Pakistani bishop links Western military actions, persecution of Christians
April 07, 2011
Bishop Joseph Coutts of Faisalabad, Pakistan’s third-largest city, says that there is a link between the persecution of the nation’s Christians and Western military actions.
“We are going through a difficult time in our history in Pakistan with the rise of intolerance and extremism in the last few years, but you have got to understand this in the wider context of what is happening in the world,” he said. Islamic extremism has occurred, he said, within the context of “the intervention of the United States and NATO forces, and the attacks that continue from outside Pakistan territory into Pakistan, where not only a handful of terrorists are being killed, but many innocent people are being killed.”
Bishop Coutts added that “when a Muslim looks at the West, the West is seen as Christian”--which leads some Muslims to say, “The Christians are doing terrorism; why doesn’t the Pope condemn this terrorism?”
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
- Brother of slain Pakistani minister says he forgives murderers (CNS)
- Obama Expands Missile Strikes Inside Pakistan (2009) (New York Times)
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
-
Posted by: samuel.doucette1787 -
Apr. 07, 2011 10:43 PM ET USA
Bishop Coutts is admirable in his charitable attempt to see the Muslim point of view. But, how about when a member of the Christian West looks at the Muslim world marked by terrorism, intolerance, barbarity, etc, we can rightly ask, ?What is wrong with Islam that no leading imam can come forward to reign in the barbaric elements of that faith? Or, is the problem with Islam really Islam itself?"
