Cruelty in death

NIDERRAU, GERMANY: Your editorial of Aug 3 ‘Cruelty in death’ is well-written. There is only one word for what happened to Prem Chand’s coffin: ‘shameful’. Muslims are so sensitive in the West when any remark they feel mocks their religious beliefs. But what about how Muslims treat non-Muslims in their own countries?

Not surprising, then, that in recent months around a hundred priests have been deported from Morocco for preaching Christianity. The Christians, mostly from the United States and Europe, have been accused of trying to convert Muslims to Christianity, a crime punishable by imprisonment under Moroccan law, which protects the freedom to practice one’s faith but forbids any attempt to convert others. Rules against proselytising are quite common in Muslim countries.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2010.