In the Name of Blasphemy, Pakistani Christians Under Frequent Attack - 14

Bishop John Joseph (1932 - 1998):
A Human Rights Martyr of Pakistan

Bishop John Joseph of the Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad.
He killed himself on May 6, 1998 in front of the Sessions
Court of Sahiwal in protest to the blasphemy laws under
which Ayub Masih was awarded the death
sentence on April 27, 1998
Photo Courtesy: //www.ahrchk.net/

Bishop John Joseph was the Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Faisalabad, Pakistan. He was also the Chairman of the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), the human rights arm of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Pakistan. Ethnically, he was a Punjabi. He was the first local Catholic Bishop of Pakistan.

A Committed Human Rights Advocate

Bishop John Joseph, a dedicated human rights worker, also called a "human rights activist" by some, was widely respected for his fight for human rights of the minorities of Pakistan, especially the Christians.

He vehemently objected to the introduction of the blasphemy laws by President Zia-ul-Haq and also against the inclusion of one's religious faith in the ID cards, as these would act as a hindrance to the Christian-Muslim dialogue in Pakistan.

Bishop Leads Two Nation-wide Protests in Favour of Religious Minorities

Bishop John Joseph gave leadership in two nation-wide protests of the Christian community in Pakistan.

The first protest was organized in 1992 against the Pakistan government's proposal for inclusion of one's religious faith in the national identity cards. Christians and other minorities were apprehensive that the new ID cards would lead to further victimization of already discriminated religious minorities -- such as, the denial of equal opportunities in employment, promotion in jobs, education, and political representation.

Bishop John Joseph, on his own, went on hunger strike along with about half-a-dozen Christians in a tent in the centre of Faisalabad city. They sang psalms from the Bible and their fast lasted for a week. By this hunger strike he sent a message to the government of Pakistan that the minorities would not react passively to discriminatory laws.

The second protest was in 1994 against the murder of Manzoor Masih. Manzoor Masih, Salamat Masih and Rehmat Masih were accused of writing defamatory graffitti about Prophet Mohammad on a mosque wall at Ratta Dhotran in Gujranwala District. When Manzoor Masih and two other accused came out of the Lahore High Court building after the court hearing on April 5, 1994, three gunmen on motorcycles opened fire at them. Manzoor was killed, while Salamat and Rehmat were injured.

According to the Amnesty International report, "prior to the alleged graffiti incident...Salamat Masih had argued with a neighborhood boy over pet pigeons. The boy then told village elders that he had seen Salamat Masih write on the mosque wall. There appears to have been a history of petty clashes and hostility between Christians and their Muslim neighbours." Manzoor Masih and Salamat Masih were illiterate -- neither could they read or write.

The second protest march started from the Cathedral grounds of Faisalabad and proceeded on to the streets. The protesters, headed by the bishop, protested against the assassination of Manzoor Masih. After the peaceful protest, Bishop John Joseph made three demands to the Faisalabad city authorities: 1) The murderers of Manzoor Masih should be arrested; 2) The blasphemy laws should be repealed; and 3) Christians should be given enough security to exercise their religion.

The Blasphemy Laws of Pakistan

The laws on blasphemy were first incorporated in the Penal Code by the British Government in the undivided India in 1927. Since then until 1986, when several new sections on blasphemy were added in the Pakistan Penal Code, only seven blasphemy cases were filed in the entire region of present Pakistan. After President Zia-ul-Haq's new blasphemy laws were introduced in Pakistan in 1986, more than 25 persons died due to blasphemy accusation and more than 4,000 blasphemy cases have been filed and more than 1,000 persons --- Muslims, Ahmadis, Christians and Hindus -- have been charged with blasphemy.

(Continued)

In the Name of Blasphemy, Pakistani Christians Under Frequent Attack - 13

A Christian house is in flame in Korian Village
Photo Courtesy: http://www.ucanews.com/

Muslim Mob Rampages Through Korian Village
in Toba Tek Singh District

2009 (July 30): On the evening of this date, Muslims in the village of Korian, near Faisalabad, announced over the mosque loudspeakers to assemble near a certain mosque for teaching a lesson to the infidel Christians who were alleged to be protecting the accused of blasphemy by burning some pages of the Quran. The nearby villages also made similar announcements over their mosque mikes. More than 500 Muslims gathered and the announcements were continuously inciting them.

