid from public revenues on the ground only of race, religion, caste or place of birth.

(4) Nothing in this Article shall prevent any public authority from making provision for the advancement of any socially or educationally backward class of citizens.

What do you think of above?

Disclaimer: Article copied and pasted from www.PakTribune.com

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Re: Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

Interesting.
I think hafiz e quran should not get 20 additional marks. The college is not inculcating religious education but secular one. And fundamentals of education desired by the college have nothing to do with hifz e Quran.
Hafiz sahab can get additional marks for admission in Islamic university/ school/ madrassah.

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Re: Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

wow i'm proud of this girl for standing up for what is right. it's completely unfair and educational institutes should never discriminate based on such things like religious background especially when the girl/guy that got it was in the majority population so already at an advantage

does pakistan have affirmative action like how it is in nonmuslim majority countries?

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Re: Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

for god SAKE

that guy spends years of his life becoming Hafiz -e- Quran and IF you guys remember its ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN unless you people think
Hafiz -e- quran Is not some thing worth 20 Marks .....

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Re: Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

pakistan is a muslim majority country. it's not an islamic country, if it was then there would be strict sharia law in place which is not the case right? it's a muslim majority democracy i thought since you voted your president into office.....

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Re: Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

Manisha its Islamic repulic of pakistan ...

IT was the reason why pakistan came into being ,,,,

And Hafiz -e- Quran is a full time study One have to memorise Quran completely word to word that is some thing incredible not seen in any other religion of the WORLD .

If you are a non muslim consider Hifz-e-Quran as an Extra course some one did to Improve his chances (its more then a Degree not an extra course )

I am sure you can Imagine how difficult it is to memorise the whole QURAN word to word .

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Re: Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

I am a Hafiz and let me just say it is so NOT easy. Plus you have to keep on reading it and practice so you don't forget it. :/

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Re: Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

clad:

[quote]
And Hafiz -e- Quran is a full time study One have to memorise Quran completely word to word

[/quote]

Medical study is not about memorizing books word to word. It is about how well one did in subjects which will form basics of the medical curriculum.
It is about being fair to everyone.

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Re: Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

I am sure it is not easy. But then learning Chinese is also not easy.
But just as learning Chinese is unrelated to admission in medical college, so should be hifz e quran.
It doesn't fit in medical college education.

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Re: Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

I wasn't really relating to the thread or even if it should be considered as a bonus for admission. I was just agreeing with Clad that being a Hafiz is not easy. Memorising the Quran is much harder than learning a language btw. That also if you learn it with the proper pronunciation.

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Re: Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

Unfortunately **** like this is bound to happen. In my eyes all citizens of Pakistan are all equal. A Pakistani hindu or christian should have just as much rights as a Pakistani Muslim. Some stuff like only a Muslim can become PM or President needs to be repealed.

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Re: Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

Absolutely True the person who becomes Hafiz –E- Quran spends great deal of time and efforts to become such ----- yet apart from religious zeal and fervor do you think that it is fair for that person to get 20 extra points just on the grounds of religion?

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Re: Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

Noble words nobler thoughts that was the gist of my thread ----- Thank you.

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Re: Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

Em, its a big debate that Pakistan came into being because of Islamic concept. its a big big big debate. Lets not indulge into it. Lets be on topic.

On Topic: I personally believe, that this girl should get Admission in K.E. She deserves to be there. Pakistan's constitution stats that every minority has equal rights. Why not in education.

i respect hafiz-e-quran, I respect 'em a lot but as someone mentioned here that there should be some thing equivalent to award those 20 bonus marks to other students.

I remember, There used to be NCC in colleges and earlier boys used to get 15 marks for that but then it was finished 'caz of the same controversies.

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Re: Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

We should remove all discriminatory conditions to admissions in the medical colleges and other universities. These include seats for backward/tribal areas, disabled persons, foreign students, 'special' seats for Baluchistan, SELF FINANCE, etc. Candidates from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad should have equal rights as those from FATA.

Fatimah Jinnah Medical college, Lahore should be open to both male and female students. The admission criteria should not be changed when it is time for the son of MS, King Edward Medical College to be admitted and reverted back to 'original' criteria after that year.

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Re: Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

If Pakistan claims to be an Islamic Republic of Pakistan then extra care should be given so that social and judicial justice be delivered to all irrespective of their religion, creed, social status, class etc.

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Re: Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

BTW... its not discrimination against non-muslims.... its discrimination against non-Huffaz. I am sure hundreds of Muslims have been hurt by Huffaz-e-karam over the years.

Are non-Huffaz lesser Pakistanis?

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Re: Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

I couldn’t find a link to the news item regarding the change/abolishing of the 20additional marks for Hafez Qarn in Khyber pakhtunkhawa in any educational institution from this session.
Jamti Islami protested against that decision but I think that is the right decision.

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Re: Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

That is correct.

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Re: Is a Pakistani Christian equal to a fellow Muslim?

Whether Hafiz should be given 20 marks or not is a separate discussion, i dont thik it has anything to do with muslim and christian being equal. What about 20 marks for NCC, special seats fro army, kinship, overseas Pakistanis etc.