KARACHI: “People nowadays have little patience with different viewpoints. Intolerance is spreading everywhere. But everything cannot be uniform. There is beauty in diversity,” said social activist and artist Sheema Kermani during a press conference organised by the Tehrik-i-Niswan at the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday.

Singers and performers of Tehrik-i-Niswan in aqua blue clothes sang a song ‘Rawadari humay hai jaan se pyaari’ on the occasion of the upcoming International Day of Tolerance on Nov 16 for which the cultural group, together with 10 other civil society organisations, launched their new awareness campaign to promote tolerance, respect, equality and dignity across Sindh, especially Karachi.

“We want to bring back plurality into our society through our campaign, which we will officially start from Friday. It will be followed by our observing International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Nov 25 and Human Rights Day on Dec 10, too,” said Ms Kermani. “We will spread the messages of peace and tolerance by going to different areas and meeting with communities as Tehrik-i-Niswan is a cultural group and cultural movements should reach out to all people all over,” she pointed out, adding that they would be organising an event to promote International Day of Tolerance at 4.30pm at Koohi Goth Hospital in Malir on Friday.

Nuzhat Shirin, chairperson of the Sindh Commission on the Status of Women (SCSW), said that SCSW was also joining the campaign as they had seen women and girls suffering the most due to the intolerance in the country’s culture. “The minority women and Muslim women, be they in the rural or urban areas, should all have a single voice when it comes to issues related to their health, education, livelihood, etc. They should stand united as there is strength in unity,” she said.

Dr Shershah Syed, founder of Pakistan National Forum on Women’s Health, said that there should be respect for all and their cultures.

Mahnaz Rahman, resident director of the Aurat Foundation, said that she wanted a society that they had all dreamed of, which was open to accept all kinds of differences.

Executive director of Piler Karamat Ali observed that a dialogue on tolerance among the people was badly needed not just in society, but throughout South Asia. “We are all suffering due to intolerance. Tolerance needs to be given its rightful place in society. And we can do this by condemning intolerance.”

Safina Javed from the Peace and Development Organisation brought up the recent case of Aasia Bibi, which saw so much hate and intolerance for all minorities in Pakistan.

Zeeshan Sarshar of Anchal Social Welfare Organisation, Sindh and Qazi Khizar representing the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan were also present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2018