ICC Note: Pakistani Catholics observed a day of prayer and mourning for victims of religious intolerance last Sunday, April 29. This comes weeks after a series of attacks effecting Christians in Quetta, Pakistan. On April 2, four Christians were killed while riding in an auto-rickshaw by ISIS gunmen. On April 15, ISIS gunmen again attacked Christians and killed two in a drive-by shooting.

05/01/2018 Pakistan (Vatican News) – Pakistani Catholics across the country observed a day of prayers and mourning on Sunday April 29 for victims of religious intolerance and violence in the predominantly Muslim nation.

In Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, over a thousand Catholic had gathered at the Sacred Heart Cathedral for Holy Mass and to hear Father Inayat Bernard talk the contribution of Christians in the formation and development of Pakistan but who were slowly being pushed against the wall.

The priest expressed the concern of the Catholic community regarding the country’s controversial blasphemy laws following the first mob attack against Christians of Shanti Nagar village in 1997.

Pointing to a banner on the altar featuring Asia Bibi and three other recent victims of the blasphemy laws, Fr. Bernard said there is a long list of innocent Christians who have suffered due to their faith.

Similar prayer services were held in all Catholic Churches across the Islamic republic in response to a call by Archbishop Joseph Arshad, chairman of the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops Conference (PCBC) who urged Christians to observe April 29 as day of mourning for all the victims of religious intolerance and day of prayer for peace in Pakistan.

“Over the past few months we have witnessed an alarming increase in violent incidents of intolerance and extremism in our country,” stated the commission in a statement issued April 25.

The Commission expressed deep concern about the new “wave of targeting minorities due to their faith.”  “These attacks on minorities are not acceptable and the state must seriously revisit the national action plan to address the issue of extremism and terrorism in the country,” the NCJP said.

…

For interviews with William Stark, ICC’s Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: [email protected]