Reconciliations in Karachi Churches attacks

Karachi, Pakistan: February 24, 2010, (PCTV Newsdesk)

Picking up fruit and eating before buying is a common practice in Pakistan. People do it most of the time before price settlements and bargaining. The same happened in Karachi where a Christian boy [Mr. Aashiq Pervaiz, president of the Calvary Church told without naming the boy] took a plum from a Muslim fruit vendor’s cart [Mr. Aashiq Pervaiz held the name as well].

During the study Peace Ambassadors’ volunteers on Karachi said that according to people [names to be held] this was not because of the mindset of thinking that the fruit had got impure by touching of a Christian because the venders know that this is a Christian locality and many Christians do the same here but the boy (name to be held) had been in conflict with this specific vender from past (as per of eating the fruit for taste check and refused to you. The vender now had thought of not merchandizing with the boy. So this was the social reason and when boy did it again he throw a fruit weighting iron weight upon the boy which further expend in the sad ethnic conflict between Christians and Muslims.

The findings of Peace Ambassadors Pakistan say that about 150 Muslims raided a Christian colony in the Pahar Ganj area of Karachi on Feb. 21. They shot at houses, beat Christians, vandalized vehicles and destroyed shops.

St. Mary Church of Pakistan and the Interdenominational Calvary Church were also damaged. The local Christians retaliated by pelting the Muslims with stones until rangers brought the situation under control.

The attack continued for about two hours in which four motorcycles and two auto rickshaws were burnt and several shops were destroyed.

A Catholic School: St. Jude’s High School remained closed as a sign of condemnation and non-violent protest of this sad incident.

More than 200 Christians and Muslims gathered upon this conflict settlement on 22nd of February, 2010.

“Our religion speaks of love and peace. We have not registered any case in the police station even though our places of worship came under fire. We forgive the attackers but demand both communities not to give a religious to their personal clashes,” Aashiq Pervaiz said in his address to the gathering.

Bishop Mushtaq Anjum of Vision of Kingdom Church in Pakistan told UCA News that “personal feuds” were the most common reason for clashes between Christians and Muslims.

While taking to his fellow entitled role model peace maker HERO. Abdul Sattar Edhi in Karachi Mr. Inderias Dominic Bhatti thanked for his personal interests and 羚rts to set aside the interweaved religious divides in this issue.