Dialogue between Christians and Muslims stops new tensions in Punjab

In Kahna Nau, a suburb of Lahore, the joint intervention of the Franciscans, the imam and the police prevented the act of a deranged man who burned pages of the Koran and the Bible from causing new riots. Meanwhile, in Faisalabad, a Sufi group organised a Christmas ceremony again this year. Bishop Rehamt: ‘Let us join hands to show the world that we are a peaceful nation’.

Faisalabad (AsiaNews) - The Franciscans in Pakistan are deeply committed to promoting interreligious dialogue, which they consider a ‘path to peace’. And a very significant gesture has taken place in recent days.

In the last week of November 2024, Fr Lazar Aslam - a Capuchin friar - led an interreligious delegation to the area of Kahna Nau, a southern suburb of Lahore, Punjab. The purpose of the visit was to address tensions triggered by a blasphemy incident earlier this month.

Zafar Masih, a drug addict with mental health problems, had set fire to his house, burning pages from the Koran and the Bible. The incident had provoked accusations of blasphemy against Islam, prompting some Muslim youths to threaten a mass attack against local Christians. The incident terrified the Christian community, which has faced similar incidents in the past, such as the one in Jaranwala, Punjab, in August 2023.

The interfaith delegation, comprised of Fr Lazar Aslam, Pastor Asif Ehsan Khokar and Islamic scholar Mufti Syed Ashiq Hussain, met with local security chief Maaz Ul Rahman (ASP) to explain the situation and demand protection for all residents. Thanks to the prompt and impartial action of the authorities, the situation was brought under control and the person responsible for the fire was taken into custody.

The intervention prevented outside groups from exploiting the incident and increasing tensions. For his part, Mufti Ashiq Hussain emphasised that the relationship between Muslims and Christians is an integral part of Pakistan's common history and must be protected. And Fr Lazar Aslam noted that the delegation's efforts had helped to maintain peace between the Muslim and Christian communities in Kahna Nau.

On the strength of this, the Deputy Inspector General of Punjab, Shahzada Sultan, convened a meeting of religious leaders, peace advocates and community representatives on 14 December 2024. The senior official praised Fr Lazar Aslam's efforts to bring peace and said he also wanted to reward Maaz ul Rehman for the conduct of the police.

In the meantime, another important interreligious moment was the Christmas celebration ceremony organised in Faisalabad at its holy site by the LaSaani Sarkar, a Sufi Muslim religious group that has been performing this act for 27 years. The Catholic bishop of Faisalabad, priests, pastors of different denominations, Christian lawyers, journalists and social workers were invited to the event. The theme proposed for this year was ‘The ways of peace: humanity first, religion second’.

Shahzada Shakil Nawaz Siddiqui, the successor of the Sufi Masood Ahmad Siddiqui LaSaani Sarkar founder of the community, said in his Christmas greeting to the participants: ‘There is a dire need to light a small candle of peace, because a small candle can end the darkness, and we are all here to diminish the darkness of hatred and partiality. We are celebrating the birthday of the Prince of Peace, Jesus and Mother Mary are very sacred to us, they both brought us together and built a relationship of peace and unity between people. So we must be united, remain peaceful and always spread humanity'.

Bishop Indrias Rehamt of Faisalabad responded: ‘Jesus came to earth not only for Christians, but for all mankind, and celebrating his birth is very beautiful for everyone. Today I visited LaSaani Sarkar for the first time and enjoyed this great celebration. Sufi saints have served all nations and spread the message of peace and unity. Our nation needs to be united despite different faiths and religions. Let us join hands to show the world that we are a peaceful nation and that we are always at each other's side in every difficult moment'.