Church leaders in Pakistan have criticized their government for showing a “lethargic attitude” toward attacks on religious minorities. The government has, in effect, given free reign to the Taliban, thus encouraging “the imposition of jazia—a tax for being non-Muslim—by militant organizations,” as well as “kidnapping for ransom, target killing and internal displacement,” said a February statement from the Pakistan Catholic Justice and Peace Commission. The statement noted that recent violence against Sikhs, Hindus and Christians poses a “grave threat to the life, liberty and property of the members of religious minorities in the country.” Christians have been harassed in the Swat Valley of the North-West Frontier Province and other areas, it said. “The federal and provincial governments should treat these incidents as an alarm bell and must take stringent measures to control the situation.”
Protection Sought for Minorities in Pakistan
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
Pope Leo I helped to ensure that Catholicism would outlast the Roman Empire. His name is a reminder that our faith rises above contemporary politics and temporal authority.
The Gospel parable of the “wasteful sower” who casts seeds on fertile soil as well as on a rocky path “is an image of the way God loves us,” Pope Leo XIV told 40,000 visitors and pilgrims at his first weekly general audience.
“These proposed changes threaten access to care for millions of Americans, particularly those in underserved areas, where our member systems work every day to provide quality, compassionate care.”
The Archdiocese of Chicago has scheduled a Mass and a special program to celebrate the election and inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, a native son of the Windy City.