After shouting "Allah-u-Akbar" (God is Great), "Kill the infidels", the agitated mob armed with iron rods, guns, sticks and inflammable chemicals, moved on to the Christian homes, ransacking, looting and setting fire on them. Forty-seven homes were burnt with a special chemical thrown on them. Two Protestant Churches -- one belonging to the New Apostolic Church and the other to the Church of Pakistan (Anglican) -- were also ransacked. The mob did not forget to snatch away valuables (radio, TV, money), water pumps, and cattle from Christian homes.

As it was night, many frightened Christian men, women and children could flee away to nearby fields and bushes.

After their misdeeds, the assailants blocked the Faisalabad-Gojra Road by lying down on it to prevent the police or fire-truck from reaching Korian, where houses were still burning.

Catholic Bishop Joseph Coutts of Faisalabad reports that the problem started in Korian on July 26, 2009, when there was a marriage ceremony in a Christian house. Some children unknowingly cut up pages of an old book (Islamic Studies) to make ticker-tape to shower on the wedding party. Next day when some Muslims found pieces of paper with Arabic script and some Quranic verses scattered about, they started to create an uproar. However, the matter was settled amicably by both Muslim and Christian elders of the village when it became clear that this had been done by children who were illiterate and there was no intention of desecrating any Islamic holy texts.

Yet the sinister forces were at work behind the scenes. They were circulating the rumour among Muslims that the Christians of Korian had desecrated the Quran by tearing its pages and scattering them on the roadside to be trampled upon. They brought the accusation of blasphemy saying that Imran Masih (the bridegroom) burnt pages of the Quran that his father Talib Masih (a street vendor who sells sweets and ice-creams to children using used papers as wrappers), brought along with some papers.

On July 31, Shahbaz Bhatti, the federal Minister of Minorities, came from Islamabad to observe the destruction. Kamraan Michael, Punjab Provincial Minister for Minorities and Human Rights, along with some Christian MPs (members of the parliament) also visited the area. They gave assurance of some government compensation and of bringing the situation back to normal.

Even after the violent attack on the Christians of Korian Village, mullahs (Muslim clerics) continued to circulate malicious rumours of the Quran desecration by Christians. As a result, Christians surrounding villages and towns of Korian, began to receive threats.

Muslim Mob Attack on Christians of Gojra Town in Toba Tek Singh District


Burnt out houses and destroyed items on the street in Gojra
Photo Courtesy: http://www.ap.org/

2009 (August 1): The latest threats came to realization on this day when about 1,000 Muslims -- armed with sticks, clubs, guns and flammable chemicals -- moved on Gojra, a small town where about 2,000 Protestant and Catholic families live.

The assailants, many of whom wore masks to hide their identity, ransacked and looted 100 Christian houses and burnt 50 of them and killed nine persons -- among whom six were of the same family burnt alive in their home.

Qadeer Awan, an official of the PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League party under the leadership of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif), sent his party people to Jhang to bring Islamic activists, who were masked during the attack on Gojra. They moved on this town firing their guns and some Christians on the other side tried to defend themselves by firing into the air to scare away the attackers, but they soon ran out of their limited ammunition. A few policemen there took evasive action and used only some teargassing. The vicious attack continued for five hours. Later when police reinforcements arrived, the destruction of Gojra was complete.

Salman Taseer, the governor of the Punjab Province, said on August 4 that the fundamentalist Taliban militants from the Swat Valley were responsible for the communal clashes in Gojra. Speaking to the media, he said: "We strongly condemn Gojra carnage. Such heinous acts of violence and brutality are not an enriching sign for any one."

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said that a preliminary investigation showed there was no desecration of the Quran. "It was just a rumour which was exploited by anti-state elements to create chaos."

