Caritas Pakistan Peacefully Protests and Prays in Solidarity with Victims

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Caritas Pakistan peacefully protests and prays in Solidarity with Victims of Peshawar Church Incident Source: Zimbo.com Background: A twin suicide bombing killed at least 83 people at a church service in northwest nd Pakistan (Peshawar) on Sunday 22 September, officials said, in what is believed to be the country’s deadliest attack on Christians. Protests continued across the country on Monday against Peshawar blasts, demanding the government to take stringent measure for the security of the minorities. Churches and missionary schools in the country will remain closed in mourning for three days. Minority rights and Civil rights bodies held rallies and protests expressing their grief over the Peshawar Church bombing, terming it criminal negligence on the part of the provincial government. Caritas Pakistan observes Solidarity Prayer Services: Caritas Pakistan National Secretariat and all its seven diocesan units observed the Prayer Day for the victims of Peshawar Church incident which took place on 22nd September, 2013 , as a result of twin suicide bomb blasts leaving 81 injured and 140 injured. All Diocesan staff assembled at their respective places simultaneously at sharp 12:00 pm and protested peacefully claiming for the security measures taken towards the minorities should be monitored whereas, condemning the incident which left massacre impact on innocent Christian Community victimized in Peshawar Church. All Caritas Staff prayed for the peace and strength of the affectees , prayer services were held in each diocesan office and also the candles were lightened in remembrance of great sacrifices and martyrs during this incident. Caritas Pakistan National Secretariat and Caritas Pakistan Lahore Dioceses were led by His Excellency Bishop Sebastian Shaw and Mr. Amjad Gulzar, Executive Director, Caritas Pakistan, a peaceful protest and prayer service with special candle lightening in remembrance of the martyrs Christians during the incident His Excellency Bishop Sebastian Shaw of Lahore, who also led a peace rally at Sacred Heart Cathedral on Sept 23, termed the blasts as a national loss. “This is not only the loss of Christians but of the whole country. Our hearts are heavy with grief and we are seriously planning to improve tahe safety protocols of all the Church offices,” the prelate added. Mr. Amjad Gulzar, Executive Director, Caritas Pakistan shared his concern over the incident and said that this is very tragic since innocent Christian were victimized, the solidarity visit to the affected church planned tomorrow along with diocesan unit for the solidarity with victim family. Rev. Fr. Joseph Louis, Diocesan executive Secretary also shared that “we are finding it hard to trust police security which lacked skills and equipments; it is about time Christian should think of taking the responsibility of protecting their own parishes and institutions” Glimpses of Prayer services held at all Diocesan Units Caritas Pakistan Hyderabad Caritas Pakistan Karachi Caritas Pakistan Rawalpindi/Islamabad Caritas Pakistan Faislabad Caritas Pakistan Multan Caritas Pakistan Quetta .

Copy Link

Recommended publications

Extremism and Terrorism
Pakistan: Extremism and Terrorism On April 21, 2021, a car bomb exploded in the parking lot of the Serena Hotel in Quetta, killing at least five and wounding 11. Chinese ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong was staying in the hotel but was not present during the attack. Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility. “It was a suicide attack in which our suicide bomber used his explosives-filled car in the hotel,” the TTP said in a text message to Reuters. (Sources: Reuters, Associated Press) On April 12, 2021, police in Lahore arrested Saad Rizvi, leader of the outlawed Islamist political party Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP). The arrest was reportedly to deter TLP supporters from further demanding the expulsion of France’s ambassador over the publication in France of cartoons featuring Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. Rizvi had claimed the government had reached an agreement with his party to expel the ambassador by April 20, while government officials claimed they agreed only to discuss the issue in parliament. In response to Rizvi’s arrest, TLP supporters blocked highways and clash with police across the country over the course of two days, killing at least four people and wounding dozens of others, including at least 60 police officers. On April 18, TLP supporters attacked a police station in Lahore while rallying in the city against Rizvi’s arrest. The protesters took hostage 11 officers. The protesters released the hostages the following day after negotiations with the government. Photos released of the hostages during the negotiations showed they had been tortured. (Sources: Voice of America, Associated Press) Overview Since its independence from British colonial rule in 1947, Pakistan has been divided along ethnic, religious, and sectarian lines, a condition which has been exploited by internal and external organizations to foster extremism and terrorism.
