Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
March 22, 2010

Church leaders in Pakistan have criticized their government for showing a “lethargic attitude” toward attacks on religious minorities. The government has, in effect, given free reign to the Taliban, thus encouraging “the imposition of jazia—a tax for being non-Muslim—by militant organizations,” as well as “kidnapping for ransom, target killing and internal displacement,” said a February statement from the Pakistan Catholic Justice and Peace Commission. The statement noted that recent violence against Sikhs, Hindus and Christians poses a “grave threat to the life, liberty and property of the members of religious minorities in the country.” Christians have been harassed in the Swat Valley of the North-West Frontier Province and other areas, it said. “The federal and provincial governments should treat these incidents as an alarm bell and must take stringent measures to control the situation.”

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

Too often, Catholics expect Pope Francis to reflect their personal or political convictions perfectly, forgetting that he is the head of a global church, not of a political party of any particular country.
LuElla D'AmicoNovember 04, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, and former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, are seen in a combination of file photographs taken in Chandler, Ariz., Oct. 10, 2024 and Evans, Ga., Oct. 4, 2024. (OSV News photo/Evelyn Hockstein and Octavio Jones, Reuters)
While we are going to continue to advocate for the dignity of the unborn, let’s admit Kamala Harris has Catholic cred on other important issues.
Jeannie GaffiganNovember 01, 2024
Mats Steen was known as Ibelin in the video game World of Warcraft (World of Warcraft and Blizzard Entertainment/Netflix)
“The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” presents the internet as a place where true connection is possible and limitations can be transcended.
John DoughertyNovember 01, 2024
A Homily for the Solemnity of All Souls, by Father Terrance Klein
Terrance KleinNovember 01, 2024