Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
(Agenzia Fides) - Some members of the Christian community in the Walton Road area, in Lahore, have complained to the police a "campaign of forced conversion to Islam" by some local Muslims. The community has received support from the Christian Pentecostal Pastor Anwar Javed, who said that some maulana came knocking at his house for intimidation and threats. The news has been widely commented in the media in Pakistan. According to Fides sources in Lahore, the case is a hoax. "We need to pay attention to the manipulation of religion before justice: it is the same dynamic that occurs in cases of blasphemy" notes Fr. Inayat Bernard, Secretary of the Diocesan Commission for Catechesis and co-editor of the weekly "The Christian View." Fr. Francis Sabir, OFM cap, Catholic parish priest of the church of San Francesco in Walton Road, told Fides a completely different version of the events. The story is linked to areas of the underworld: "Among some Muslims and Christians involved in a matter of gambling, a fight broke out. A Christian, to get out safely, began to raise false allegations of forced conversions. From here, the situation worsened. But religion was trotted out in an entirely instrumental manner." Fr. Francis is now working, along with some Muslim leaders in order to restore calm in the area and ease the tension between the two communities. "Christians and Muslims here have always lived together in peace and harmony and there is no real reason to create confusion and discord," he notes.
The problem of forced conversions in Pakistan is real and has been repeatedly pointed out by Christian and Hindu religious minorities, so the government has set up a special commission to monitor the phenomenon and adopt countermeasures. "But to raise false cases – concludes Fr. Bernard - does not help the minorities." (PA) (Agenzia Fides 05/09/2012)
