Screengrab of the Holi celebration at Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad
The gap between Pakistan’s status as an Islamic Republic and rights of its minorities in practicing their religions came to the fore last week when the Higher Education Commission (HEC)’s executive director wrote to varsities “banning” the celebration of festivals representing “a complete disconnect from our sociocultural values and an erosion of the country’s Islamic identity.” The letter, clearly, was in total violation of the Constitution, which grants all citizens the right to practice their religions freely, but exposed the prejudice toward non-Muslim faiths that simmers within our state institutions.
The “triggering” event was the celebration of the Holi festival at the Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad that went viral on social media. Directing universities to “distance themselves” from “activities obviously incompatible with the country’s identity and societal values,” it urged them to focus on engaging “their students and faculty in academic pursuits, intellectual debates and cognitive learning besides identifying, creating and fostering avenues for extra-curricular activities and rational discourse.”
As one student noted, the HEC “should be concerned about the dismal state of education in the country” rather than students celebrating Holi. “Such misplaced priorities are the reason for the intellectual/moral decay we see in society,” they added. Positively, public outrage over the erosion of minorities’ right to profess their religion resulted in the HEC withdrawing its notification. Federal Education Minister Rana Tanveer, speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, went one step further and assured minorities that the government supports them and would never place any barriers on their festivals and celebrations. A plural, inclusive society is a net benefit; discouraging such attempts at unity for “ideological” purposes only serves to damage the state.