LAHORE, Pakistan, Oct. 31 — In the wake of the October 28th massacre of Christians as they worshipped at a church in Bahawalpur, the Rt Rev Alexander John Malik, an Anglican Bishop of Pakistan has urged Christians to remain calm, show patience and "respond in a Christ-like way"...
Anglicans Massacred
The attack took place on the Anglican congregation which regularly meet in St Dominic's Roman Catholic Church. The killings left at least 16 people dead. Fifteen worshippers, including six children and the parish priest, were killed inside the church. A Muslim guard on duty outside was killed as he tried to protect them.
Some 33 others were injured, five seriously. While no one has claimed responsibility, suspicion has fallen on a banned Islamic extremist group Sipah-i-Sahabah.
AP Photo/Jerome Delay
Pakistani Christian children look out the
window during mass at the Sacred Heart
Church in Baluchistan's province capital
Quetta, Pakistan on Sunday Sept. 30th.
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"No religion allows such acts," said Bishop Malik, "especially against a peace-loving and worshipping community -- don't let the extremists and enemies of Pakistan fulfill their nefarious designs," he said.
Bishop Malik also appealed to the government of Pakistan to arrest the culprits quickly and to provide security and protection to the Christian community.
Threats against Christians have increased since the bombing campaign began in Afghanistan on October 7th. Church leaders in Bahawalpur had asked the police for extra protection only days before the attack at the church.
"This trauma has created a wave of distress among the Christian community and they feel very insecure" said Anthony Lamuel, the General Secretary of the Pakistan Bible Society.
He added that attacks on religious minorities in Pakistan are not new. However, that Sunday's attack was the first time in the country's history that Christians had been killed at a Sunday service.
Editor's Footnote: Last year, world-wide, 167,000 Christians were killed because of their religious beliefs. (Source, Annual Statistical Table on Global Mission: 2001, by David B. Barrett and Todd M. Johnson, 25:24-25, page 24.)
Source: United Bible Societies
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