[Episcopal News Service]
On a pastoral visit to Pakistan, a delegation from the World Council of Churches listened to chilling stories describing the recent spate of violence against Christians in that heavily Islamic nation. The delegation visited Karachi and Lahore to express solidarity with the frightened Christian community and meet with church leaders, lawyers, leaders of the non-governmental and Islamic organizations, politicians, as well as victims of the violence.
A former officer of Pakistan's air force described a recent attack on the offices of a Christian institution in Karachi as 'an extreme kind of terrorism never witnessed before--an execution carried out by professionals.' Seven young Christian workers were killed.
The overall message the delegation heard was that Pakistan is going through a grave crisis. Feudalism, corrupt politics and repeated military interventions in civil and political life have destroyed democratic institutions and systems of governance. According to members of Pakistan's human rights commission, injustice, poverty, illiteracy and rapid population growth are preventing progress and development. These factors are responsible for the current climate of religious intolerance, hatred and sectarian strife in which human rights violations by both the state and private sector are rampant.
Others pointed out that corrupt and inefficient law enforcement, a complacent judicial system, and lack of accountability have encouraged a climate of violence and impunity. What some observers called a 'military tyranny' is driving Pakistan towards further divisions, while the government's preoccupation with military and political matters leaves it little time to address the concerns of ordinary people. Christians, as well as other minorities, are trapped in this situation and subject to discrimination and attacks.
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