Religious discrimination in Karachi

The residents of a new building in Clifton (Macchiara Residency) put up a notice that non-Muslims would not be allowed to buy or rent apartments in it. The residents (undoubtedly those belonging to my ethnic group, the Memons) were astonished when there was an uproar in the social media. They hastily removed the notice when media personnel came over to interview them. Apparently they didn't know that it is a crime to prevent those of other religious or ethnic groups buying or renting property in their premises.

It's like what happens in India all the time, where Muslims like Shabana Azmi were not able to buy a house in Mumbai because of their religion. In fact, some Indians don't like having even Hindu non-vegetarians as their neighbors.

There are buildings in Karachi where only the followers of the Aga Khan and Bohras are allowed to live (of course it is not a written rule, but brokers have been told about it). So when the Memons decided to follow suit, they thought it wouldn't be noticed. 

Years ago, a neighbor's son came to me and said he wanted to rent out his flat in Amber Tower. He said he would not allow a Shia to live in his flat, although there were already a couple of Shia families in the building (in fact, when I sold my flat, it was a Shia who bought it). Until that time I didn't know that Sunnis hated Shias so much.

In the building I live in now, there are all kinds of people, not only Shias, but even Hindus and Christians. This was never a serious matter, and in one Bohri locality (Shabbirabad) they had to waive the rule of not allowing non-Bohris living there, so now many Memons have moved into some bungalows there.

It's a pity, this practice of discrimination on the basis of religion. Some of the best people I've known have been non-Muslims. Perhaps one day we'll see our people treating minorities as one of their own.