We are not a separate nation

Our country is not living up to its ideals. The focus of our children should be on education, friends, jobs and learning to deal with social pressures. But now they have to worry about their life. I have always loved and respected my country and used to believe a day would come when we would be at peace. I called myself a Pakistani rather than a Christian. People say we must run away from Pakistan but I never wanted to leave the land where I was born and brought up. But today I cry and I wonder, is this really my country? My motherland? If the answer is yes then why would a mother kill her children?

On July 10 I heard about the demise of one of my Christian brothers. A young, talented man found lying on the road in front of his house (he had been shot) who stopped breathing while the police were taking him to the hospital. I was not related to him by blood but I always saw him working for children in the church. He was hardworking and dedicated. I’m sure he had plans for his family and himself. But he couldn’t fulfil them for he was shot for reasons we will never know.

But it doesn’t stop here; I remember vividly how I felt when on July 15 I read about a young Christian girl at the Jinnah Post-Medical Centre being sexually assaulted. Those who knew her were in deep sorrow, and our hearts went out to her family. And on July 21, emotional wounds that had just begun to heal were ripped open as I read about two Christian brothers, accused of blasphemy, shot dead in Faisalabad.

We are not a separate nation; we are a part of Pakistan. The flag of Pakistan has a white bar along the side that signals a welcome to all religious minorities. The green and white together stand for peace and prosperity. We are the largest religious minority in Pakistan. We have contributed to society as educationists, doctors, lawyers and businessmen.

I don’t have complaints with my Muslim friends. I’ve seen love and hospitality for us in their hearts. But these painful incidents make me think: am I proud to be a Pakistani?

No religion teaches us to hate and kill, but it is a growing problem in this country. Also, an important question lingers in my mind, unanswered: Why does death so cruelly claim the young and innocent? This question has occupied the thoughts of many Christians. In the past few months many of our friends have been killed. This has brought much fear and disappointment. The government has stepped in but the situation has remained the same. It is tragic to give birth to children, hug them, kiss them and then place them on a street corner and walk away feeling that we have done our part. And that is what is happening in Pakistan. We introduce people to Pakistan, we lead them to experience and then we walk away. A child needs to be involved in a family just as we as citizens should be involved in our country.

We need to learn to love each other. It's time for us to unite, fight, grow in consciousness, and save the planet as we're part of the earth and the chain of life.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2010.