Sources: http://www.domini.org/
http://teeth.com.pk/
http://www.ccfc.ie/
http://pkpolitics.com/
http://nowpublic.com/
http://new.asiaviews.org/
http://www.asianews.it/
http://barnabasfund.org/
http://www.ucanews.com/
http://www.asianews.com/
http://www.claas.org.uk/
http://www.arabnews.com/
http://www.jihadwatch.org/
http://www.columban.com/
http://www.paktribune.com/
http://www.crosswalk.com/
http://www.balaams-ass.com/
http://www.hrsolidarity.net/
http://newsletters.ahrchk.net/
http://www.christiantoday.com/
http://www.southasianrights.org/
hhttp://persecutedchurch.blogspot.com/
http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/
http://www.religioustolerance.org/bangash01.htm/

(Continued)

Archbishop Theotonius Amal Ganguly, C.S.C.: Servant of God - 3

_

( L-R: Second from left) Archbishop T. A. Ganguly, C.S.C. of Dhaka,
Bishop Michael Atul D'Rozaio, C.S.C. of Khulna and Bishop
Joachim Rozario of Chittagong met with Prime Minister
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of the
newly independent Bangladesh (first from left)
on February 2, 1972 and donated a cheque for
200,000 takas and his episcopal gold chain
and cross for post-independence-war relief
and rehabilitation work in Bangladesh
Photo Courtesy: The Pratibeshi (weekly), Dhaka

My Experience with Archbishop Ganguly

I had the opportunity of knowing Archbishop Theotonius Amal Ganguly, CSC, personally when I was a seminarian at St. Joseph's Intermediate Seminary at Ramna, Dhaka, in 1964-1966, and later in other places at various occasions. As a seminarian, I sometimes served his Mass, heard his sermons, prayed and meditated together, and had interacted with him.

To me,

• He was a man of faith: Faith had a strong foundation in him. Faith was a guide in his life. His thoughts, words and actions gave witness to his deep faith in God.
• He was a man of prayer: Prayer was an integral part of his life. He drew strength and inspiration from his prayers. Daily in the morning he would be in the cathedral chapel for meditation and Mass and in the afternoon he would spend an hour or so in prayer in the same chapel.
• He was a humble and gentle man: His very humility and gentleness were virtues that attracted people of all faiths to him like a magnet. He was a bright student, an intelligent and learned man, the first Ph.D. in the Bangali Christian community, yet he never displayed a speck of pride about it. He hardly hurt anyone with his word or deed. Once a person encountered with him, he or she could never forget that positive experience.
• He was a pastoral man: As the bishop and archbishop, he was mindful of his pastoral responsibilities. He regularly visited the faithful in different parishes and looked after their pastoral needs. After the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), he made a lasting contribution in translating and introducing the required materials for vernacular (Bengali) liturgy in place of Latin.
• He was a man of compassion and love: His profound compassion and love compelled him to go from place to place to assist the suffering and needy, to provide hope and encouragement to the hopeless, and to right the wrong. Along with Bishop Joachim Rozario, C.S.C., of the Diocese of Chittagong, he played a vital role in founding Caritas Bangladesh, the humanitarian arm of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh. He also gave a tremendous support to the people of all faiths who suffered in the hands of the West Pakistani army and became refugees within East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). He allowed all Catholic parishes and educational institutions to open up their compounds for giving shelter and an all-out support to many of these internal refugees.
• He was a holy man: In some persons, holiness is most graphic, in others it is less recognizable. His thoughts, words, and actions mirrored his holiness and people could see and feel this holiness. He oozed holiness, so to say. His holiness changed many a hearts for the better.
• He was a considerate man: Anyone who wrote him a letter, received his reply -- long or short -- immediately or even a little delayed. In spite of his busy schedule, he would not keep a person waiting indefinitely for his reply.
• He was a respectful person: He respected all -- young and old, rich and poor, and Catholic and non-Catholic. His respect for others always came back to him as a reciprocal respect from others.
• He was an austere man: He lived a life of austerity. His residence, his furniture, and his clothing and other personal effects were as simple as anything. He preferred very simple meals. He was never a 'prince' of the Church, but a pauper. He always availed of the second or third class compartment in the trains and motor launches while going to other towns and villages. In Dhaka city, he used a beaten up car, 'unsuitable' for a bishop or archbishop.
• He was a man of his words: There was such a profound inter-mixture of his words and deeds that one could not but marvel at him. He himself did what he said. He always kept his word in spite of personal difficulties.
• He was a man of inspiration and encouragement: He always inspired and encouraged the youth -- both male and female -- to give leadership in their own spheres. As a result, many Catholic youth organizations came into being, especially after the Bangladesh War of Independence in 1971.
• He was a man of forgiveness: Jesus' words that one should forgive another person seventy times seven was conscientiously followed by Archbishop Ganguly. Because of his simple and humble demeanor, certain persons from the laity, clergy and Religious, sometimes hurt him verbally and behaviourally, but he was calm and patient in that situation and bore the pain in silence. He was never a reactive person.

