Christian Community Battles for Burial Places in Muzaffarabad

Faiza Gilani

Muzaffarabad: “It was the toughest time in my life when we took our daughter’s dead body in a garbage-carrying vehicle for burial to Rawalpindi,” recalls Akhter Bibi, a Christian woman living in Muzaffarabad, adding that earlier they used to bury their dead on the banks of the River Neelum, adjacent to their residences.

Akhter Bibi, belongs to the Christian community who migrated to Muzaffarabad from different parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Pakistan in search of employment as sanitary workers.

She said that the treatment being meted out to this Community was unforgettable while narrating the story of the burial of her daughter’s dead body back in July 2005.

She was crying while sitting on her bed at home and it appeared that she had just lost her daughter a while ago.

She said there was no place in Muzaffarabad for the burial of her daughter and they took the dead body for burial to Rawalpindi and lost another six people from their family in a tragic accident while returning after burial, adding that all victims were very close relatives of Akhter Bibi.

Talking to the PenPK, she said despite many efforts, she couldn’t forget that incident, adding that after sacrificing six lives, they succeeded in getting a place for the graveyard but she can’t express the difficulty in words they face to access that place.

“This place is located at a hilly sliding area called Thala Makri on the outskirts of the city where landslides have already swept dozens of houses and animals in the earthquake of 2005. The graveyard is without a boundary wall due to which nearby residents are encroaching into the graveyard land,” she complained, questioning if it was a mistake that they belonged to the Christian community.Muzaffarabad: A young Christian girl watching outside from her makeshift. Faiza Gilani

Battle for Basic Needs

“Not only Akhter Bibi but the whole of the Christian community of Muzaffarabad is deprived of basic needs. Churches are indispensable for the Christian community in order to carry out their religious rituals, despite sanctions and many promises, the minority community is yet to be provided the fundamental facilities by the AJK government. Christian community is accorded a step-mother-like treatment,“ Riasat Masih, a member of the Christian community, told the PenPK.

“There has been no church or other worship place, not only for the Christian community but also for other minorities living in parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.

Riasat Masih further said that they were brought from Sialkot some 40 years back to render their services but were kept deprived of basic living facilities. He claimed that their condition was worse than animals.

He also disclosed that the community members used to bury their dead bodies in the courtyards of their houses.

He complained that the land for the graveyard was allotted to them on an unstable land, prone to land sliding, adding that they had been practicing their religious rituals at home for the last 40 years because of the unavailability of Church but due to congestion at homes, they are unable to practice their religious duties as well.

He also complained that there was no law for their marriages and divorces, referring to the family laws of the minorities, adding which has created other troubles for them. He said that there was no separate school for their children and if they succeed to get admission in a Muslim school, they can’t get a job in any other department except the municipality.

He said that the government had allotted a 10 Marla plot for the construction of a church some 10 years ago in the middle of the city but still they couldn’t get possession of it. He disclosed that the district administration told him that they were facing pressure from a local person not to transfer the possession of church land to the Christian community.

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Syed Sabir Naqvi, Tehsildar Muzaffarabad, while responding to his complaint said that the administration fully believed in the religious freedom of minorities and as far as the possession of land for the construction of a church is concerned it will be given to them after issuances of direction from the concerned local deputy commissioner and commissioner.

It may be recalled here that there are 70 families of the Christian community living in Muzaffarabad, 565 in Mirpur Mangla, Chakswari, six in Chiroi, 8 in Barnala, and 5 in each Samani Bhimber and Hattian Bala. In this way, a total of 659 families are residing in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

A majority of Christians are living in Mirpur but they are also deprived of worship places in the area.

Hafiz Hammed Raza, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Religious Affairs, while responding to the concerns of minorities, said that the government was making efforts to provide them equal facilities at par with other citizens of the state.

Samuel Masih, a preacher, told the PenPK that his Church had sent him here in 2005 to provide religious services to his community but he was unable to perform his duty as there was no Church in the city.

Abdul Malik Sadiqui, a legal expert, said that Islam had provided freedom of religious practices to other minorities; therefore, Muslims should ensure the provision of all rights to Christians in Muzaffarabad.

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/?p=2637

He said that Islam teaches respect for humanity and other beliefs as well and they should be provided every facility regarding their religious practices.

Constitutional Guarantees

Azad Jammu and Kashmir Interim Constitution guarantees freedom of religion subject to law, public order, and morality. It provides that every citizen of the State has the right to profess and practice his/her religion and (B) every religious denomination and every sect, therefore, has the right to establish, maintain and manage its places of worship.

It also provides that nothing contained in sub-paragraphs (A)and (B)  shall be so construed as to abridge the authority to promulgate laws that may prescribe prohibition and penalty for conversion from Islam or the act of converting or the attempt of converting a Muslim to some other religion.