He received recognition from the International Christian Media Organization for his courageous work in defense of “fundamental rights as a basis for fruitful dialogue.” Mughal, founder and director, stated: “We will continue to fight for the abolition of the blasphemy law and the removal of hate material against minorities in school textbooks.”
Lahore () – The magazine Minority Concern Pakistan has been awarded the Titus Brandsma international prize awarded by the International Christian Organization of Media (ICOM), based in Geneva, in collaboration with the Dutch province of the Carmelites.
The International Prize for the Promotion of Dialogue aims to distinguish initiatives aimed at defending human dignity, healing wounds and promoting dialogue in all circumstances through the media. It was established in memory of Titus Brandsma (1881-1942), a Dutch Carmelite and journalist who died as a Nazi martyr in Dachau and was proclaimed a saint by Pope Francis last May.
Minority Concern Pakistan is a quarterly magazine that has been published since 2006. It covers news about religious minorities and religious freedom in Pakistan, usually absent from the Pakistani press. Aftab Alexander Mughal, a Pakistani Christian journalist currently based in the UK, is the founder and editor of the magazine. In motivating the award, ICOM underlines that the magazine does not hesitate to take risks “to defend fundamental rights such as freedom, respect and attention to others as the basis for a fruitful dialogue that can enlighten people and thus lead to a better life and the common good of all”.
Minority Concern Pakistan’s articles and weekly webinars are an instrument to promote dialogue between minority (non-Muslim) and majority (Muslim) communities to build equality, peaceful coexistence, social justice and human dignity. It is also used to pressure parliamentarians and politicians and civil society to promote the rights of Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and Ahmadis according to international standards and treaties.
Mughal spoke to about this recognition: “We believe in professional journalism, the freedom of individuals and communities, the freedom of the media and freedom of expression. Through the magazine we fight for equal rights for religious minorities in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, notably the repeal of blasphemy laws and the removal of hate material against minorities from school textbooks and the country’s media. The award reinforces our commitment to practicing journalism based on values that consolidate the rights of disadvantaged social groups in Pakistan”.