[Show full text]
Pakistan Army and Terrorism; an Unholy Alliance
Pakistan Army and Terrorism; an unholy alliance Pakistan has been known for its perennial support of the Taliban in Afghanistan and other terrorist organizations in Indian Administered Jammu and Kashmir. The dramatic events of the terrorist attacks on the twin towers in the United States (U.S) on the 11th of September 2001 also referred to as 9/11, shook the tectonic plates of world politics, pushing Pakistan into being a focal point of global politics. Pakistan became the key strategic partner of United States’ War on Terror; post the terrorist attacks, taking a complete U-turn in her traditional foreign policies towards Afghanistan and Indian Administered Jammu and Kashmir, albeit temporarily under international pressure for heavy monetary gains. The country, in which sectarian groups targeting minority communities (Shias, Sufis, Ahmadis etc.) and Kashmir- focused groups confined their operations to Indian Administered Kashmir and the rest of India, has become a victim of its own holy war as a consequence of the ‘unholy alliance’ between the Inter Intelligence Services (ISI), Pakistan’s powerful intelligence agency, military and self-styled religious scholars. This historic alliance has resulted in colossal rise of radical Islam being a factor in the country’s proclivity to Islamic fundamentalism. Jihadi Groups There are several kind of militant groups operating in and from Pakistan that can be distinguished by their sectarian background (Ahl-e-Hadith, Deobandi, Jamaat-e-Islami etc.), and their areas of operation (Afghanistan, India, Pakistan). Their objectives may vary from overthrowing the Pakistani government, seizure of Indian Administered Jammu and Kashmir or support of Afghan Taliban.
[Show full text]
EASO Country of Origin Information Report Pakistan Security Situation
European Asylum Support Office EASO Country of Origin Information Report Pakistan Security Situation October 2018 SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION European Asylum Support Office EASO Country of Origin Information Report Pakistan Security Situation October 2018 More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu). ISBN: 978-92-9476-319-8 doi: 10.2847/639900 © European Asylum Support Office 2018 Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged, unless otherwise stated. For third-party materials reproduced in this publication, reference is made to the copyrights statements of the respective third parties. Cover photo: FATA Faces FATA Voices, © FATA Reforms, url, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Neither EASO nor any person acting on its behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained herein. EASO COI REPORT PAKISTAN: SECURITY SITUATION — 3 Acknowledgements EASO would like to acknowledge the Belgian Center for Documentation and Research (Cedoca) in the Office of the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons, as the drafter of this report. Furthermore, the following national asylum and migration departments have contributed by reviewing the report: The Netherlands, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Office for Country Information and Language Analysis Hungary, Office of Immigration and Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Office Documentation Centre Slovakia, Migration Office, Department of Documentation and Foreign Cooperation Sweden, Migration Agency, Lifos
[Show full text]
2008 NCTC Report on Terrorism
National Counterterrorism Center 2008 Report on Terrorism 30 April 2009 The National Counterterrorism Center publishes the NCTC Report on Terrorism in electronic format. US Government officials and the public may access the report via the Internet at: http://www.nctc.gov/ Information available as of March 20, 2009 was used for this edition of the report. For updated information on attacks, consult the Worldwide Incidents Tracking System on the Internet at the NCTC public web site. Office of the Director of National Intelligence National Counterterrorism Center Washington, DC 20511 ISSN Pending 2008 NCTC Report on Terrorism CONTENTS Foreword 1 Methodology Utilized to Compile NCTC’s Database of Attacks 4 NCTC Observations Related to Terrorist Incidents Statistical Material 10 Trends in Person-borne Improvised Explosive Device (PBIED) vs. Suicide Vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Device (SVBIED) Attacks 13 Trends in Sunni High-Fatality Attacks 16 Statistical Charts and Graphs 19 Chronology of High-Fatality Terror Attacks 35 Academic Letter: Challenges and Recommendations for Measuring Terrorism United To Protect National Counterterrorism Center FOREWORD Developing Statistical Information Consistent with its statutory mission to serve as the United States (US) government's knowledge bank on international terrorism, the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) is providing the Department of State with required statistical information to assist in the satisfaction of its reporting requirements under Section 2656f of title 22 of the US Code (USC).
