From AP: "Christians protest demolition of church by factory management in Pakistan"
MULTAN, Pakistan - About 150 Christians on Friday protested the demolition of their church by the management of a fertilizer factory in eastern Pakistan, a priest and police said.
The church - located on land owned by the recently privatized Pak Arab Fertilizers Limited - was demolished late Thursday in the city of Multan to allow the company to expand its factory next door, said Umair Ahmed, a company spokesman.
"It was not done because of any religious motive,” he said, adding they had given advance notice to the Christians to vacate the church.
No dialogue, apparently. Just orders to get out.
Mukhtiar Faisal, who purchased the factory last year, was not immediately available for comment.
However, Yaqoob Masih, the priest of the church, condemned the factory management for bulldozing their place of worship, and urged President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to take action.
Masih said a mosque located near their church had not been harmed.
"We begged them not to do it but they demolished our church,” he told the protesters at the rally in Multan, city in eastern Punjab province.
He said the factory management was now offering them money as compensation, but they had turned down the offer.
"We don’t need money. We only need our church.”
Sharif Zafar, an area police chief, confirmed that incident, but said the factory management was still holding talks with the angry Christians to resolve the issue.
Christians make up about 3 percent of Pakistan’s predominantly Muslim population of more than 150 million and generally live peacefully with the Muslim majority.
Islam means Peace. Or Tolerance? Love and Understanding?
Or did I miss something?
This factory isn't going to manufacture, by chance, Ammonium Nitrate?
Re: "It was not done because of any religious motive,”
What a lie! Anti-Christian sentiment runs deep in Pakistan. There have been many attacks upon Christians and Christian worship buidings in Pakistan.
In the Province of Sindh, more than 500 Muslims destroyed the 120-year old St Mary’s Catholic church and St. Saviour’s church of the Church of Pakistan.
Read about it here:
http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=5531
The CIA world factbook puts all non-Muslim religions at 3%. This must be split between the relict Hindu and well as Christian populations. I am sure there is a quiet wellspring of people who would love to convert out of Islam. If only our leaders understood the power of this and would stand, rather than for adventures like invading Iraq, for rights for religious dissidents. Making Muslims look stupid for their intolerace is a good start. Instead of bowing to the Paki MFN status, we should pick a particular outrage like this and trumpet it as a barrier to normal relations. Islam, like all bullies, will be cowed when directly confronted. If confronted consistently it will wither like the dead thing that it is.
I'm curious: what would happen if, with the tacit acceptance or approval of the authorities, a mosque was attacked or destroyed in the Western world? Would the ummah response with letters expressing sorrow and friendship with the West, or hatred and threats?
Prophet Geoff
Well, its apperently OK to tear down other religion's place of worship because in the mind of general muslims, its a dirty place & they pray to statues.
It happens once in 3 weeks in malaysia too. In this case, a Temple close to 100 years demolished to build a sidewalk. See Google: Temple Demolish Bandar Sunway.
I mean, their fundemental teachings has already branded us the non muslims as traitors to god & therefore we dont deserve anything.
Churches in the west are being looted & vandalised often & the clerics do nothing. It happened in hios back yard & he didnt care.
But they cared soo much for the palestanians & lebanese. How are they to care for those thousands of miles away when they cant even make simple decision over a place of worship.
Messed up mind. They need to be unislamised if they dong understand islam the peaceful way.
"...and generally live peacefully with the Muslim majority."
Oh, I'm so relieved that those Christians aren't attacking the Muslims.
"...and generally live peacefully with the Muslim majority."
This is 100% true. Unfortunately, the Muslim majority refuses to live peacefully with anyone.
Non-muslims have no guaranteed rights ANYwhere in the Islamic "world" (read:hell. Christians who live in Mohammaden societies must do so under some constraint such as economics, or maybe simply because they can't bear to leave the homeland the Saracens stole from them. They deserve our prayers and support.
When we go to our temples or churches or synagogues to pray let's not take them for granted, but cherish them - and cherish the countries that guarantee us (and the muslims) freedom.
If our societies took an objective and fearless reading of the quran, it would appear to be what it is: a handbook for treachery, murder, perversion and sedition.
Now just imagine the commotiojn it would cause if amosque was razed to make way for a factory, shopping centre, or better still, boarding kennels.
They can be like their fellow Pakistani Christian refugee, Daniel Scot - and come to Australia.........
to be persecuted by Muslims here!
Such a peace loving religion. Maybe the Muslims should have a calling card..
"we seek infidels here, we rape you there, we kill you, KILL YOU everywhere"