Multan (Fides Service) - In Pakistan, a country caught up in international terror and war against it, the Catholic Church continues painstaking and fruitful work of building peace at grass-root level. "Interfaith dialogue for social harmony and human rights" was the theme of a December 12 Seminar organised by St Dominic's Catholic parish Church in Bahawalpur, Multan diocese, some 500 km south of Islamabad. The aim of the Seminar, attended by some 100 Christians and Muslims, was to promote tolerance and understanding between these two groups of believers. Last year, 2001, on October 28, St Dominic's was the scene of a bloody slaughter when fundamentalist Muslims attacked praying guest Protestant Christians, killing 17. Addressing the participants Bishop Andrew Francis said the October attack failed. "I want to congratulate you. You foiled the desire of the terrorists to create hatred and division and you showed your unity in that difficult time". He said that Christians, Muslims, Hindus and other people in Pakistan, caught in a web of hatred, intolerance and religious fundamentalism, "must sit together to find ways to address the situation and effect a change in our attitudes together".
Among the participants, Farooq-e-Azam, a national assembly member and former federal minister, who highlighted the positive teachings in both Christianity and Islam and promised the government's commitment for inter-religious harmony. "I promise you, the government will address the problems of minorities, especially those of Christians". Since September 2001, terrorists have reportedly killed some 60 Christians. They include victims of attacks on St Dominic's in Bahawalpur, a chapel in Taxila, a Christian school in Murree, and in Karachi the e-Amn-o-Insaf office (ecumenical committee for justice and peace). (Source UCAN Fides Service 20/12/2002)