May the Servant of God Theotonius Amal Ganguly be a saint and intercede for us more and more.

(L-R) Mr. Brian Kenneth Good, newly-consecrated Bishop
T. A. Ganguly, C.S.C., and Professor Robert Gomes
at a reception in Dhaka
Photo Courtesy: Holy Cross Archives, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA

(The End)

In the Name of Blasphemy, Pakistani Christians Under Frequent Attack - 12

Muslim Extremist Attacks on Christian,
Villages, Churches, Schools, Hospitals
and Church Personnel (contd.)


A Christian house that was ransacked and
set on fire at Bahmaniwala Village by Muslims
Photo Courtesy: http://www.sloppynoodle.com/

The Anglican Church in Bannu Cantonment
of North-West Frontier Province Vandalized

2009 (May 10): The Anglican church in Bannu Cantonment of the North-West Frontier Province has been vandalized on the night of May 10 by some unknown assailants, who are thought to be Taliban militants active in the region. The church, built in 1857 by the British army, was ransacked and its Bibles and prayer books were burnt.

The church altar was destroyed and the main cross inside the church was broken into pieces. They also damaged the church furniture, musical instruments and inside decorations.

Being inside the army cantonment, this church was considered to be most safe in all of Pakistan.

Pastor Ijaz was in charge of the church. Bishop Mano visited the church and consoled the local Christians and asked them to remain nonviolent and grow stronger in faith on Jesus Christ. He also met with Pakistan Army officers and requested them to investigate the incident and bring the assailants to justice.

Muslim Mob Attacks Bahmaniwala Village
in Kasur District

2009 (June 30): A mob of about 500 Muslims, carrying guns, sticks, hammers and molotov cocktails attacked houses of about 100 Christian families at Bahmaniwala Village in Kasur District of the Punjab Province. Their assault took place after accusations were made over the mosque microphone that Christians blasphemed Prophet Mohammad and, therefore, they were liable to die.

In the two-hour attack that started around 7:30 p.m., the mob set fire on 50 homes, threw acid on women, looted the homes of valuables, and destroyed water pumps.

Bahmaniwal Village is about 65 km away from Lahore City. Before this shameful incident, there were about 600 Muslim and 100 Christian families living there in harmony for years.

On June 29 evening, a quarrel broke out between Sardar Masih (60), a Christian, and Muhammad Riaz, a Muslim. After work in the field, Sardar Masih, with his son Waqas, was returning to the village on his tractor. On his way he found Muhammad Riaz, who was drunk, sitting on his motor bike in the middle of the road. When Sardar requested Muhammad Riaz to more his bike so that he could take his tractor through, the latter due to his intoxication began to swear at Sardar and refused to move. Then one of the friends of Muhammad Riaz slapped Sardar on his face.

Waqas ran to his house and informed Mushtaq, brother of Sardar, of the incident. Mushtaq along with other brothers came out to protect Sardar. As they talked to Muhammad Riaz, he left the place but came in the evening with his friends armed with axes, guns and sticks to Sardar's house and beat his family including his old father and mother.

That night, Mohammad Shafi, the village counselor, came to Sardar's house for reconciliation and asked him not to file any report against Muhammad Riaz. After leaving Sardar's house, on the hand, he advised Muhammad Riaz to file a case against Sardar Masih with the police. Accordingly, the the case was lodged with the police. Qari Lateef, the local Muslim cleric of the mosque, was also involved in advising Muhammad Riaz for lodging blasphemy charges against Christians. He was the one who made several public announcements over the mike that Christians used derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad.

On June 30 at 6:00 p.m. the police went to Mushtaq and Sardar's house to arrest them but they were not at home at the time. The same night at 9:00 p.m. began their attack on the Christian houses.

On the day of the attack, most of the Christian men were away harvesting crops and some others had gone to the Lahore Vegetable Market to sell their stuff. When the mob came, mostly women and children were in their houses.

