In a horrible spree of violence, 16 Pakistani Christians were gunned down as they worshipped at St. Dominic's church in Bhawalpur, Pakistan on Sunday, October 28, 2007.
One police officer was among those
In a horrible spree of violence, 16 Pakistani Christians were gunned down as they worshipped at St. Dominic's church in Bhawalpur, Pakistan on Sunday, October 28, 2007.
One police officer was among those killed trying to defend the Christians, who make up less than three percent of the population in Pakistan. In recent years, the city has been the scene of violence between Sunnis and Shias. Now this violence has spread to other communities.
This horrific attack did not come in a vacuum though. Christian groups in Pakistan had been warning authorities that they were facing various kinds of harassment since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the subsequent American bombing of Afghanistan, which began at the beginning of October.
Meanwhile, in Nigeria, tribal unrest has left hundreds dead in a spate of violence that follows Muslim-Christian riots in the area.
Such harassment and violence do not behoove the followers of the Prophet Mohamed (peace and blessings be upon him), who emphasized the importance of protecting and respecting minorities in the Muslim state. The constitution he drafted in Madinah, following his Hijrah there, was unique in that it clearly established the rights and obligations of all parties living in the city, in particular, Jews and Christians.
Under this Madinan constitution, Christians, like other religious groups, had the right to not only protection from the Muslim government, but also freely practice their religion without harassment or violence of any kind.
This example of tolerance, respect and openness did not end with the Prophet's death though. When Umar ibn al-Khattab was Khalifah, he returned tax money collected from Christians in a town in modern day Iraq after he and the Muslims had to leave it. The taxes had been collected to ensure Muslim protection of the Christians living there. Since the Muslims could no longer do that, they returned the money.
Given these and many other examples from Islamic history, it must be emphasized that there is no place in any Muslim state for the kind of violence and bloodshed represented by the killing spree of October 28. The Muslim government as well as the Muslims of a given Islamic state are obliged to protect and respect Christians and their institutions as a protected minority.
Now is the time for not just condemnation, but also comfort and reassurance in the face of this tragedy. We must not forget the tremendous support American Christians expressed for Muslims in the wake of September 11 and the subsequent harassment of Muslims. It is now our turn to reach out.
What you can do about this if you live in Pakistan
- Visit a church in your city and offer your condolences and sympathy for the attack in Pakistan. If it is closed, leave a note or a card expressing your regret for the incident and a way church officials can contact you.
- If you know an Imam, tell him to give his next Friday Khutbah about the first Hijra of Muslims to a Christ