ICC Note: 

In the village of Gojra, located in Pakistan’s Punjab province, local Christians and Muslims have banded together to build the village’s first church. Not only are the two communities working together to build the actual structure, both communities are contributing money to see the project compete. This is a rare display of religious harmony in Pakistan which is often marred by extremism and intolerance. If religious tolerance can be achieved at the village level, why can’t it also be achieved at the national level?

6/7/2016 Pakistan (Christians in Pakistan) – Muslims join forces with Christians in a village of Gojra, and help build a church. Together they have managed to erect boundary walls of the church. In a spectacular display of brotherhood, the villagers are constructing first ever church in the village. “Our mosque stands here from times past, but our Christian brothers also have the right to worship in their church,’ says a local Muslim villager Ijaz Farooq.

“We have a place to worship, but, Christians do not have one,” Ijaz Farooq said. In the midst of escalating situation of religious extremism and intolerance in the country, such communities also exist where Christians and Muslims live in harmony.

Locals of the village, which is nigh Gojra, a town in Punjab province. What is more, the Muslim villagers are also contributing in the funds for the construction of the church. Thus far, Christians and Muslims have managed to collect about fifty thousand Pakistani rupees for the construction of the church.

…