A distraught Christian girl after she was manhandled
by Muslims during the attack in Bahmaniwals Village
Photo Courtesy: http://www.sloppynoodle.com/

(Continued)

Archbishop Theotonius Amal Ganguly, C.S.C: The Servant of God - 2

_

Father Theotonius Amal Ganguly, C.S.C.,
as the first Bangali Bishop in 1960
Photo Courtesy: Holy Cross Archives, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA

Entering the Congregation of Holy Cross and Returning Home

As Father Ganguly was interested in entering the Congregation of Holy Cross, he was sent to the Novitiate of the Fathers of Holy Cross in Jordan, Minnesota, USA. After one year, on August 16, 1952, he made his Religious Profession and in October he returned to Dhaka.

On his return, he was appointed a professor of Logic and English at Notre Dame College, founded by the Fathers of Holy Cross in Dhaka in 1949. In 1954, he became the Dean of Studies and, in 1958, the Vice Principal of the college. On March 21, 1960, at the sudden death of Father James L. Martin, CSC, Father Ganguly succeeded him as the principal. He was the first Bangali to hold the position. Students and other professors alike loved him and appreciated his skills.

Consecration as the First Bangali Bishop

On September 13, 1960, Pope John XXIII nominated Father Ganguly as the Auxiliary Bishop of Dhaka, where Most Rev. Lawrence Leo Graner was the archbishop. He took Deus Adjutor Meus (God is my helper) as his motto. On October 7, 1960, Cardinal Gregory Peter Agaginian, Prefect of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith in the Vatican, consecrated Father Ganguly as the new local bishop. Hundreds of priests and Religious and thousands of Catholic faithful were present at the ceremony at St. Mary's Cathedral in Dhaka. It was a watershed event in the 400-year history of the Catholic Church in Bangladesh.

Elevated to the Position of the Archbishop

In the early 1960s, there was a riot situation in the northern districts of the then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) between Bangali Muslims and ethnic Garos (Mandis) and Hajongs. Due to land grabs and other forms of persecution, backed by provincial and local administrations, thousands of these minorities, mostly Christians, left their homesteads and became refugees in the Meghalaya State of India.

Archbishop Graner, who was an Americn, had personally visited the affected areas at the initial stage and requested Governor Monem Khan (belonging to the Muslim League Party) in Dhaka to take immediate action before the situation gets worse. In spite of reminders, the government failed to take appropriate action. The archbishop then had to take recourse to publicizing the sad plight of these ethnic groups in his pastoral letter in the Pratibeshi, the diocesan Catholic newspaper published from Dhaka.

The pastoral letter drew world attention in the United Nations in New York and Pakistan government was unhappy with Archbishop Graner. As a result, he was denied the renewal of his visa. He was told that he could leave the country but could not return. Moreover, Archbishop Graner's whereabouts within the country was under constant government surveillance. In such a suffocating situation, on July 6, 1965, Bishop Ganguly was named the Coadjutor Archbishop with the right to succeed the Archbishop of Dhaka.

After Archbishop Graner left East Pakistan on November 23, 1967, Archbishop Ganguly took over the responsibility of the Archdiocese of Dhaka. When Archbishop Graner formally resigned from his position, Bishop Ganguly was installed as the new Archbishop of Dhaka. He was the first Bangali Archbishop, too.

Sudden Death

As the Archbishop, he made an enormous contribution to the Catholic Church in Bangladesh as a whole and the Archdiocese of Dhaka in particular. In thick and thin, he carried out his responsibilities relentlessly. This burden of responsibility was affecting him physically, too. On September 2, 1977, Archbishop Theotonius Amal Ganguly died of a sudden heart failure at the age of 57 years. The Christian community of Bangladesh was shocked to learn of the untimely death of their dear archbishop.

Condolences were offered from within the country and abroad. On September 4, 1977, Bishops, foreign ambassadors, government officials, hundreds of priests and Religious, and thousands of people of all faiths were present at his funeral at the Archbishop's House, Dhaka. All of them were grieving the death of a holy man.

I am happy at the concrete initiative taken for the canonization process of Archbishop Theotonius Amal Ganguly, who will ultimately receive a profound recognition for his holy and virtuous life. May he be a beacon of light and hope for people of all faiths.

