Peace Caravan for end to politicizing religion

In Pakistan this week elected representatives and peace activists of different faiths asserted that the politics of religion should be stopped immediately to bring the country out of recent crises.

The group spoke against tactics being used by some people to gain or maintain political power. They said that discriminatory legislation has been passed to create an atmosphere of religious intolerance and have affected the social and legal status of religious minorities.

The Pakistan government has repeated claims to promote religious harmony and tolerance, however sectarian and religiously motived violence has increased. The activists have demanded that democratic institutions be strengthened. They also want to promote reforms in the school syllabus to remove derogatory statements against minorities and initiate a national level interfaith dialogue. A resoultion has been passed reaffirming commitment to curb interfaith conflicts and create favorable environment for religious sovereignty and interfaith synchronization.

Addressing a press conference, A H Nayyar, Nusrat Sheikh and others said they could never build the nation on the foundations of Christian, Muslim, Sikh or Hindu triumphal. "Building trust, understanding harmony across the religious diversity is vital for interfaith understanding and collaborative march towards sustainable peace in the country," said Nusrat Sheikh.

I think the lesson to be learned from the Pakistan conflict is that religion entering the realm of politics always creates a climate of intolerance and discrimination. The Middle East has been the most affected by religious intolerance for a very long time. I don't pretend to have an answer to this conflict, the topic is out of my league, however, it would also seem that no one else has a real solution to the problem. The United States has tried to intervene on this issue for decades and the results have been small, if not detrimental with the invasion of Iraq. Simply put, the Middle East is a mess, with all due respect. This region has been home to conflict after conflict with no end in site. These conflicts have, of course, affected other countries outside of the Middle East. The United States' current relationship with Russia is reflecting the one similar to right before the Cold War began. Since we're in America we don't really get objective news about Prime Minister Putin and the Russian Federation. If you search out of the United States news you will find that Putin blames the United States for the current unstable nature of the Middle East because of the Iraqi conflict. Call me unpatriotic if you must, but I find myself asking "Who could blame him?" The last thing the United States needs is a conflict with Russia. We need to enter a new era of foreign relations. I system that promotes peace and tolerance and works hand and hand with countries that we do not have good relationships with; that will never happen under this administration--or a Republican administration for that matter. We need an alliance with Russia to ensure that there is not another World War III. If we're on opposing sides, I really fear that outcome.

"Peace Caravan for end to politicizing religion"