ASIA/PAKISTAN - Muslims and Christians join in prayer for the victims of London bomb blasts: Fides spoke with the Catholic Bishop of Multan

Friday, 8 July 2005

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Multan (Fides Service) - “This is a tragedy for humanity. This morning in Multan we prayed for the dead and the injured and their families and I offered mass for them. Christian and Muslims here are still shaker by the events. I immediately contacted local leading Muslims and we met to pray for the victims and the people of Great Britain . They too deplore this violence and said if it bears the mark of Islam it betrays the very essence of this religion”, said Bishop Andrew Francis of Multan in Pakistan an active promoter of dialogue between Christians and Muslims. The Bishop told Fides that when the tragedy happened he was making a pastoral visit in his diocese. Only on returning to Multan did he learn of the deadly attacks carried out in central London.
“I am deeply committed to promoting Christian- Muslim dialogue and I sincerely hope these attacks will not have negative repercussions feeding prejudice, diffidence and hatred. In Pakistan we work hard to build interreligious harmony and social peace and our work is undermined when there is international tension” the Bishop told Fides.
“But these cruel crimes only strengthen our resolve to continue along the path of dialogue, as we were taught by our beloved John Paul II who held his hand out to the Muslim world teaching us to look at Muslim believers with respect and hope” the Bishop continued. He then launched an appeal to the Pakistani community in Britain: “We ask you to keep the law of the land, to help build peace, not to foment hatred but rather teach your children the common values of respect for people, the society and the nation in which you live”.
“We live in times of great social and religious change in Europe and elsewhere in the world -. Bishop Francis concluded - and as Christians our task is to be as faithful as possible to the Gospel and to work hard to build reconciliation and harmony among peoples. Here in Pakistan we strive for this as best we can”.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 8/7/2005 righe 25 parole 256)