Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lahore (Fides Service) - Put an end to persecution of religious minorities especially Christians: protect freedom of religion and worship; protect members of all religious communities: these requests were contained in an appeal made by the Lahore based Commission for Peace and Human Development in Pakistan chaired by Anthony Waseem, human rights activist and intellectual.
The appeal comes after yet another recent attack on Christians in Pakistan. A young Protestant Christian Shahbaz Masish was tortured and killed in an episode which strongly resembled religious intolerance. About a month ago some work colleagues told the young man he should become a Muslim. When he refused they threatened to kill him. On April 23 two of his colleagues Quban and Afzal called him for a job which was in fact a trap. When he arrived they tortured him making his lose consciousness and then killed him.
The Commission has called on the Pakistan government to bring the criminals to justice. “Measures must be taken to stop this sort of hateful action”, the commission says calling on the police, often too acquiescent to change its attitude. “Religious discrimination must be eliminated at all levels”, the Commission said.
The Commission for Peace and Human Development in Pakistan is a Human Rights NGO comprising Christians and Muslims. It works to promote respect for the rights of individuals and minority groups, Muslims and Christians. It often works with the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
Waseem says that to uproot intolerance from Pakistan society it is necessary to rebuild peace and reconciliation starting at grass root level through the mobilisation of a network of organisations, movements and groups. The director also stressed the need to promote moderate attitudes among the people to country the threat of terrorism and religious intolerance
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 2/5/2005 righe 26 parole 267)
