A letter from the National Council of Churches in Pakistan

To the Ecumenical Community from the General Secretary of the National Council of Churches of Pakistan – an appeal to the ecumenical community asking that we and our western media outlets respect the prophet and traditions of Islam.

This letter to the Ecumenical Community from the General Secretary of the National Council in Churches of Pakistan is an appeal to the ecumenical community asking that we and our western media outlets respect the prophet and traditions of Islam.

The National Council of Churches in Pakistan has recently reported to Global Ministries that there have been several incidents lately of attacks on Christian Communities which have gone essentially unnoticed by the legal authorities. NCCP says this “violence against the weaker communities is reappearing because the government has failed to take measures on the incidents that happened before.” Now we have received a letter from NCCP General Secretary Victor Azariah which we he asks that we share throughout the ecumenical community. Please pray with us that peace and justice prevail.

To:  All Heads of the Churches, Ecumenical friends, organizations, Institutions, Press and concerned

Dear friends,

The Islamic extremists in retaliation of a publishing a cartoon on Holy Prophet Mohammad, (Peace be Upon Him) published by a Denmark news paper and was reproduced by the press in other European countries, attacked two Christian schools, “Panel School” in Bannu and “Saint Paul School” in Mardan of Peshawar Diocese Church of Pakistan on 6th February 2006 at 09:00 am and 11:00 am respectively.

The doors and windows were smashed and the rowdy crowd beat few children of the school. However, the police timely controlled the situation.

After Sangla Hill incident (where schools, pastor houses convent, three churches some houses of the Christians were burnt on 12th November, 2005), this is a third attack on the Christian Institutions.

We appeal to the West and American Press that act of disgracing the Holy Prophet of Islam be condemned, no one has any right to disgrace the Prophet of other religions. Freedom of Expression or Press should not be misused for inflaming and injuring the sentiments of the Islamic World.

These unwanted acts also create problems for the Christians, living in the Muslim Countries.

Victor Azariah
General Secretary
NCC-Pakistan