As the family of an evangelist who was shot dead on Wednesday prayed for him at Holy Trinity Church, they also accepted that preaching about their religion might not be safe any more.
Fifty-year-old Christian preacher Jamil Sawan, who used to visit one house after another in his mixed-religion neighbourhood of Essa Nagri, was shot dead last week. Two men killed him at the cosmetics shop he ran at a nearby shopping centre.
Sawan’s son Shahid sees this act as a target killing on the basis of religion. “My father was killed because he was so vocal and people don’t like Christians preaching openly,” he told The Express Tribune.
Pastor Shahid Saghar of Global Vision Jerusalem church, where Sawan was one of the appointed preachers, agrees. He cryptically added that a recent argument could have led to the murder. “A couple of days ago, he had an argument with some political activists on religion,” he said. But the pastor was too scared to share any more details. By way of indicating that there had been an argument he added that he knew Sawan held staunch beliefs.
Luckily, the pastor isn’t the only one who heard about the fight. “There have been rumours that there was a fight, but we are investigating the matter,” said Aziz Bhatti SHO Kenson Dean, under whose jurisdiction the murder took place. Dean ruled out a robbery and said that he was fairly certain Sawan was targeted.
The family has registered a murder case, FIR No 691/11, but it has not named any suspects.
Sawan, who was the church’s evangelist for the last three years, hailed from Quetta and moved to Karachi a few years ago. He was also a member of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance.
The murder has alarmed Christians far and wide. MPA Saleem Khokhar, who was among the mourners, said that the community was shaken by the murder as Sawan was quite popular. “He was not afraid to voice his opinions in front of those who believed the opposite,” said Khokhar.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 21st, 2011.
COMMENTS (10)
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No one needs to bomb us into stone age, we can do it ourselves.
Stone age Here we are coming
Pre-meditated murder because of an argument on beliefs or proselytizing?
While Tableeghi practitioners may complain about being judged and victimized by avoidance and stereotyped insults when they come to people's homes in a majority Muslim population, don't think it's gotten to the point or compared to where they are discriminated and have to fear for their lives like the minority Pakistani Christian Evangelicals.
Everytime an incident like this happens, we find some of people quite rightly protest and condemn it, even if by writing a letter to the editor or contributing in blogs like this. Now can someone tell me, why there is so much hatred in our society? the source of this hate? why are we so full of hatred?
Shameful. The only way we, the followers of the everlasting religion can defend our religion is by the bullet!
This is very sad that preachers are now being target but kudos to the writer and the newspaper for atleast talking on the issue. Minorities are already suppressed and frightened, and such incidents will definitely increase their problems.
CORRECTION OF MY POST**Please repost.
This is very tragic. More tragic is the fact that level of hue and cry from civil society,media and religious right is not the same as we have seen on other issues. A society’s demise does not result from a bad economy, terrorism or foreign invasion but societies get destroyed due to blatant intolerance like this and bigotry. It is very simple. We need to understand.
This is very tragic. More tragic is the fact that level of hue and cry from civil society,media and religious right is not the same as we have seen on other issues. A society's demise does result from a bad economy, terrorism or foreign invasion, societies get destroyed due blatant intolerance like this and bigotry. It is very simple. We need to understand.
the message from pakistani society has been pretty loud and clear for some time now:if you're not muslim you have no place in pakistan. Atheists,agnostics,gays and lesbians,ahmadis,hindus and christians have been clearly told by our laws,our attitudes,our law enforcers that you are not welcome in the land of the pure and their definition of pure can include suicide bombers and people who chop off heads but excludes every one else. This country is great for you if you're a straight muslim man,the laws are tailor made for you.if you're unfortunate enough to be of any other religion or to be an atheist or be gay then your life will be made a living hell.