{"id":2586,"date":"2011-06-02T15:47:56","date_gmt":"2011-06-02T19:47:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/watchwomanonthewall\/?p=2586"},"modified":"2011-06-02T15:47:56","modified_gmt":"2011-06-02T19:47:56","slug":"call-to-ban-the-bible-troubles-pakistan%e2%80%99s-embattled-christians-fallout-from-terry-jones-in-florida-burning-quran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/watchwomanonthewall\/2011\/06\/call-to-ban-the-bible-troubles-pakistan%e2%80%99s-embattled-christians-fallout-from-terry-jones-in-florida-burning-quran.html","title":{"rendered":"Call to Ban the Bible Troubles Pakistan\u2019s Embattled Christians (Fallout from Terry Jones in Florida burning Qu’ran)"},"content":{"rendered":"
By\u00a0Patrick Goodenough<\/a><\/div>\n
\n
\n

(CNSNews.com)<\/strong> \u2013 Pakistani Christians reacted with dismay Thursday to campaign by radical Muslim clerics to have the Bible declared blasphemous and banned, but some said the community should respond calmly, without fear, trusting God to protect His word.<\/p>\n

\n

Muslims should not blame Pakistan\u2019s Christian minority for the actions of one misguided pastor in Florida, said one activist, who also noted that even Mohammed, the 7th century Muslim prophet, had not outlawed the Bible.<\/p>\n

A group of Muslim clerics has asked the Supreme Court of Pakistan to determine that certain passages of the Bible\u00a0violate the country\u2019s blasphemy laws<\/a>, because they depict some biblical figures \u2013 whom Muslims revere as \u201cIslamic prophets\u201d \u2013 as flawed or immoral.<\/p>\n

If the court does not make the declaration, the campaigners said, they would lodge an formal application for the Bible to be banned in its entirety.<\/p>\n

\"\"The group, led by Abdul Rauf Farooqi of the Islamist party JUI-S (Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Sami-ul Haq group), says its initiative is in response to theburning of a Qur\u2019an<\/a> at the small Florida church headed by Terry Jones.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Picture of the Qu'ran<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThis move by the JUI-S is in reaction to Terry Jones\u2019 action of burning the Qur\u2019an,\u201d said Asif Aqeel, director of the Lahore-based Community Development Initiative, an affiliate of European Center for Law and Justice.<\/p>\n

\u201cPakistani society, even JUI-S, should understand that Pakistani poor and illiterate [Christian] community should not be punished for the act of any individual living abroad,\u201d he told CNSNews.com.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not related to Terry Jones, who should not be even called a pastor due to lack of wisdom and biblical understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aqeel said JUI-S should remember that, even during the times of Mohammed and the subsequent caliphs and other Muslim rulers, the Bible was not banned \u201cdespite the fact that all of them knew that the Bible had different viewpoint on several things.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was no \u201creligious reasoning\u201d behind the demand for a ban, he added.<\/p>\n

The Rev. Arif Siraj, moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Pakistan, said that there have been attempts to challenge biblical truth ever since the birth of Christianity.<\/p>\n

It was the responsibility of Christians to act in the light of biblical teachings, he said. \u201cIt is God\u2019s word so He will take care of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Siraq said Christians should understand the essence of the Bible and be encouraged to pray in the face of the current circumstances, rather than be fearful.<\/p>\n

If the JUI-S initiative takes hold and gathers momentum, he said, \u201cthen we will peacefully protest as we have been doing in the past and we will also pray that God will make Pakistani people understand the efforts of the Christians in developing this nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Naveed Walter, the president of Human Rights Focus Pakistan, a non-governmental organization advocating against the blasphemy laws, was taken aback by the latest move by radicals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am shocked to hear about the new Islamists\u2019 plans to attack the Christians, now in a different way,\u201d he told CNSNews.com.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey usually attack individuals, groups, churches and communities of Christians, by falsely accusing them of blasphemy,\u201d he said. \u201cBut this time they are planning to ban even the Bible in Pakistan. The extremists have crossed the all limitations of extremism.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walter said Christians were hopeful the Supreme Court would not accept an application calling for a Bible ban, should JUI-S lawyers try to submit one.<\/p>\n

The Rev. Majid Abel, pastor of Lahore\u2019s historic Naulakha Presbyterian Church, said that most Muslims, including several clerics of his acquaintance, respect the Bible since the Qur\u2019an describes it as a revealed book.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, \u201cthere are a few elements in society who want to make political mileage from such a shoddy political gimmick,\u201d he said. Abel said Christians should be ready to react peacefully if the time comes when a reaction is necessary.<\/p>\n

Violent reaction feared<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Islam\u2019s view of the Bible is open to debate and interpretation. In places (such as sura 29:46-47) the Qur\u2019an appears to direct Muslims to respect the Bible and those who believe in it. But elsewhere (such as sura 9:29-31) it exhorts Muslims to fight those \u2013 including Christians and Jews \u2013 who do not accept Islam, until they pay tribute and accept inferior (dhimmi) status.<\/p>\n

The JUI-S is closely associated with the Taliban and other violent Islamic groups.<\/p>\n

According to Aqeel, it is not a prominent political faction, though considered influential due to its historical relationship with the Taliban. The \u201cSami-ul Haq\u201d in its name is the head of a madrassa that has been called the Taliban\u2019s launching pad, with Mullah Omar and other senior Taliban figures having studied there.<\/p>\n

As a federal senator, Sami-ul Haq played a leading role in passage of a law in 1991 enforcing shari\u2019a in Pakistan, Aqeel recalled.<\/p>\n

Given that background, he said, the group\u2019s anti-Bible campaign had to be taken seriously.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the petition is filed, the Christian community may not be able to handle the case due to lack of sufficient legal acumen and due to the sensitivity and violent reactionary attitude of the Muslim majority in Pakistan,\u201d Aqeel said.<\/p>\n

How the court would likely respond was a different matter, as it would be aware of the fact that the case would impact Pakistan\u2019s international image.<\/p>\n

Aqeel predicted that the court would either delay indefinitely any action on the petition, or \u201cdecide in favor of the Christians.\u201d<\/p>\n

Source:\u00a0http:\/\/www.cnsnews.com\/news\/article\/call-ban-bible-troubles-pakistan-s-embat<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0Patrick Goodenough (CNSNews.com) \u2013 Pakistani Christians reacted with dismay Thursday to campaign by radical Muslim clerics to have the Bible declared blasphemous and banned, but some said the community should respond calmly, without fear, trusting God to protect His word. 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