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RECOGNIZING THE SUFFERING OF THE SINDHI COMMUNITY IN PAKISTAN
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HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY
of new york
in the house of representatives
Thursday, July 14, 2022
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Sindhi Sufi people in Pakistan, and against the unconscionable human rights atrocities that have been inflicted upon them for years.
There is perhaps nowhere in the world more important for the United States to battle extremism with public diplomacy than Pakistan, a nuclear-armed state where numerous extremists over the years have unfortunately sought refuge from justice. Pakistan's third largest province of Sindh is a place of particular concern, where members of the local Sindhi community find themselves subject to intense and unfair government scrutiny.
Sindhi persons have also been notably absent from the high echelons of Pakistan's government. As of 2022, there has not been a single Sindhi speaking judge on the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Of deepest concern however are the many instances of human rights abuses against the community, including exceptional jail times for trumped up crimes of ``blasphemy'', beatings, harassment, and forced disappearances. In 2017 alone, many activists, budding politicians, teachers, and students were forcibly disappeared by authorities. The Center for Research and Security Studies based in Pakistan has reported nearly 1,500 accusations and cases of blasphemy. Out of these 18 women and 71 men have been killed extrajudicially between 1947 and 2021.
I was made aware of one such case by my constituents: the life sentence handed down to one man, Notan Lal, the principal of a private school and member of Pakistan's Hindu minority who was accused of speaking blasphemously about the Prophet Muhammad. For this supposed infraction against the common good, he was arrested in 2019 and ultimately sentenced in February 2022 to 25 years in prison. No one should ever have to face a life in prison on such trumped-up charges.
There is a silver lining however, as Congress continues to hear the cries for help from the Sindhi community, we are answering with greater efforts to recognize and promote their importance. Sindh Caucus Co-
Chair Representative Brad Sherman and I were especially grateful to see that our Caucus' efforts to see Voice of America promote additional material and resources in the Sindhi language. Nearly 14 percent of Pakistanis--over 30 million people--speak Sindhi, but there has unfortunately never been significant material in the language from VOA until now. With this new material, it will become easier to reach out to the Sindhi community in Pakistan, and for them to reach out into the world in turn.
The people of Pakistan--especially those in the Sindhi community--
deserve respect for their human rights, regardless of creed or conviction. I urge my colleagues to continue to speak out for the Sindhi community in Pakistan and ensure that their human rights are respected.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 116(1), Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 116(2)
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