The Nation: by Ahmad Zia Tulla –

The social system of an Islamic state offers protection to non Muslims. They have been termed as Dhimis ‘protected people’. They are so-called as soon as they submit to Islamic rule; it becomes the duty of the Islamic State to protect their life, property and most importantly religious freedom. The holy Quran also puts an extraordinary value on human life; it is made quite clear when it tells that “killing an innocent human is like killing whole mankind”.  That human can be a Muslim, a Hindu, a Jewish or a Christian. The blood of non-Muslims in an Islamic state is as sacred as is of Muslims.

Franz Rosenthal, an eminent and prolific German scholar, writes about Islam in his book ‘Political thought in Medieval Islam’ in which he says “Islam was able to accommodate all these strangers and make them feel at home. It made no demands on anyone to convert. Refusal to accept Islam was not punished by death and they were granted protection.” Above are the words of a Jewish scholar about Islam, a religion which espouses values of, tolerance, mutuality, universal brotherhood and peaceful co-existence ordaining its followers to be the source of peace for people around them.

Unfortunately, the condition of religious minorities in Pakistan is deplorable….

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