Qaiser Felix

Some Muslim extremists warned the Christian community: affirming the divine nature of Christ hurts the feelings of the Muslim community so prayers to the “supposed” son of God should cease immediately.

All-Pakistan Minorities Alliance’s chairman says that if extremism and talibanisation are not stopped, Pakistan might become another Afghanistan.

Protests in Pakistan against the knighthood awarded by the British government to the “apostate” writer have spread to Iran and Malaysia. Islamabad, Tehran and London trade accusations in a diplomatic war of words. There are fears that the affair will be politically exploited like the Muhammad cartoons and the Pope’s Regensburg speech were last year. Pakistani Christians are concerned that the incident might further undermine inter-faith harmony in the country.

Among supporters the Muslim president of Samanabad’s Commercial Union, who admits to having been duped by “instigators” who presented the 84 year old Walter Fazal Khan as a blasphemer. In the meantime, Charsadda Christians appeal for prayers for their frightening situation.

A Party to celebrate the nurses’ work was organized May 12th, for the world day, at St Raphael’s hospital. The 150 health workers, Christian and Muslim, who took part in the festivities, were publicly thanked by Fr Aftab James Paul, director of the diocesan commission for inter-religious dialogue.

A bomb blast in a hotel frequented mostly by Afghans in central Peshawar kills at least 24 people. Analysts think it might be related to the death of mullah Dadullah. Chairman of Bishops’ Conference condemns the attack, calls on government “re-establish law and order” in the country.

The chairman of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops Conference, Mgr Lawrence J. Saldanha, urged the government to restore public order and punish those responsible for the massacre. Human rights activists have slammed the executive: it whipped up the violence to discredit its political adversaries.

Walter Fazal Khan, an 84-year-old man from Lahore, is in jail, accused of burning pages of the Quran. His family says this is a plot orchestrated by some businessmen who did not take kindly to the man’s refusal to sell them his land at their price.

Pakistan’s government sends draft bill tabled by six-party Islamic alliance to standing committee for review. Under the bill’s terms, apostates would be sentenced to death or life in prison. Testimony by two adults is the only independent evidence needed to determine or demonstrate apostasy. Lahore archbishop is praying the bill is never adopted.

A national conference organised in Lahore by the national Justice and Peace Commission has called on the government to guarantee the freedom and independence of the judiciary, to end all discrimination and to reinforce democracy.

Fazal-e-Miran, judge of the Lahore High Court, ordered that the woman be released on bail. Physically weakened, she has not stopped thanking God for the triumph of justice. Activists have called once again for the abolition of the blasphemy law.

On Press Freedom Day journalists remember the censorship, attacks, prison and murder they frequently face in many Asian countries. The ‘democratic’ West is indifferent. China represses its cyber-dissident. The bishop of Lahore speaks out on the issue.