(Continued)

In the Name of Blasphemy, Pakistani Christians Under Frequent Attack - 11

Muslim Extremist Attacks on Christian Villages,
Churches, Schools, Hospitals
and Church Personnel (contd.)

Anglican Priest Kidnapped, Badly Injured
and Left for Dead in Peshawar

2009 (January 9): Rev. Tanzeel Zafar (28), an Anglican priest of the Church of Pakistan, was kidnapped on Friday (January 9) on his way home from the diocesan centre in Peshawar and was severely beaten. Then on Sunday evening (January 11) his traumatized body was left for dead at the gate of St. John's Cathedral in Peshawar of the North-West Frontier Province. The identity of the assailants are not known.

A statement from the Diocese of Peshawar, expressing concern over increased kidnapping in the area, said: "The police services have been marvelous in working out this case. Kidnapping in the area goes unabated. It really affects the entire community, especially when religious leaders are abducted."

In 2008, Taliban militants from the Lashar-e-Islam group had kidnapped 16 Christians at gun point in Peshawar and moved them to some unknown place nearby. However, the next day all these Christians were released.

Nursing School Prayer Rooms
Closed in Lahore

2009 (February): When the Muslim administrator ordered the closure of the Christian nurses' prayer room in the nursing school of the Children's Hospital in Lahore, the Christian hostel warden of the same school locked the Muslim nurses' prayer room in consultation with the administration. Mrs. Parsis Zareen Gul, the Christian warden of the nurses' hostel and a senior lecturer at the nursing school, is under heavy pressure to unlock the Muslim prayer room.

The administrator closed down the Christian prayer room on the pretext that the provision of non-Islamic prayer room in a public (government) building was unsconstitutional in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

For the last six months, Mrs. Zareen Gul (also called Gulzareen) got involved in a conflict with a Muslim senior trainee doctor, Dr. Naila, who has been living in the hall for the last two years. About eight months ago, Dr. Naila -- who is believed to have links with some Muslim fundamentalist organizations -- demanded a prayer room for 400 Muslim lady doctors, nurses and students of the hospital as well as of the nursing school hall. With the consent of the hall administration, Mrs. Zareen Gul provided a large carpeted and furnished room for daily prayers and special religious gatherings.

Eighty Christian girls of the school subsequently requested for their own prayer room. With the consent of the same administration, Mrs. Zareen Gul provided a smaller room for these girls and used her personal funds for furnishing the room and provided Bibles and other reading materials.

Dr. Naila reportedly resented the Christian girls having their own prayer room. She became very aggressive and antagonistic towards Mrs. Zareen Gul. She then wrote letters to the administration complaining that Mrs. Zareen Gul was granting special favours to the Christian girls and she was using their prayer room for spreading Christianity in and around the hall and trying to convert Muslim girls to Christianity. In a sense, she was westernizing the hall's Islamic character.

In addition, Dr. Naila and fundamentalist Muslim students talked aggressively about having a Christian prayer room in their midst. The hospital administration responded by ordering Mrs. Zareen Gul to close down the Christian prayer room. Mrs. Zareen Gul argued that if Christian prayer room is to be closed, the Muslim one also should be closed as well. The administration finally decided to close both the prayer rooms.

Dr. Naila then misled local newspapers by telling them that Mrs. Zareen Gul closed down the Muslim prayer room, barring Muslim students, doctors and nurses from their prayers. She began her campaign of getting Mrs. Zareen Gul along with two assistant wardens dismissed. There is an increasing demand for having Muslim wardens to preserve the Islamic character of the halls. Dr. Naila also asked that Christian nurses and students convert to Islam.

An Islamic organization is threatening Mrs. Zareen Gul.

The Presbyterian Church at Songo
in Gujranwala District Attacked

2009 (March 2): A group of Muslims indiscriminately fired on worshippers inside a Presbyterian church at Songo, Gujranwala District, and left a woman dead and 11 others injured.

This attack occurred one week after two Muslims robbed Imran Masih (20), a Christian of the area, on February 25 at gunpoint. They took away 3,000 rupees (US$ 38), a mobile phone and a wrist watch.

After Imran reported the robbing to the police, local Muslim leaders brokered a reconciliation between Imran and the accused. This patch-up did not last long. Several armed Muslims forcibly entered some Christian homes on March 2, and harassed and threatened the inmates.

