WCC grieves over Pak church bombings

Geneva, September 27: The World Council of Churches (WCC) General Secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has expressed “heart-felt sorrow” at the heavy loss of life from the bombings at the All Saints Church in Peshawar calling it the “single worst loss of life among Christians in Pakistan”.

This is probably the first official reaction from the global Chrisitan body on the sad happening in Peshawar. However, these Christian organizations and church leaders were prompt to condemn logical and rightful attempts of Hindu organizations to either regain those converts to their ancestral fold or to initiae legal steps to prohibit religious conversions by fraud or fear.

On Sunday, 22 September around 80 Christian worshippers were killed at the All Saints Church, as a result of suicide bomb attacks, according to the recent media reports.

Tveit said that this was a “deliberate targeting of a vulnerable Christian community”. “It has deeply saddened us to receive the news of this terrible attack,” he added.

In his message, Tveit expressed sympathies for the bereaved, offering prayers for the injured and those who have lost their lives in the attack.

Speaking on churches’ efforts for protection of minorities, Tveit mentioned a recent WCC consultation on “politicization of religion and rights of religious minorities”, where a Pakistani speaker shared about the on-going difficulties of the Christian community.

Affirming the WCC’s commitment to work for the wellbeing of the Christian community in Pakistan, Tveit called for an “end to the wanton violence” and asked the “government of Pakistan to protect all of its citizens from those who are bent on dividing the country and causing suffering to the innocent.”