Human chain formed to protect Christians during Lahore mass

[cbayer]

Last edited Sun Oct 6, 2013, 04:46 PM - Edit history (1)

http://tribune.com.pk/story/614333/muslims-form-human-chain-to-protect-christians-during-lahore-mass/

By Web Desk / Aroosa ShaukatPublished: October 6, 2013


The gathering outside the Lahore church. PHOTO: MALIK SHAFIQ

LAHORE: The Muslim and Christian communities came together during Sunday mass in a show of solidarity in Lahore.

Hand in hand as many as 200-300 people formed a human chain outside the St Anthony’s Church adjacent to the District Police Lines at the Empress Road, in a show of solidarity with the victims of the Peshawar church attack two weeks back, which resulted in over a 100 deaths. The twin suicide attack on All Saints church occurred after Sunday mass ended and is believed to be the country’s deadliest attack on Christians.

Standing in the small courtyard of St Anthony’s Church, as Mufti Mohammad Farooq delivered a sermon quoting a few verses of the Holy Quran that preached tolerance and respect for other beliefs, Father Nasir Gulfam stepped right next to him after having conducted a two hour long Sunday service inside the church. The two men stood should to shoulder, hand in hand as part of the human chain that was formed outside the church not just as a show of solidarity but also to send out a message, ‘One Nation, One Blood’.

As part of an attempt to sensitize the public at large, the human chain was the second such event after a similar had been organized in Karachi last week outside the St Patrick’s Cathedral by an organization called Pakistan For All – a collective of citizens concerned about the growing attacks on minorities.

more at link

[NYC_SKP]

1. Recommended.

Humans, as bad as we can be, really are far more good than bad.

I'm encouraged by acts like these.

Thanks for posting.

[cbayer]

2. Hello, you!

I am encouraged and gladdened by things like this.

How the heck have you been?

[NYC_SKP]

5. Busy as a Bee!

More travel for work, now that mom and dad are gone, taking care of their estate and still plotting my move toward the ocean.

No plans to be in your neck of woods anytime soon but if something comes up you will hear from me!

[cbayer]

8. Well you better hurry!

We are moving to Mexico in 2 weeks, lol.

[NYC_SKP]

12. Wow! That is Big News!

I missed that somehow.

Better still, yo hablo Espanol!

[cbayer]

13. I have a spanish program that I have been working on,

but I plan to immerse when I get there.

[skepticscott]

9. You're encouraged by the fact

that religious people make this sort of thing necessary by constantly massacring each other over nonsensical disagreements? It would be encouraging if this were never necessary, and if religious people just behaved like gangs of atheists that don't like each other.

[Warpy]

3. Yes, it really is nice to see things like this

especially in places the right wing would like us to believe are totally savage and hostile to anyone who isn't a bomb toting Muslim fanatic.

It is also the sort of thing to build a nation instead of a loosely cobbled together groups of antagonistic families, tribes, sects, and religions, in that order, who come together as little as possible.

I wish them the very best of luck in this. I know too many Pakistani people to wish any of them ill.

[shenmue]

4. True

It's good to see people do something out of love.

[Mnemosyne]

6. Link please, thank you! nt

[cbayer]

7. Added. So sorry about that.

[Mnemosyne]

14. No shame required...

[Jim__]

10. A hopeful event - I hope it continues and grows.

[cbayer]

11. There have been an increasing number of these kinds of events.

It is wonderful to see them stand up for the rights of each other and against the extremists.

Together, we are stronger.

[freshwest]

16. +1

[trotsky]

17. What kind of extremists are responsible for the violent events, cbayer?

Just curious. Did they act in the name of Richard Dawkins?

[dimbear]

15. Quite a respectable turnout for a tiny village like Lahore, which only has ten million inhabitants.

Single candle, curse the darkness and all that.