wfn.org | Letter to Pakistan from NCC General

[CAROL_FOUKE.parti@ecunet.org (CAROL FOUKE)]

Secreatry

National Council of the Churches of Christ in 
the U.S.A.
Contact: NCC News, 212-870-2227
Internet:  news@ncccusa.org

44NCC5/12/98              FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NCC GENERAL SECRETARY WRITES PRIME MINISTER OF 
PAKISTAN;  ASKS URGENT ATTENTION TO RELIGIOUS 
LIBERTY AND TOLERANCE

NEW YORK, May 12 - The Rev. Dr. Joan Brown 
Campbell, General Secretary of the National 
Council of Churches, today sent the following 
letter to the Prime Minister of Pakistan 
expressing her sorrow at Roman Catholic Bishop 
John Joseph's tragic death and asking urgent 
attention to religious liberty and tolerance:

Mr. Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan
FAX:  011-92-51-920-7145

Your Excellency:

The tragic death of Bishop John Joseph prompts 
our addressing you with great urgency on the 
matter of religious liberty and tolerance in 
your country. Our hope is that we can find ways 
to cooperate in supporting the efforts of your 
government to expand religious freedom for all 
religious communities and to contain and reduce 
the fanatical acts of religious hostility that 
may occur in your country or in any country 
including our own.

The sadness we feel over the death of Bishop 
Joseph is very real. Yet we also honor him as a 
witness to the need for genuine religious 
freedom and the ending of religious hostilities 
on all sides. It is in our gratitude for his 
life that we offer the cooperation and support 
of our churches here and our partner churches 
in Pakistan and elsewhere. The church in 
Pakistan is a part of and deeply connected to 
the world wide Christian community with 
millions of adherents who also care. We believe 
there is a growing global realization that 
religious violence and repression are 
incompatible with the core teachings of all 
religious traditions. Likewise such acts are 
blots upon the stability and maturity of any 
nation's social order.

We are equally concerned with the death 
sentence given to Ayub Masih, according to 
reports coming to us, a man medically and 
emotionally ill as well as innocent of the 
charges brought against him by religious 
fanatics under the blasphemy law. We understand 
he has been deprived of legal help due to 
threats by these same fanatics against lawyers 
who might take his case.

In despair over this circumstance and its 
meaning for Christian people, the lack of legal 
recourse and inattention to religious 
persecution issues, we believe Bishop Joseph 
has offered his tragic witness. He has chosen 
to sacrifice his life on behalf of religious 
liberty for all the people of Pakistan.

While we do not believe it is appropriate for 
the United States to intervene in the religious 
affairs of Pakistan, we do believe it is right 
for us religious communities to urge you and 
your government to address decisively the 
terrorist and criminal activities of religious 
fanatics. Specifically we urge your government 
to:

a) target, identify and publicly denounce 
fanatical groups opposed to religious 
liberty for all Pakistanis.
 
b) Prosecute aggressively fanatical groups 
engaged in religious persecution and 
terrorism. Encourage harsh penalties with 
jail sentences for acts of religious 
terrorism.
 
c) Repeal the blasphemy law in order to 
create fairness and equity for all 
religious communities.
 
d) Commute the sentence imposed on Ayub 
Masih,  release him from custody and 
provide for his safety from his attackers.

e) Encourage all clergy to inform their 
religious followers about the evil of 
religious persecution and terror and the 
importance of religious freedom for all 
the people of Pakistan and of the world.

It happens that Bishop Joseph's tragic death 
occurred exactly as we were welcoming Bishop 
Samuel Azariah, Moderator (Presiding Bishop) of 
the Church of Pakistan, as a guest here. He 
came to help us deal with the United States' 
role in relation to religious freedom and 
religious persecution worldwide. You would have 
been touched and deeply proud of the 
presentations about Pakistan and the role and 
place of the Christian community there made by 
Bishop Azariah.

Basically he helped members of the United 
States Congress, the Department of State, the 
National Security Council, church leaders and 
the public at large through the media and 
through newspaper editorial board contacts 
understand three critical points:

1. Christians in Pakistan, though a small 
minority, are loyal Pakistanis committed 
to contributing to the upbuilding of 
Pakistan politically, economically and 
religiously.
 
2. Pakistan experiences religious 
hostilities and even violence, not by 
government action or its prompting or even 
by government inattention or neglect, but 
due to the fanatical acts of extremist 
fundamentalist groups.

3. Punitive acts by the United States 
toward Pakistan (such as termination of 
and  including military assistance, even 
limited economic sanctions, etc.) are apt 
to exacerbate religious violence, 
encourage fanatical acts and erode 
international relationships.

I want to confirm the very great importance of 
Bishop Azariah's presentations. He confirmed 
our view that on religious issues of this sort, 
it is essential that US decisions be informed 
by the real experiences and insights of 
religious leaders in the lands alleged by 
strident religious and political voices here to 
practice or tolerate religious persecution. We 
have been opposed to the religious persecution 
legislation currently under consideration in 
our Congress. We believe expanding religious 
liberty as well as providing assistance for 
economic development, health care, education 
and political stability is the way religious 
communities will be freed from hostilities and 
fanatical forces will be effectively countered. 
Bishop Azariah from your land has strengthened 
us in our resolve.

We offer to work collaboratively for a stronger 
Pakistan where religious freedom and an 
atmosphere of tolerance can be experienced by 
all. We stand ready to be available to respond 
supportively to your efforts in this regard.

May God's gifts of wisdom, good health and the 
continuing strength of leadership be yours in 
abundance.

Cordially, with our prayers for peace for all,

The Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell
General Secretary  

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