Another Muslim group, on the same day, entered the Presbyterian church armed with iron rods, clubs and guns. They opened fire on the Christians, smashed windows of the church, desecrated the Bibles and removed the cross from the church roof. They then left the church shouting that Christians would face dire consequences if they did not leave the town.

Police later arrested Shamim Ahmed, a member of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, the radical Islamic Muslim group, responsible for attacks on Christians and minority Shia Muslims, including October 2001 deadly attack on a Church of Pakistan service in Bahawalpur.

Muslim Militants Attack Christians
of Taseer (Taiser) Town, Karachi

2009 (April 21): Eight Christians were wounded -- among them Imran Masih (11) and Qadoos Masih most seriously -- when more than 100 masked Taliban militants attacked the Christian neighbourhood of Taseer (Taiser) Town in Karachi with firearms, beat the residents and set fire on three churches and several shops and houses. Imran later died in the hospital.

Taseer Town has a Muslim majority populations with about 750 Christian families -- of whom, 300 are Catholic families under the Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi.

Father D'Souza, parish priest at St. Jude's Church, visited the affected place. He saw graffitti on the wals of teh area's two churches, announcing: Taliban zindabad (Live long, Taliban), Islam zindabad (Live long, Islam), Christians, Islam qabool karo (Christians, convert to Islam).

A few days before this attack, the Talibans wrote with white chalks threats on walls of local churches and Christian homes demanding their conversion to Islam. Seeing these threats, Christians organized a demonstration asking government authorities for protection, but the police did not respond to their call.

During the attack on April 21, the Talibans dragged Christians out of their homes at gunpoint and shouted: "You infidels have to convert to Islam or die. Why did you erase our warning that we had written on your church and home doors? How dare you stage a demonstration against the Taliban?" They then shot at some Christians, beat others and torched churches and homes.

Dr. Nazir Bhatti, President of the Pakistan Christian Congress (PCC), said: "An attack bny the Taliban had been feared for months but no preventative action was taken" He warned that the Taliban was planning to expand the Islamic Shariah law in Karachi.

(Continued)

Archbishop Theotonius Amal Ganguly, C.S.C: The Servant of God - 1

_

Servant of God Archbishop Theotonius
Amal Ganguly, C.S.C. (1920-1977)
Photo Courtesy: The Lightning Studio, Tejgaon, Dhaka

September 2 is the death anniversary of Archbishop Theotonius Amal Ganguly, C.S.C. -- also known as Archbishop T. A. Ganguly. He was a popular and well-respected archbishop of Dhaka, Bangladesh. His humility and holiness attracted persons of different persuasions and faiths.

His Canonization Initiated

Immediately upon his death on September 2, 1977, there was a popular demand that his canonization process start as soon as possible. We have seen such a popular call when Pope John Paul II died on April 2, 2005. Among thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square in Rome for mourning the death of the pope, there were people raising up banners demanding "Santo subito" -- saint immediately!

After long 29 years, Archbishop Ganguly's canonization process started in 2006. Archbishop Paulinus Costa of Dhaka, on September 2 of that year, in an official ceremony at St. Mary's Cathedral in Dhaka, introduced the causes and opened the diocesan inquiry on Archbishop Theotonius Amal Ganguly, C.S.C.

The Process of Canonization

After the death of a person, a minimum of five years has to pass before taking up the causes of his or her canonization. The canonization process has several steps: (1) Servant of God, (2) Venerable, (3) Blessed, and (4) Saint.

First, the local Bishop of the diocese, where the subject of canonization belonged, writes an official letter, containing the life of the person, and seeks the Pope's permission to start the canonization process. After receiving the permission or no-objection from the Vatican, the local Bishop officially launches the introduction of the causes and the opening of the diocesan inquiry. The subject of canonization is then called the "Servant of God." The bishop also forms a diocesan tribunal where witnesses give testimonies to the Christian virtues of the person considered heroic. These are theological virtues (faith, hope and charity), cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude), and other virtues specific to the person's state of life. The tribunal also collects all available documents (the person's own handwritten, typewritten, and printed writings as well as other writers' books and writings on him or her).

