Pakistani bishops urge government: Punish those who kill Christians
March 24, 2010
Lamenting the deaths of two Christians who were burned alive, the bishops of Pakistan are urging authorities to punish those who commit violence against Christians.
“We condemn the recent incidents and violence against Christians,” said Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore, president of the Pakistani Bishops' Conference. “We ask the government for justice and legality, so that such acts do not go unpunished. We demand that the rights of Christians are respected, as they should be for all other citizens.”
Archbishop Saldanha praised President Asif Ali Zardari’s decision to set up a hotline for religious minorities to report violent persecution to his office. “We support it strongly,” he said. “It is often difficult for Christians to have contact with the authorities, and this could be an effective instrument.”
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Further information:
- Bishops' Conference President tells Fides: action, not words, from the government in defending Pakistani Christians (Fides)
- Pakistani Christian girl enslaved by police officer, burned alive (CWN, 3/23)
- Pakistan: rape and torture are penalty for Christians' failure to renounce faith (CWN, 3/22)
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