30th October 2001
The Muslim Council of Britain is outraged and grieved by the slaughter of innocent worshippers at St Dominic’s Catholic Church in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, yesterday. It extends its deepest sympathy and profound regret to the family, fellow worshippers and community of the 16 people who died.
“Nothing could be further from the path of Islam than this evil and senseless murder of people gathered for prayer to pay homage to God, whom we all worship”, said Yousuf Bhailok, Secretary General of the MCB. “Islam totally and unequivocally proscribes acts of violence perpetrated against places of worship and worshippers”. He added, “We urge the President of Pakistan to employ all available resources to apprehend those guilty of the killings. The Christian community in Pakistan should not be made to live in fear for its security and safety”.
As Muslims, our first duty is to stand up against this pathological evil in our midst. It is time those who are so fond of complaining of double standards in the foreign policy of states paid the same attention to the cancerous double standards, evil and brutality that betrays the very essence of Islam. The message of Islam is that all life is uniquely valuable, a trust from God and it is the duty of all believers to protect, safeguard and nurture it. We stand with the victims of September 11th; the innocent people of Afghanistan and those murdered at prayer in Pakistan. We stand for justice because we believe violence is not the answer. Followers of all faiths should stand together against violence and terror.
For more information please contact the MCB Media Office on 020 8903 9650