International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

1. Any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited.                                                                   Article 20 (2)

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to education. They agree hat education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and sense of its dignity, and shall strengthen the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. They further agree that education shall enable all persons to participate effectively in a free society, promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations and racial, ethnic or religious groups, and further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.                     Article 13 (1)

International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

States Parties condemn all propaganda and all organizations which are based on ideas or theories of one race or group or persons of one colour or ethnic region, or which attempt to justify or promote racial hatred and discrimination in any from, and undertake to adopt immediate and positive measures designed to eradicate all incitement to, or acts of, such discrimination and, to this end, with due regard to the principles embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the rights expressly set forth in article 5 of this Convention, inter alia:

a) Shall declare an offence punishable by law all dissemination of ideas based on racial superiority or hatred, incitement to racial discrimination, as well as all acts of violence or incitement to such acts against any race or group of persons of another colour or ethnic origin, and also the provision of any assistance to racist activities, including the financing thereof;

b) Shall declare illegal and prohibit organizations, and also organized and all other propaganda activities, which promote and incite racial discrimination, and shall recognize participation in such organizations or activities as an offence punishable by law;

c) Shall not permit public authorities or public institutions, national or local, to promote or incite racial discrimination.                                                                                       Article 4 (a, b, c)

Definition:

Hate speech is a speech intended to degrade, intimidate, or incite violence or prejudicial action against someone based on his/her race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, etc. The term covers written as well as oral communication.                                                             Wikipedia

A common practice of hate speech is to use derogatory terms in Pakistan. The most popular word is Kafir or infidel that brackets all non-Muslims together. The words Qadiani and Mirzai are used for Ahmadis where as Christians will be called Isai. Till some years ago these terms were not even considered derogatory, as there was history behind the evolution of these terms. However, now only the persons who are insensitive to religious feelings of these groups choose to make these terms part of their writing and speech.

Character assassination

Aldawa a weekly news paper well-known for its religiously biased and inflammatory content printed a letter to editor from anonymous source.

The target was Human Development Center (HDC) an NGO that opened some schools for child workers at Kamalia, Toba Tek Singh, Faisalabad, Sahiwal and Jhang districts. The letter to editor alleged that HDC with its Christian Administration was misguiding the Muslim girls.

The letter went on to suggest that the organization appointed young and beautiful girls then forced them to develop relations with their male guests from abroad. The publication of the letter disturbed the organization, especially the Muslim female staff found it very hard to continue working in this NGO.                                                                                                                   NCJP report

Hate literature

On August 21, 2006 at Peshawar Maulana Hafizur Rehman, Qari Munawar Hassan, Ehsanullah and Iftekhar were arrested in a raid for selling cassettes, CDs and literature that contained religious hate material against Shiva and government. The local Court issued bail orders of the accused against Rest. 80,000 surety bonds for each.                                          Daily Times September 10, 2006

Never too late but did it delivered?

The Interior Ministry planed to take action against the distributors and printers of sectarian hate literature. The decision was taken in an Inter Provincial security meeting.

It was reported in the meeting that Law enforcement agencies arrested over 2,500 Khatibs and other people for using loud speakers illegally in July 2006. 1,800 Imams and other peoples were arrested in Punjab, 500 in Sindh and some in NWFP and Baluchistan on the allegation of distributing sectarian literature. Around 70 percent of 390 persons linked to the banned organizations were taken into custody while the remaining 30 percent were at large. These arrests were made under the Anti-Terrorist Act.                                                                          Daily Times August 20, 2006

Syllabus

Clerics showed a strong reaction to a statement by Federal Minister of Education, when he said that the new syllabus will not reflect hatred against Hindus. Dr. Sarfarz Naeemi and Saleem Khan, the leaders of Jameat Ulma Pakistan said that Hindus were the enemies of Muslims. They had been torturing Muslims for a very long time, nothing good can be expected of them. They also said that it was a misfortunate that people like Gen. Qazi were in the government. Daily Nawa-e-Waqt August 5, 2006

Protest against Ahmadis

Clerics of Khatm-e-Nabuwat movement gathered in Chiniot and accused the Ahmadis of Chenab Nagar of buying new land and putting barbed wire around it. They accused them of converting the people and carrying out secret activities.                                   Friday Times August 18-24, 2006