Pakistani Christians: “We are part of this country too” Posted by Ethan Casey on September 22, 2013 · 2 Comments The killing of at least 75 Pakistani Christians by two suicide bombers at a church in Peshawar, the worst single attack on Christians in Pakistan’s history, prompts me to offer this excerpt from my book Alive and Well in Pakistan: A Human Journey in a Dangerous Time, first published in 2004. An updated 10th-anniversary edition of Alive and Well in Pakistan will be published in 2014. – Ethan Casey 9398_10151507457383317_1520057099_nAsim and I walked on to the Christ for Pakistan Church, on a side street near the railroad tracks [in Lahore]. The cross on the door was red. “for some reason, in Pakistan they always paint the crosses red,” Fawzya Minallah had told me. “Even in the Christian colony in Islamabad. I want to ask them why, but they don’t know.” Inside was a small dais with six wooden chairs and a lectern with plastic flowers on it. WE came in at the tail end of the early service and sat along a side wall. The congregation was singing rousing songs, accompanied by an older man with grey hair dyed orange with henna, who played the harmonium and table drum. “He is the choir incharge,” Asim whispered to me. I took out my notebook. “These are holy songs,” said Asim. I couldn’t tell if he was rebuking me or only explaining. I put my notebook away. One song had the word shukriya, thank you, repeated over and over. “We are saying thank you to God for all the achievements he give us,” Asim explained. About another song he said: “We are saying Our Jesus” words are sweet and pure more than gold.” There was a reading – Luke 12:17-21. “There is a rich man, and he has a very great harvest,” the man sitting to my left translated. “And he says, “I am a great man, and now is my time to rest and enjoy.” But he doesn’t know when will come the time for death.” The first service ended, and the room filled up for the second service. Before it started, Asim introduced me to Pastor Yaqub Bhatti. The pastor wore a light brown polyester suit and welcomed me jovially, in a manner reminiscent of Protestant preachers in Florida, Atlanta and Nashville – all places he made a point of telling me he had visited. “Journalists are the true representatives of the people,” he remarked. “Because they get down to the grassroots.” He asked where in America I was from. “Wisconsin,” I said. “It’s near Chicago.” “Chicago is in Indiana, I think,” he said. “Actually, it’s in Illinois, but right next to Indiana.” During the part of the service set aside for announcements, he singled me out as a first-time visitor, calling me Brother Ethan Casey,” and asked me to stand up. In English he said: “In future this is your church, whenever you have the time to come. Welcome.” Then he gave his sermon in Urdu. Asim translated: “Pastor is saying that he had a conversation with a donkey. Donkey say, “I am lucky because God ride on me.” People say him donkey, but he is the lucky one.” I met Asim several more times, and even went to church with him again on Christmas Day. “Yeah, mostly friends are Muslim,” he told me when I asked. “No problem. We eat together, drink together, same like the family members.” “Do they tell you you should become Muslim?” I asked. “Sometimes. I tell them we should not talk about the faith. Firstly we are the human beings. Then we are something else.” “Do you ever feel it’s difficult to be a Christian in Pakistan?” “No,” he said. “They have the majority here. They can do. But here is a minority of Christians. If somebody say something against our religion, what we can do? You know, Christmas come on the Quiad-e-Azam day. So they just celebrate the Quaid-e-Azam day. Our Christian community leader, Peter Gill, made it so there will be two holidays, 25th and 26th. He told the gummint, “Muslims have so many holidays. We are part of this country too. - See more at: ethancasey/2013/09/pakistani-christians-we-are-part-of-this-country-too/#sthash.vIctpP3A.dpuf
Posted on: Wed, 25 Sep 2013 08:22:03 +0000
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