[Show full text]
Estimated Age
The US National Counterterrorism Center is pleased to present the 2016 edition of the Counterterrorism (CT) Calendar. Since 2003, we have published the calendar in a daily planner format that provides our consumers with a variety of information related to international terrorism, including wanted terrorists; terrorist group fact sheets; technical issue related to terrorist tactics, techniques, and procedures; and potential dates of importance that terrorists might consider when planning attacks. The cover of this year’s CT Calendar highlights terrorists’ growing use of social media and other emerging online technologies to recruit, radicalize, and encourage adherents to carry out attacks. This year will be the last hardcopy publication of the calendar, as growing production costs necessitate our transition to more cost- effective dissemination methods. In the coming years, NCTC will use a variety of online and other media platforms to continue to share the valuable information found in the CT Calendar with a broad customer set, including our Federal, State, Local, and Tribal law enforcement partners; agencies across the Intelligence Community; private sector partners; and the US public. On behalf of NCTC, I want to thank all the consumers of the CT Calendar during the past 12 years. We hope you continue to find the CT Calendar beneficial to your daily efforts. Sincerely, Nicholas J. Rasmussen Director The US National Counterterrorism Center is pleased to present the 2016 edition of the Counterterrorism (CT) Calendar. This edition, like others since the Calendar was first published in daily planner format in 2003, contains many features across the full range of issues pertaining to international terrorism: terrorist groups, wanted terrorists, and technical pages on various threat-related topics.
[Show full text]
PAKISTAN NEWS DIGEST a Select Summary of News, Views and Trends from the Pakistani Media
September2013 PAKISTAN NEWS DIGEST A Select Summary of News, Views and Trends from the Pakistani Media Prepared by Aditya Valiathan Pillai and Yaqoobul Hassan (Interns, Pakistan Project, IDSA) PAKISTAN NEWS DIGEST, SEPTEMBER, 2013 CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................ 1 POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS .......................................................................... 2 DIALOGUE WITH TTP.................................................................................. 2 MUSHARRAF TRIALS................................................................................. 11 PROVINCIAL POLITICS.............................................................................. 12 OTHER DEVELOPMENTS .......................................................................... 13 ECONOMIC ISSUES ...........................................................................................15 FISCAL ISSUES ............................................................................................. 15 ENERGY......................................................................................................... 17 INVESTMENT............................................................................................... 19 OTHER DEVELOPMENTS .......................................................................... 21 SECURITY SITUATION .....................................................................................22 TERRORISM .................................................................................................
