Originally posted on The Tribune
NEW JERSEY: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack on two churches in Lahore. In 2013, a similar church attack in Peshawar claimed more than 80 innocent lives. These extremists defy the teachings of the Holy Quran which instructs Muslims to protect all places of worship, explicitly mentioning churches. The perpetrators of these attacks cannot be true followers of a faith which mandates full protection of Christians from any act of aggression from Muslims. Indeed, the St Catherine’s Monastery in Mt Sinai, Egypt, today houses a copy of the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) letter in this regard.
If the Pakistan government claims to be an Islamic one, then it must provide full protection to Christians and their places of worship. The authorities must not only condemn the attacks in the strongest terms possible, but must also pursue the guilty parties. We have waited on the issue and delayed it for long enough — it’s time to take decisive action against terrorists. Lastly, I offer my most sincere condolences to our Christian brothers and sisters who lost their loved ones in this heinous act of violence.
