ASIA/PAKISTAN – PAKISTAN’S LARGEST MOSQUE WELCOMES FIRST CHRISTIAN DELEGATION BEARING MESSAGE OF PEACE FOR 3,000 WORSHIPPERS INCLUDING 100 ULEMAS

Monday, 2 February 2004

Lahore (Fides Service) – For the first time ever, Badshahi mosque in Lahore, the largest in Pakistan, welcomed a delegations of Christians to its Friday worshipping service. Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha, Archbishop of Lahore and President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Pakistan told Fides. The 17th century mosque has a square which can hold more than 100,000 worshippers.
On Friday January 16, the delegation, led by Dominican Father James Channan, was welcomed to the mosque by grand imam Muhammad Abdul Qadir Azad. Father Channan is involved in interreligious dialogue and a consultor of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.
Addressing the assembly before the prayers began, Father Channan delivered a message of peace to more than 3,000 Muslims including 100 scholars Ulemas. For their part the Ulemas recalled that in the 7th century Mohammed gave Christians permission to pray at a mosque in Medina, in what today is Saudi Arabia. Father Channan based his address on the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the peace-makers, they will be called chidden of God”.
The event was seen by all as an important step in interreligious relations and dialogue. Archbishop Saldanha told Fides: “The event was important for interreligious contact: we support and encourage every sort of activity which can improve relations with our Muslim brothers and sisters. At the moment in Pakistan interreligious dialogue is at a very positive stage. We have had several recent meetings, also during the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Moreover the climate of peace talks with India also helps to relieve tension. Our aim is to build bridges”.
Several leading Muslims who witnessed the visit of the Christian delegation to Lahore Mosque said that Pope John Paul II broke the ice in 2000 when he made his history making visit to a Mosque in Damascus. For many Ulemas the recent event was a milestone on the journey of Muslim-Christian dialogue in Pakistan and an example for believers of all faiths and religions.
(PA) (Fides Service 2/2/2004 lines 29 words 344)


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