[Show full text]
NCTC Annex of the Country Reports on Terrorism 2008
Country Reports on Terrorism 2008 April 2009 ________________________________ United States Department of State Publication Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism Released April 2009 Page | 1 Country Reports on Terrorism 2008 is submitted in compliance with Title 22 of the United States Code, Section 2656f (the ―Act‖), which requires the Department of State to provide to Congress a full and complete annual report on terrorism for those countries and groups meeting the criteria of the Act. COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM 2008 Table of Contents Chapter 1. Strategic Assessment Chapter 2. Country Reports Africa Overview Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership The African Union Angola Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Cote D‘Ivoire Djibouti Eritrea Ethiopia Ghana Kenya Liberia Madagascar Mali Mauritania Mauritius Namibia Nigeria Rwanda Senegal Somalia South Africa Tanzania Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe Page | 2 East Asia and Pacific Overview Australia Burma Cambodia China o Hong Kong o Macau Indonesia Japan Republic of Korea (South Korea) Democratic People‘s Republic of Korea (North Korea) Laos Malaysia Micronesia, Federated States of Mongolia New Zealand Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, or Vanaatu Philippines Singapore Taiwan Thailand Europe Overview Albania Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kosovo Latvia Page | 3 Lithuania Macedonia Malta Moldova Montenegro
[Show full text]
PAKISTAN the Constitution and Other Laws and Policies Restricted
PAKISTAN The constitution and other laws and policies restricted religious freedom and, in practice, the government enforced these restrictions. The constitution establishes Islam as the state religion, and it requires that laws be consistent with Islam. The constitution states that "subject to law, public order, and morality, every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice, and propagate his religion;" in practice, however, the government limited freedom of religion. Freedom of speech was also constitutionally "subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam." The government rarely investigated or prosecuted the perpetrators of increased extremist attacks on minorities and the majority promoting tolerance, which deepened the climate of impunity. Despite the government's steps to protect religious minorities, societal intolerance and violence against minorities and Muslims promoting tolerance increased, and abuses under the blasphemy laws continued. The government did not take adequate measures to prevent these incidents or undertake reform measures to prevent the abuse of the blasphemy laws. Toward the end of the reporting period the public discourse regarding the blasphemy laws became increasingly heated, which contributed to the government's reluctance to address the issue. For example, after initially signaling he was considering pardoning Aasia Bibi's death penalty sentence for alleged blasphemy, President Zardari refrained from doing so. This was the first time a woman was sentenced to death under the blasphemy laws. Also, in response to extremist societal elements, the government distanced itself from a bill introduced by a member of the ruling party that would have amended the blasphemy laws to prevent abuse.
[Show full text]
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION; AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION, Plaintiffs, DECLARATION OF JONATHAN HAFETZ v. 09 Civ. 8071 (BSJ) (FM) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE; CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY; DEPARTMENT OF ECF Case STATE; DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, Defendants. DECLARATION OF JONATHAN HAFETZ I, Jonathan Hafetz, under penalty of perjury declare as follows: 1. I represent plaintiffs the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation in this action concerning a FOIA request that seeks from the Department of Defense (“DOD”) and other agencies records about, among other things, prisoners at Bagram Air Base (“Bagram”) in Afghanistan. 2. I submit this declaration in support of plaintiffs’ motion for partial summary judgment and in opposition to the DOD’s motion for partial summary judgment. The purpose of this declaration is to bring the Court’s attention to official government disclosures, as well as information in the public domain, concerning the citizenship, length of detention, and date, place, and circumstances of capture of detainees held at the Bagram and similarly-situated suspected terrorists and combatants in U.S. military custody at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba (“Guantánamo”). 1 Publicly-Available Information about Detainees at Bagram Prison 3. On April 23, 2009, plaintiffs submitted a Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) request to DOD, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Justice and the State Department seeking ten categories of records about Bagram, including records pertaining to detainees’ names, citizenships, length of detention, where they were captured, and the general circumstances of their capture.
