Friday, January 26, 2007
2003 census poses question over remaining Jews in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government census on civil servants raised curiosity on Thursday about one of the Islamic Republicââ¬â¢s smallest and most low-profile religious minorities ââ¬â the Jews.
The 2003 census, released on a government website last week, showed none of the 234,933 government employees declared themselves to be Jews, although 10 had done so in the last census three years ago.
However, for several people the real news was that there were still any Jews living in Pakistan, given Pakistanââ¬â¢s longstanding antipathy towards Israel and Zionism. Even a former minister for religious minorities was taken aback that there were Jews in the country.
ââ¬ÅI never thought there were Jews in Pakistan. I have never seen them or met them, even when I was a minister,ââ¬Â remarked Colonel SK Tressler, who served in President Pervez Musharrafââ¬â¢s first cabinet in 1999. ââ¬ÅI was also surprised to see the report that there were Jews in the government service, also.ââ¬Â Officials who conducted the census could not say whether the Jews had retired, converted, migrated, died, or simply chose to mark themselves in the ââ¬Ëother religionsââ¬â¢ category. reuters
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\01\26\story_26-1-2007_pg7_12
2003 census poses question over remaining Jews in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government census on civil servants raised curiosity on Thursday about one of the Islamic Republicââ¬â¢s smallest and most low-profile religious minorities ââ¬â the Jews.
The 2003 census, released on a government website last week, showed none of the 234,933 government employees declared themselves to be Jews, although 10 had done so in the last census three years ago.
However, for several people the real news was that there were still any Jews living in Pakistan, given Pakistanââ¬â¢s longstanding antipathy towards Israel and Zionism. Even a former minister for religious minorities was taken aback that there were Jews in the country.
ââ¬ÅI never thought there were Jews in Pakistan. I have never seen them or met them, even when I was a minister,ââ¬Â remarked Colonel SK Tressler, who served in President Pervez Musharrafââ¬â¢s first cabinet in 1999. ââ¬ÅI was also surprised to see the report that there were Jews in the government service, also.ââ¬Â Officials who conducted the census could not say whether the Jews had retired, converted, migrated, died, or simply chose to mark themselves in the ââ¬Ëother religionsââ¬â¢ category. reuters
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\01\26\story_26-1-2007_pg7_12