On the completion of the diocesan process, the bishop sends all documentation to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in the Vatican. The Congregation then studies them and, if satisfied at the heroic virtues of the person, issues a decree announcing him or her the "Venerable."

If the Venerable died a martyr's death, the Pope himself officially declares person a martyr through a decree and allows the beatification ceremony. After this, the person is called the "Blessed." If the Venerable died a normal death, the Congregation requires a proof of a miracle that has taken place through his or her intercession. The Pope himself gives recognition to the miracle and allows the Congregation to issue a decree for the beatification. After the beatification ceremony, the person is called the "Blessed." A feast day is also permitted to be observed in the Blessed's own diocese and certain other places.

In the last step, another miracle is required to be proven after the beatification. The Pope then asks the Congregation to prepare for the canonization of the person. The canonization ceremony confirms that the person is holy and is in heaven. He or she is then called the "Saint" and is allowed to be venerated throughout the Catholic Church.

Short Biography of Archbishop Ganguly

Archbishop Theotonius Amal Ganguly was born on January 18, 1920 at Hashnabad village under Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church in the then Dhaka district, British India (now Bangladesh). His parents were Nicholas Komol and Romana Komola Ganguly. His father was a cook in Calcutta and mother a housewife in the village. Chubby-looking Theotonius was the second of the three brothers -- the eldest being Xavier and the youngest Anthony Bimol. His elder brother later became a doctor and practised in Calcutta and his younger brother was a contractor, member of the local Union Council, drama director and social worker.

He grew up under the loving care of his pious mother. From his childhood he used to assist his mother in her household chores -- sweeping the rooms and the yard, ironing clothes with a bottle filled with hot water, and drawing water from the nearby river. Daily prayers were an integral part of his family. From his young age he also began to attend daily Mass and assist the priest as an altar boy.

His Early Studies

With his elder brother, he began to attend the primary section of the Holy Cross High School at nearby Bandura village under the care of the Brothers of Holy Cross. He was an active and bright student who used to gain the first place in his class. He would all along get the highest marks in English, Bengali and Mathematics. He was also skillful in music, acting and recitation. His singing voice was quite popular in the area. At the school annual plays, twice he received prizes on singing and acting. Teachers would praise his brilliance in studies and gentle demeanor and ask other students to emulate them.

Entrance to the Minor Seminary

In 1937, when he was in grade VIII at the Holy Cross High School, he entered the minor seminary, called Little Flower Seminary, at Bandura. From his childhood he was interested in being a priest. At home he used to play 'Mass' with his mates by using a wooden stool as an altar, a towel as a vestment, and leaves as holy communion!

At the seminary he began his studies in earnest. On holidays, he would go to his village and help the parish priest by teaching hymns to some youths and prepare them for both Christmas and Easter Masses. He was also the only Bangali (Bengali) in the locality who could play an organ at the time.

In 1940, he passed the Matriculation (presently called the Secondary School Certificate or S.S.C.) Examinations in grade 10, held under the University of Calcutta, in the First Division -- gaining the third place with a special scholarship.

Entrance to the Major Seminary and Priesthood

The local bishop then sent him to the major seminary, called St. Albert's Seminary, run by the Jesuit Fathers at Ranchi of Bihar State, India. As usual, he was liked and appreciated by both the professors and seminarians for his studies and humble behaviour.

He successfully completed two years of philosophy and four years of theology studies at the seminary and, on June 5, 1947, was ordained a diocesan priest at St. Mary's Cathedral, Ranchi, by Jesuit Bishop Oscar Sevrin.

Higher Studies at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA

After his ordination, Father Theotonius Amal Ganguly returned to Dhaka and was placed at the Little Flower Seminary as an English and Latin teacher for a short period.

In the same year of 1947, the newly consecrated Bishop Lawrence Leo Graner, C.S.C., of the Diocese of Dhaka, sent Father Ganguly to the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, for higher studies in philosophy. First, he completed his M.A. in Philosophy and then, in 1951, he received his Ph.D. degree in Philosophy. His doctoral dissertation, called Purush and Prakriti (Self and Nature): A Philosophical Appraisal of Patanjali - Samkhya - Yoga. (Patanjali, an ancient Hindu philosopher promoting yoga for inner contemplation, was born in India in about 250 B.C.). Father Ganguly was the first Bangali Christian to obtain a Ph.D. degree.

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