[Show full text]
HOYT-THESIS-2014.Pdf (718.6Kb)
A GAME OF DRONES: COMPARING THE U.S. AERIAL ASSASSINATION CAMPAIGN IN YEMEN AND PAKISTAN A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the College of Graduate Studies Angelo State University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF SECURITY STUDIES by MELANIE RAEANN HOYT December 2014 Major: Security Studies A GAME OF DRONES: COMPARING THE U.S. AERIAL ASSASSINATION CAMPAIGN IN YEMEN AND PAKISTAN by MELANIE RAEANN HOYT APPROVED: Dr. Anthony Celso Dr. Robert Ehlers Dr. Bruce Bechtol Dr. Christine Lamberson APPROVED: Dr. Susan E. Keith Dean of the College of Graduate Studies ABSTRACT To combat the terrorist threat the United States faces in Yemen and Pakistan, Remotely Piloted Vehicles have been employed to deter, deflect, and defend. These RPV’s operate thousands of miles from the closest military base in states that are not officially engaged in war. In these sovereign lands, cultures that have existed for thousands of years are torn between corrupt governments, terrorist insurgency cells, and sudden death from above. Reports on whether the aerial assassination campaign has impacted terrorist activity have been interpreted very differently among analysts. This thesis will explore how RPV’s have affected foreign policy, terrorism, and the security threats these places pose to the United States. Answers to these questions directly affect the future of international law, and how war will be waged in future combat. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TABLE OF CONTENTS ...............................................................................................
[Show full text]
A Revival of 'A Letter Concerning
55 Al-Hikmat Volume 35 (2015) pp. 55-64 A REVIVAL OF ‘A LETTER CONCERNING TOLERATION’ FOR MUSLIMS Ali Raza Tahir Assistant Professor Department of Philosophy University of the Punjab Lahore, Pakistan. Aqsa Abdul Muqeet Khan Research Scholar M.Phil Department of Philosophy University of the Punjab Lahore, Pakistan. Abstract. West with increasing hatred for Muslims due to extremisms, Islam is seen as religion of terrorism rather than religion of peace. Although, we can enumerate the reasons of this misperception of Islam ranging from political to religious factors; but rather than crying for change from outside why not we start from within ourselves. This change to bring peace is solely achievable by means of toleration in our religious ideas and not by spilling blood in the name of Allah. The following two sections would summarize Locke’s A Letter Concerning Toleration; discuss the current situation of Muslims and the negative image of Islam. The third section would consider the possibilities of how a revival of this letter in Muslim countries would enable them to alternate their situation or at least demolish the clash between extremisms. The fourth section would compare the consequences of religious freedom and pluralism and would analyze how that could be a threat to Islam. The last section would be a bird’s eye view of 23 years old woman who feels within her heart that faith and religion cannot be imposed; in order to live in global peace an act of toleration is required. Key Words: Extremism, Terrorism, Pluralism, Religion, Toleration, Peace 56 Ali Raza Tahir & Aqsa Abdul Muqeet Section 1: Summary of Locke’s Letter to Toleration Today, in March 2014, I read this letter before going to bed that took away my sleep.
[Show full text]
PERSPECTIVES on TERRORISM Volume II, Issue 5
Table of Contents: Who Becomes a Terrorist Today?..........................................................3 By Scott Atran De-Radicalization of Jihad? The Impact of Egyptian Islamist Revisionists on Al-Qaeda……….. .11 By Omar Ashour Creating Frankensteins: The Taliban Movement of Pakistan……...15 By Irm Haleem PERSPECTIVES ON TERRORISM Volume II, Issue 5 Who Becomes a Terrorist Today? By Scott Atran Introduction: Takfiri Terrorism Since the invasion of Iraq, and with the rapid spread of Internet access, the world has witnessed a more egali- tarian, less-educated and -materially well off, and more socially marginalized wave of would-be jihadi martyrs. Although millions of people support violent jihad, very few are willing to do it. Those who do pursue violent jihad usually emerge in small groups of action-oriented friends. They come from the same neighborhood and interact during activities, such as soccer or paintball. Often they become camping and hiking companions who learn to take care of one another under trying conditions, which causes them to become even more deeply at- tached. Increasingly, they may first meet in a chat room where the anonymity of the World Wide Web para- doxically helps to forge intimate emotional ties among people who might otherwise physically intimidate or put off one another. They learn to live in a parallel universe ─ a conceptually closed community of comrades bound to a cause ─ which they mistake for the world. These young people self-mobilize to the tune of a simple, superficial, yet broadly appealing “takfiri” message of withdrawal from impure mainstream society and the need for violent action to cleanse it.
[Show full text]