Human rights campaigners included: Pakistan Human Rights Collective, Hindu American Foundation (HAF), American Friends of Balochistan, and Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.), among others. The protest took place on the 66th anniversary of the United Nations' signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on December 10, 1948.
The protesters called for the release of 12 year old Pakistan Hindu girl Kajal Bheel, whose forced abduction and forced religious conversion has drawn world-wide outrage. The protesters called for Pakistan courts to allow the release of Kajal Bheel from her forced abduction, and urged support for the legal efforts to defend Kajal Bheel by the Global Human Rights Defence organization (GHRD).
GHRD is planning for the next court case to defend her on December 19 in Pakistan, and they are calling for people to support her human rights by signing their petition at:
http://ghrd.org/get-involved/petitions/save-kajal/savekajal/
and on Twitter at #savekajal
Protesters also pointed out the recent of abduction and forced conversaion of other Pakistan Hindu girls, including Neelam Kohli (11 years old), Anjali Menghwar (12 years old), Kiran Kumari (14 years old), Parsa Kolhi, and Wali Kolhi. Protesters displayed signs condemning the practice of such child abduction and forced religious conversion to Islam.
The oppression and attack on Pakistan Hindu religious minorities was also demonstrated by protesters who pointed out that Hindus went from a 24 percent minority in 1948 to about 1.6 percent of the Pakistan population in 1998.
Human rights campaigner Ahmer Mustikhan asked Pakistanis - "Are these not our children? Are our Hindu girls not children that deserve to be protected, live with their families, and have a right to their religion?" R.E.A.L.'s Jeffrey Imm also pointed out how such human rights abuse of Hindu girls was a violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including articles 3, 16, and18. Jeffrey Imm also denounced a pattern of attacks in Pakistan against Hindu temples.
The protesters also decried the abuse of Pakistan Christians and other minorities, noting the recent mob attack on a Pakistan Christian couple (burning them to death), and called for an end to oppressive Pakistan blasphemy law used to give a death sentence to Christian Asia Bibi, which was used in the arrest of Christian Zafar Bhatti (who was shot to death), and oppression of other religious minorities. Protesters held signs condemning the Pakistan blasphemy law and calling for its change. Protesters called for the release of such Pakistan political prisoners as Christian Asia Bibi, who have been imprisoned on spurious "blasphemy" charges.
R.E.A.L.'s Jeffrey Imm called for the Pakistan government and the Pakistan people to end their oppression of all religious minorities (Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Ahmadiyaa, and Shiites) and called for Pakistan to show human reason and conscience to extend such basic human rights and human dignity to Pakistan religious minorities and all Pakistan citizens. Imm stated such oppression needed to end in all parts of Pakistan, including the oppression of Balochistan citizens by Pakistan forces.
The protesters sought to inform the public of these conditions, while challenging the failure of the Pakistan government to protect the human rights of such citizens. Protesters also sought to demonstrate solidarity with other religious minorities in Pakistan who have protested their oppression.
R.E.A.L.'s Jeffrey Imm stated that while this protest was in Washington DC at this event, that protesters will seek to provide solidarity in human rights campaigns in Pakistan. He stated: "the day will come when we and others will have such calls for universal human rights and dignity in Islamabad, and throughout every part of Pakistan, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and every territorial area. To those protesting there for human rights now, please know that we stand with you, and know that the day will come when we are standing side by side with you in Pakistan to call for human rights for all."
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