Islamic Tolerance Alert: "Priest: Pakistan Short on Religious Freedom," from Zenit (thanks to John):
LAHORE, Pakistan, AUG. 21, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Christians in Pakistan still face persecution for their faith, despite the Pakistani founding father's dream of religious freedom, said Father Emmanuel Asi....Father Asi, the chairman of the Theological Institute for Laity in Lahore and secretary of the Catholic Bible Commission of Pakistan, spoke with the group Aid to the Church in Need on that day.
Christians make up only 1.5% of the 167 million Pakistanis. According to Father Asi, they are often treated as second-class citizens, denied basic human rights and victimized by social discrimination and political oppression.
Father Asi contended that the vision of Ali Jinnah, the "father of the Pakistani nation" has been "darkened." Jinnah dreamed of a country in which all citizens were equal and, regardless of their religious faith, lived above all as free Pakistani citizens, the priest stated.
In reality, Father Asi said, religiously motivated aggression can "at any time" bring about "every imaginable kind of problem" for Christians.
"According to Father Asi, they are often treated as second-class citizens, denied basic human rights and victimized by social discrimination and political oppression"
....the man is telling you from first hand experience.....this is what you must expect for yourself if you keep conceding to every Muslim demand (footbaths, prayer time on the jobsite and in campuses, cabbies being selective on passengers allowed, special menues in school cafeterias, mandatory participation by school children in wearing of Muslim clothes...being require to recite Qur'anic passages...eating Muslim food...special doctors, separate swimming areas in pools and on beaches, granting of mosque building permits on demand, the elimination of other religions symbols, icons, and texts...and so on and so on)....much of this is part of the "slow Jihad"...you know inch by inch....the confiscation of NonMuslim lands by Muslims continues until all NonMUslims are either evicted, converted, or killed off....
listen to those who know, listen to those who have been there...
believe the witnesses..
and Ban Muslim Immigration...
Father Asi probably got a sympathetic hearing from representatives of Aid to the Church in Need. Some of the other Catholic organizations 'hear no evil, see no evil' and seem, at times, more willing to help Muslims than fellow believers. Fr. Asi's comments also bring to mind a question: Even as laws and institutions are against religious minorities in Muslim countries, what of the everyday Muslim neighbor or co-worker? What is his or her attitude towards the non-Muslims living next door or working at the next desk? How deep does the bias and hatred go? It would be interesting to get some feedback from non-Muslims living in Muslim countries.
Latest Message to United States citizen jihad watchers:
We are at the beginning of the ninth day of posting this request at Jihad Watch, and we are up to 52 volunteers in 28 states.
I'm looking for at least two people in every state of the Union who would be willing to purchase a copy of Robert Spencer's Religion of Peace? Why Christianity Is and Islam Isn't and mail it to one of the senators in your state. I'm organizing an effort to get the book simultaneously to all 100 senators, in order to send a strong message.
If we get more than two people per state, books can also be sent to the House of Representatives.
If you’d like to be involved, please write to me at traehnam@yahoo.com under the subject heading “Senate,” and tell me the state your senator represents, an email address where I can reach you, and a nickname. No need for your real name. And I will never share your email address with anyone, not even with other volunteers for this project.
And visit www.jihadawareness.blogspot.com to get more info on this project and to leave comments other volunteers can read. You can also see there the growing list of participants in this project, and the states their senators represent. I’ll try to update the list at least once a day. I've also designed a graphic that might amuse. Scroll down when you get to the site.
Once we have at least two people from every state, we can agree on a mailing date and then each of us can mail a copy of the book on that date.
Right before each of us mails the book, we can issue a press release to various media outlets in every state, and in that way announce and explain the mailing. And perhaps we can come up with some other ways of maximizing the effectiveness of this project and gaining as much positive attention as possible.
One of the project's volunteers suggested contacting Rep. Sue Myrick, who started the anti-Jihad caucus in Congress. I'll try to coordinate this project with Rep. Myrick to maximize its effectiveness. I've also been calling various congressional offices to get advice on how best to go about this. And I'll soon contact Regnery, Robert Spencer's publisher, to ask their advice and to see if we can coordinate with them in some way.
Am I the only one surprised at the deafening silence of all the sanctimonious human rights activists? They raise a hue and cry at every whiff of alleged misconduct by the US and its Allies, no matter how dubious the source. But when the human rights of Christians are palpably and veritably trampled upon, they suddenly fall silent. They simply don't care. Just like they don't care about the true welfare of the Iraqis or the Afghanis. They're not in it for the lofty principles, they're in it for a political agenda which is decidedly anti-West and use these lofty principles as a convenient veneer.
But actually their silence sort of makes sense. They try to oppress the Judeo-Christian tradition at home, why oppose such oppression when it takes place abroad?
Check out my blog where I debate a leftie about the detainment of illegal combatants: http://blogger-heads.blogspot.com/
Liron
Trying to bring light into darkness can sometimes get you burned.
Fatwa Alert: Not Permissible to Donate Organs to Apostates....
http://www.weaselzippers.net/blog/2007/08/fatwa-alert-not.html
Tolerance of the religion of peace
At the school where my daughter works there are 2 fundraisers. One is the Pepperoni Club (pizza sales) and the other is a sales contest with a "pig race" for the grand prize. Battery powered pigs are given to each class, and take a guess regarding which students cannot even TOUCH this toy pig.
Incredible. And take another guess which students aren't participating. Guess which parents are protesting the free pizza lunch day because there will be "pork in the classroom."
I'm sure this priest in Pakistan has it much worse, and that is where we are headed.
Maryrose, to answer your question. i have never lived in a muslim majority country but while living in india, you do get exposed to muslim majorities in different areas.I have arelativ ewho does live in a muslim majority town and he resembles a muslm in dress and look. he greets muslims neighbors with the usual salaam maleikum. he is careful not to arouse thier islamic passions by keeping a low profile about himself and his religion. and mind you this in india which has a hindu majority.
In muslim majority countries you are a second class citizen and human being. you can never forget that, you must keep your mouth shut about your religion and you must never critize muhammed and islam. have you ever been treated like a second class citizen? perhaprs for an hour or one day? perhaps you did something wrong which was your fault and your manager/wife/superviser made sure you knew it. well in muslim countries you will feel like this every single day until you get used to the abuse. the only time you don't feel like a second class citizen is when they think you are one of them.
Yep,anytime they said that! To us too! Anytime....
"In reality, Father Asi said, religiously motivated aggression can 'at any time' bring about 'every imaginable kind of problem' for Christians."
Add 'Jews' or 'Zoroastrians' or 'Hindus' or 'Buddhists' to 'Christians' in that statement, and you've got a perfect description of what life was REALLY like for dhimmis - for non-Muslim minorities under Muslim domination - everywhere within the Empire of Islam, from the beginning unto the present day.