Source: irinnews.org

Pupils at a Kalash primary school learn that difference is not always tolerated

LAHORE, 17 October 2013 (IRIN) – Being a member of an ethnic or religious minority in Pakistan brings with it inherent risks – something dramatically illustrated in Peshawar last month when a bomb attack on a church killed at least 85 people.

The US State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report for 2012notes that the 5 percent who constitute the non-Muslim population in a country of just over 190 million face persecution in many forms, including “attacks on houses of worship, religious gatherings, and religious leaders perpetrated by sectarian, violent extremist, and terrorist groups.” These result in hundreds of deaths during the year.

The plight of non-Muslim citizens has been taken up repeatedly by monitoring organizations. In a statement following the Peshawar church attack, Zohra Yusuf, …continue reading at irinnews.org