Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rawalpindi (Agenzia Fides) – It is necessary to create a think-tank, which acts as Observatory and Study Center, to monitor the status of Christians in Pakistan, their difficulties and challenges: this is the proposal which emerged during a seminar held past days in Rawalpindi, organized by the Pakistani Christian community abroad. The seminar, entitled "The Challenges of Christians in Pakistan: how to guarantee religious freedom and human rights", was attended by Christian politicians, businessmen, human rights activists, priests and religious leaders from Pakistan and abroad. In the seminar, said Fides sources, what was stressed was that "Pakistani Christians must step out of a self-pity attitude and the 'minority syndrome', and should focus more on unity and formation, trying to be present on the political scene and in 'public administration'. This is why, said Zeeshan Joseph, of the "All Pakistan Christian League" (APCL) the proposal of an Observatory, supported by Pakistani Christians abroad may be very valuable.
According to Pervaiz Rafique, a Christian MP in Pakistan, the faithful today lack a strong political leadership and commit the sin of fragmentation: "We should unite on major national issues: when was the last time 100,000 Christians gathered to make their voices heard ? " he asked.
Joseph Francis, a Pakistani Christian who lives in the United Kingdom, and is the holder of the NGO CLAAS (Centre for Legal Aid, Assistence & Settlement), said: "Religious minorities in Pakistan, such as Christians and Hindus, are victims of constitutional discrimination. They have religious freedom and rights only on paper, not in reality".
To counter this state of affairs, remarked Professor Salamat Akhtar founder of the Christian party "All Pakistan Christian League," it is necessary to "focus on education and on the presence of Christians in services and public administration".
"The Pakistani Christians abroad love their country and want to help the faithful in Pakistan", concluded Cornelius Mohsin, of the "Pakistan Christian Alliance," who came from the United States. "In the first place - he continued - we must demand a census to know the true extent of the Christian communities. Then, we must act on a legislative level: Christians, by concentrating their votes, if a law allowed it, could be able to elect 17-20 parliamentarians, thus becoming significant and having the pleasure of a strong voice in the nation". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 06/02/2012)
