It is no coincidence that this trend comes at the same time as pressure increases to enforce Islamic law, aided by the safe haven jihadists have in much of the country. This article speaks of "Talibanization" as if it were an irresistible force of nature, overlooking the ideological conditions that have made it possible for conditions to deteriorate so quickly for Pakistani Christians. In other words, the Taliban didn't invent the subjugation of unbelievers; rather, they have intensified its enforcement. "Muslim threats to Christians rise in Pakistan," by Anjum Herald Gill for the Washington Times, October 4 (thanks to Sr. Soph):
LAHORE, Pakistan | Christians in Pakistan are feeling increasingly insecure after several violent attacks by Muslim extremists in the past two months.
In one case, eight Christians were burned to death by a Muslim mob after reports that the Muslim holy book, the Koran, had been desecrated.
Growing Talibanization of the country and a blasphemy law in place for two decades make non-Muslims, especially Christians, easy targets for discrimination and attacks, Christian and human rights activists say.
"The attacks on Christians seem to be symptomatic of a well-organized campaign launched by extremist elements against the Christian community all over central Punjab since early this year," Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Chairwoman Asma Jehangir said at a press conference last month.
The situation has become so serious that Pope Benedict XVI and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari discussed it during a meeting Thursday at the papal summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, the Associated Press reported.
The Vatican said the two stressed "the need to overcome all forms of discrimination based on religious affiliation, with the aim of promoting respect for the rights of all." ...
That will face resistance within Pakistan and the rest of the Muslim world based on Islamic law, which calls for the subjugation of unbelievers (Qur'an 9:29).
The Washington Times at least has a foothold in the mainstream, so it's heartening to see them use the M word more than once, in contexts outrageously brutal (the "eight Christians burned to death by a Muslim mob"); though this is leavened somewhat by the description of the ultimate cause as "a well-organized campaign launched by extremist elements against the Christian community" -- with the implicit assumption that ordinary grassroots Muslims in the region are like animals who can be whipped up and fomented by a tiny minority, but with that assumption all too vulnerable to explanatory contextualizations, such as "poverty" and "desperation" and "culture", by which all blame would be shifted to impersonal forces at best, or to the ethical faults and blunders of the West in its perennial "meddling" in the region at worst, disturbing the precious ecosystem of those lovely National Geographic natives and thus causing them to have no choice but to run amok in rampages, as lovely zebra, giraffes or herds of gembok might do when their environments have been disturbed by the evil globalist intrusion of Western greed.
You're not just being accurate here, Hesperado, but humorous. Refreshing, since a retention of a sense of humor in the face of the absurdities of life (like Islam) helps keep us sane. My compliments.
"In other words, the Taliban didn't invent the subjugation of unbelievers; rather, they have intensified its enforcement"
in my enchanting Gregorian chant voice....AAAAAAAMMMen
OH yes we have all been misunderstanding Islam very much .... see here listen up this Saudi Woman who lives in Pakistan explains it all. This sort of goes like an Orc wife (Orcstress?) explaining why the Orc kingdom isn't a perfect state. Like the Orc super state Saudi Orcia. I love the part where she thinks up like 5 women that do stuff other than breed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEnL3Suw0n4
I'm sure she is disappointed there are even Christians, or Hinus left to burn in Pakistan.
eight Christians were burned to death by a Muslim mob after reports that the Muslim holy book, the Koran, had been desecrated. well its time for Christians to protest every time a bible is tossed in the garbage by the religion police in saudi arabia or coptics are attacked by muslims
Thanks Wellington, I was too busy being depressed and infuriated while writing that to notice my own humor!
LAHORE, Pakistan | Christians in Pakistan are feeling increasingly insecure after several violent attacks by Muslim extremists in the past two months.
................
You could say similar things about Hindus in Pakistan. It's especially bad in Pakistan, but this is hardly the only place where this is happening.
There is increasing pressure on Coptic Christians in Egypt, on Christians and animists in Sudan and Nigeria and Kenya, on apostates from Islam in Afghanistan, on Christians in Iraq, on Buddhists in southern Thailand, on non-Muslim Han Chinese in Western China, on Christians and Hindus in Indonesia, on Christians in the "Palestinian territories"--especially Gaza, on Catholic and Orthodox Christians in Bosnia and Kosovo, on the few remaining Armenian Christians in Turkey, on the few remaining Jews in Yemen.
Everywhere Islam in feeling renewed and turning more fundamentalist--which is virtually everywhere, these days--Infidels will suffer more and more.
Things are still piecemeal in the aggression by Muslims against Christians and atheists in the West, but if we want to see the path it will take--if we let it--the map is easily read in examples from all over the world.
As a rule, the larger percentage of the population that becomes Muslim, the greater persecution of Infidels, and the more brazen the violence. Eventually, it is undertaken with full tacit complicity from the police and the government.
This is the situation in Pakistan, the enormous quantity of "foreign aid" they receive from the West notwithstanding.
The Vatican said the two stressed "the need to overcome all forms of discrimination based on religious affiliation, with the aim of promoting respect for the rights of all." ...
Oct 1st, 2009
Violence against Christians in Pakistan reached new heights over the summer when 10 Catholics were killed in rioting in the Punjab province. The deaths came when a Muslim mob vandalized and looted 113 Christian houses and damaged four Protestant churches.
Strict blasphemy laws in Pakistan make insulting the Quran, the sacred book of Islam, an offense punishable by life imprisonment, while conviction on a charge of insulting the Prophet Mohammed brings an automatic death sentence.
Church leaders have said the laws are being abused for personal gain and to stoke sectarian hatred.
IN OTHER NEWS...
Christians and Muslims:
Together in overcoming poverty
MESSAGE FOR THE END OF RAMADAN
Dear Muslim Friends,
1. On the occasion of your feast which concludes the month of Ramadan, I would like to extend my best wishes for peace and joy to you and, through this Message, propose this theme for our reflection: Christians and Muslims: Together in overcoming poverty.[They seem to think that Ramadan is kind of like Christmas and Easter is for us...what dhimmis!]
2. This Message of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue has become a tradition cherished by us all, which is looked forward to each year and this is certainly a cause for joy[Really? What joy at Ramadan?]. It has become, over the years, an occasion of cordial encounter in many countries between many Christians and Muslims. It often addresses a matter of shared concern, making it therefore conducive to a confident and open exchange. Are not all these elements immediately perceived as signs of friendship among us for which we should thank God?
Blah! Blah! Blah!...
Strict blasphemy laws in Pakistan make insulting the Quran, the sacred book of Islam, an offense punishable by life imprisonment, while conviction on a charge of insulting the Prophet Mohammed brings an automatic death sentence.
i guess i had better stay out of packistan as i have no qualms at insulting the pervert Prophet Mohammed or that fake copy of the bible the quran
While the US administration is busy rewarding Pakistan for doing nothing aboutt Al-Qaeda and Taliban, except surreptitiously training, arming and guiding them, perhaps the Vatican should lose no time in announcing its own billion dollar aid package to Pakistan for countering the anti-Christian Muslim mobs.
All such generous packages ought henceforth be called "Pakistan Peanuts", given the feeling of overwhelming gratitude conveyed by Pakistan.