Nation at 75 continues to struggle with political, economic instability and institutionalized discrimination
A memorial for Akash Bashir in front of St. John Catholic Church in Youhanabad, Lahore. Bashir stopped a suicide bomber from entering the church and died when the terrorist detonated his bomb. Bashir’s act saved the lives of many people who were inside the church at the time. (Photo by ucanews.com)
As this year of political turmoil and natural calamities comes to a close in Pakistan, churches have found themselves moving closer to mainstream society, making their voices heard in the country.
The year started with a bang when Archbishop Sebastian Shaw of Lahore announced on Jan. 31 that the Vatican had accepted Akash Bashir as a Servant of God, paving the way for him to become the Islamic republic’s first saint.
The diocesan inquiry for his beatification and canonization that began on March 15 continues in an ordinary and formal way. The tribunal including the Promoter of Justice and the Notary interviewed witnesses seeking specific information about the life and martyrdom of Bashir.
Bashir, a Salesian alumnus, became a martyr when he prevented a suicide bomber from entering a packed St. John’s Catholic Church in Punjab’s capital Lahore in 2015.
Not much has changed since then for religious minorities of Pakistan. The family of Pastor William Siraj of Peshawar, the capital of northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, is preparing to spend its first Christmas without the 70-year-old who was gunned down following Sunday prayers on Jan. 30.
The Church of Pakistan is constantly complaining about everyday institutional and societal discrimination. Covid-19 may be fizzling out but a pandemic of forced conversions of underage minority girls goes on with the government in denial mode.
At least 100 reported cases involving abductions, forced faith conversions, and forced marriage of girls and women belonging to the Christian community across Pakistan were reported between January 2019 and October 2022, according to a report “Conversion without Consent” released by the rights group, Voice for Justice and Jubilee Campaign on Dec. 10, Human Rights Day.
Last week the minaret of an Ahmadi place of worship in Gujranwala’s Baghbanpura area was removed. The demolition was carried out despite steel sheets around the minaret, hiding it from public view, placed by the building’s management.
Around 800 Jews are forced to live secretly posing as Parsis in Pakistan which has no diplomatic ties with Israel to initiate a public dialogue with Jewish leaders.
“Opinion-makers including religious leaders and teachers must adopt positive narratives to counter increasing intolerance and hate speech towards minorities. Marginalized groups must be included in policies and decision-making processes affecting them,” said Bishop Indrias Rehmat of Faisalabad.
Surprisingly, the third quarter of 2022 brought a bundle of joy for both the Church and society.
The sisters of St. Joseph of Chambery celebrated their platinum jubilee in Pakistan this July in Quetta, a city located on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. In September, the closing ceremony of the platinum jubilee of Islamabad-Rawalpindi diocese was also held.
On a broader front, the whole nation celebrated its diamond jubilee — 75 years of independence, in August.
However, the celebrations were short-lived, as record-breaking monsoon rains, likely worsened by global warming, submerged a third of Pakistan’s territory, leaving 33 million people scrambling to survive, and an estimated US$40 billion in losses to the economy. About 20 million are still living in dire conditions now as winter set it.
From June to October, the floods were estimated to have caused the deaths of at least 1,750 people, according to several reports.
Caritas Pakistan, with support from international and local groups, has been providing lifesaving relief to flood-affected families, especially those in far-flung areas, reaching nearly 13,100 families so far. The charity plans to reach out to 5,000 more flood-affected people in the next few months and initiate the rehabilitation phase.
It was a far cry from previous summers when agriculturalists and political activists staged protests in different cities across southern Sindh province over severe water shortages.
Currently, floodwaters are spread across 11 districts of Sindh and two districts of Balochistan, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance.
Meanwhile, former finance minister Miftah Ismail has disclosed that Pakistan’s default risk has increased. The country’s inflation rate soared to 26.6 percent in October from 23.2 percent in September. It now ranks 19th among countries with the highest inflation rates.
According to Father Qaiser Feroz, executive secretary of the Pakistani bishops’ social communications commission, the situation has gotten out of the hands of economists and politicians.
“Floods followed by the unbridled prices of basic commodities especially vegetables will result in increasing problems including street crimes and unemployment,” he said.
More than seven decades since its creation, the polarized nation continues to struggle with political instability and tensions associated with institutionalized discrimination on the basis of religion, sect and ethnicity.
The year saw the departure of former Prime Minister Imran Khan who openly opposed General (ret) Qamar Javed Bajwa, the former army chief. The change of guard must herald changing the old ways of running state affairs. Only a strong democracy and political will can guarantee the safety of religious minorities.
The year ends with another good news from Pope Francis who earlier this month named Father Yousaf Sohan, vicar general of Multan, as bishop of this diocese.
Together with 1.3 million Pakistani Catholics, I thank the Holy Father for the New Year gift of the Servant of God and the Christmas gift of the new Bishop. May this Christmas restore smiles in our adverse circumstances, Amen!
*The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official editorial position of UCA News.
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