20 million Christians Protest Persecution in Pakistan

Christians and those sympathetic to their plight unite in a massive protest against the abuse of 'blasphemy laws.'

LAHORE (AsiaNews) - Today is a 'black day', a day of protest for some 20 million Christians in Pakistan and around the world who want the country's blasphemy laws repealed for being a virtual "constitutional genocide". The event will include a number of actions promoted by religious leaders and activists across the country as a way to respond to attacks by fundamentalists.

As part of this Nazir S Bhatti, president of the Pakistan Christian Congress (PCC), launched an appeal to the US government and the European Union to press upon the Pakistani government the need to repeal the blasphemy law and ensure the peace and safety of the country's Christian community. For him today is not 'Minority Day' as announced by the government but a "black day' to mark anti-Christian violence.

For Peter Jacob, executive secretary of the Catholic Church's National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), a number of additional initiatives are planned over the next few days, involving a variety of Christian groups as well as activists and leading members of civil society.

Today for instance minority lawmakers and administrators will attend prayer meetings and religious functions.

Tomorrow evening all Christian denominations will take part in a memorial Mass in Lahore's Naulakha Church to honour the victims of the Gojra massacre.

On 18 August civil society groups will hold a protest in Lahore against religious extremism and the blasphemy laws.

The NCJP is planning a seminar on 'Extremism and the Law' for tomorrow and has launched a signature campaign to repeal the blasphemy laws.

In a recent statement Amnesty International has expressed its support for Pakistani Christians.

In its press release the human rights organisation called on the authorities in Islamabad to "to take meaningful action to protect religious minorities which have increasingly been the target of religiously-motivated attacks and persecution."

"To this end," the statement said, "the Pakistan government should introduce a comprehensive education programme, at all levels of society, which promotes equality and respect for the diversity of beliefs in Pakistan".