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Pray for Pakistani Christians

The All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) Chief, Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti, has appealed to Christians across the globe to devote year 2008 to pray for Pakistan and Pakistani Christians. “I appeal to the Christians across the world to pray for Pakistan since the country has become a hub of extremism and terrorism. Please pray that peace and harmony prevails in the country,” said Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti while talking to ANS on the eve of the New Year. Pakistani Christians are being persecuted and victimized on the basis of an erroneous notion that they are “Friends of the West” because of the commonality of faith,” he pointed out. He claimed that the hard-line Islamists had propagated this concept over the years to justify their maltreatment and discrimination of Pakistani Christians. He cited attacks on Churches and other atrocities committed against Christians in the past to underline the magnitude of harm the misconception was doing to the Christians of Pakistan. Mr. Bhatti maintained that since Pakistani Christians had not immigrated to Pakistan from some other country so they should not be treated any lesser than Pakistani Muslims. “I am proud to be a Pakistani,” he remarked. He admitted that Pakistani Christians were enjoying some measure of religious freedom in Pakistan however ; he insisted that the religious minorities were only allowed “controlled religious freedom.” “We can go to Churches to pray but we cannot conduct prayers in all places. We cannot profess and propagate our religion with absolute freedom,” said Shahbaz, implying the degree of religious freedom Muslim clerics and Muslims enjoy in Pakistan. He demanded that Pakistani minorities including Christians be given equal status, equal rights and equal treatment. He regretted that being the “lowest of the low,” Pakistani Christians were being discriminated against in all walks of life due to their faith. Questioning the provision of a religion column in every employment form Mr. Bhatti described it as a pattern of “systemic discrimination with Pakistani religious minorities.” Replying a question he said that ensuring equal treatment and equal rights topped APMA agenda. Dubbing abolition of Pakistan controversial blasphemy law as “an agenda of his life,” he said the APMA would continue to strive until the law was rescinded. Bhatti said that several people belonging to religious minorities had lost their lives at the hands of this law. He also lamented at the extra-judicial killings of the people accused of blasphemy. Asked how Pakistani Christians in particular had benefited from the formation of the religious grouping that he heads, Mr. Bhatti said that before the APMA’s inception the Pakistani Christians were not united. He claimed that the formation of the APMA had helped Christians forge unity in their ranks and raise their voice collectively from a single platform. “They are ready to stand up for their rights. They feel they are no longer voiceless. They have ceased to stay as silent spectators in the face of injustices and discrimination,” he claimed. Mr. Bhatti said that he would not mind giving his life for the cause of Pakistani religious minorities, if need be. “I want to prove that I am a follower of Christ who laid down his life for the salvation of people”. Asked if he perceived any threat of diversion of violence and unrest that followed the assassination of Ms. Bhutto toward Pakistani Christians, he said that if the government did not unmask Bhutto’s killers then some anti-state elements could also make the outraged people direct their anger against Pakistani Christians. He feared that he could be killed at any time, but pledged to continue fighting for the cause of religious minorities in the country. Condemning Ms. Bhutto’s assassination, he said if Ms. Bhutto “could be killed for campaigning for liberalization and democracy in Pakistan” then “my campaign for the rights of religious minorities of Pakistan must have made more enemies. He added, “Ms. Bhutto’s killing has proved that nobody is safe anymore.” He alleged that he had received several threatening messages in 2007, vowing that he would prefer embracing martyrdom than backing out on his commitment to raise the voice of the oppressed people of Pakistan. Referring to the slain PPP Chief, he said her killing left him perturbed. In the wake of the tragic incident, he said many questions arose in his mind about the future of Pakistan. When asked how he saw year 2008 for Pakistani Christians and other religious minorities in the country, Mr. Bhatti painted a gloomy picture. “Minorities will have to confront bigger challenges,” he said. “There will be a surge in violence and threats. I don’t think year 2008 bodes well for Pakistani religious minorities.” The hardships cannot do any dent to our determination, he affirmed. Asked why the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) wanted the January 8 polls to be delayed when the PPP wants them to go on as scheduled, he said the fear of being trounced in the elections was making them insist on the demand. “They want to buy time,” he alleged. He said that the PPP’s popularity graph among the masses had “spiraled” after Ms. Bhutto’s assassination. He hoped that the PPP would do even better in the upcoming polls due to the wave of sympathy that has been generated in the hearts of the people of Pakistan after the merciless killing of Ms. Bhutto. When asked how confident he was of striking Ms. Bhutto-like rapport with her spouse, Asif Ali Zardari, he said he was hopeful of developing good coordination with him, but remarked that the APMA was an independent grouping. “We bank on our struggle,” he said. “We’ll develop good ties with Asif Ali Zardari to help raise minorities’ voice more effectively.” He expressed his optimism that Mr. Zardari would be supportive of the PPP-APMA relationship as the late Benazir had developed it. Mr. Zardari will be leading the party while Benazir’s successor, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari finishes his education at Oxford.

14.01.2008. 22:47

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Prayer for All the Deceased
By Thy resurrection from the dead, O Christ, death no longer hath dominion over those who die in holiness. So, we beseech Thee, give rest to Thy servants in Thy sanctuary and in Abraham's bosom. Grant it to those, who from Adam until now have adored Thee with purity, to our fathers and brothers, to our kinsmen and friends, to all men who have lived by faith and passed on their road to Thee, by a thousand ways, and in all conditions, and make them worthy of the heavenly kingdom.
Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen. |Letter of St. James|

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