The writer is a journalist and was a Hubert H Humphrey Fellow for 2011-12
The people who came to attend the church service in Peshawar had probably never even thought for a moment that this would be their last time to worship, hear the sermon, to read the Holy Bible and say the congregational and personal prayer. The contentment and peace they had attained during the service would leave their families in a state of never-ending despair as these people did not know of the brutal events that would follow.
I remember that when I went to the US for the first time, the first thing I observed about the church was how it was different from my church in Pakistan. My friend from the Fiji Islands had accompanied me and she asked, “Why is that you look so confused?” I told her that I was not confused but thinking about what it would feel like to go inside the church and perform the full service without security guards. “You have guards outside your church in Pakistan”, she asked me. “Yes, I replied, the guards are outside almost every church in Pakistan.”
I remember when I went back to Pakistan after spending a year on the fellowship, almost everyone with the exception of two or three friends asked me, “Lubna, why have you come back to Pakistan? You have a bright future there, since you are a Christian”. I told them that during my year in the US my American friends knew me first as a Pakistani and then as a Christian, as this is what my identity reveals. Throughout my whole life, I have struggled with it, and I am sure many other Christians also do, when our neighbours and sometimes friends say that we, being minorities, can easily go to Western countries as they share the similar faith. That’s the first signal of segregation and after my one-year in the US, I now tell people that there you couldn’t win hearts on the basis of religion, as the people there respect all religions. It’s only in Pakistan that I have seen religion being used as a main identity.
Last August, when a minor Christian girl was charged with blasphemy and I was working on the story, there were many stages during the coverage when I started asking myself what was my identity in this country? One day someone could charge me with blasphemy just because they don’t like me.
The Christians living in Pakistan have been paying a heavy price to live here. We have always served with the same enthusiasm and urge as others in every field of life. Our men have sacrificed their lives serving in the army; women serve the sick and teach the best values to children. Then how can someone take our lives, in our places of worship? Are we less than anyone else in the country we were born in and call our motherland?
The Christians who died in Peshawar are martyrs of the nation and their blood will always be a sign of sacrifices the Christians have given for this land.
It’s so easy to say a few words of condemnation but can anyone from the government understand the pain and suffering of the families of all those innocents whose death has left so many questions unanswered? Mere words cannot sustain the families, as the wound is too deep to cure. A strong action and strategy needs to be initiated to stop the recurrence of such inhuman incidents in future, as we are all Pakistani, not foreigners. Let Pakistan be clean and be the land the founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, envisaged, where everyone is free to practice his/her faith.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2013.
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COMMENTS (38)
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@Trepidation: Goa is not a Christian majority state, it is nearly 70 % Hindu, although it has a large and influential Christian minority. Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland are the only Christian majority states in India.
@maestro:
Will you campaign to change Pakistan's constitution to make it a secular that gives everyone EXACTLY the same and EQUAL rights? Unless you do, all this talk is just platitude. Nothing will change on the ground for the minorities.
Dear Lubna....
First my condolences to all the affected families ... i would like to have your answers on few important matters
Are only religions other than Islam are being targeted by terrorists? How many mosques have been blasted by terrorists when prayers were going on? Is security guard only provided to Churches or temples? Do terrorists have any religious discrimination when they kill us? Who is getting benefited by the acts of terrorists?The point i want to bring here is that there is no you and me... minority and majority.... its only US the Pakistanis.
I hate the word "minorities" - what is this nonsense word?? We are all Pakistanis! Period. I am a sunni muslim with many christian friends here in Islamabad. They are peace loving, amazing friends and loyal Pakistanis as witnessed by how they actually open stalls to paint peoples faces green and white on events like aug.14, cricket matches, etc. What has happened in Peshawar is a travesty of the highest order and should not be taken to represent the attitude of the general population towards our christian community. One of Pakistan's most decorated fighter pilots from the 1965 war is a christian - Cecil Choudhary. Two of the best renowned rock drummers in Pakistan are christian - Louis J. Pinto (Gumby) from Noori and Allan Smith from Karavan. There are countless others, list will be too long to narrate here. We are all Pakistanis and we stand beside our christian brothers and sisters in this hour of need.
My dear sis it only Christian church, which is only on the target? Is my mosque has save from it? Is my furnnel has save from it? My school? This is not attack on Christians and for God sake don't give it sectarian issue. If the Muslim of Pakistan has no such attack then there is a reason. We condolences and condemn thus brutal violence
One of the saddest part of Pakistan's history; till we get rid of the religion from the state, we would not be able to change the mindset of our people and bring justice and equality for all.
why such cruelty ? i was sad watching it at TV....Remember lubna striving in california to show the joyfull side of pakistan during classmates discussion.....cheer up sister ! GOD bless your country and war torn countries. Amen
Heartfelt condolences. You are not the minorities, you are Pakistanis.
When a country makes it a point to enact a law to excommunicate a community ,and is persecuting and marginalising them,and nobody cares if people go about inciting against and killing them without fear of law,then these kinds of incidents to the minorities is a given.
Christians of Pakistan are Loving people and we are proud of them.
My heartfelt condolences, sister.
@Trepidation: Goa in India is a Christian majority state & far more peaceful & prosperous than Pakistan. Ridiculous. Christians form less than 30 per cent of Goa's population. Of course it is peaceful - all the violence takes place only between certain communities.
Attack on the church was barbaric and shocked everyone who has a shred of humanity left inside them.. . Just wanted to point out that Christians are same as Pakistani Muslims. We had 209 attacks on Muslims this year by same terrorists and this one was on Christians. This does prove we are equal victims of terrorism.
@ Miss Lubna Thomas Benjamin Since Pakistan was made for Muslims it has no place for non-Muslims in it by default! I suggest you move to USA or India, Goa in India is a Christian majority state & far more peaceful & prosperous than Pakistan. Clinging to Pakistan will only result in more people getting blown to pieces :( My heartfelt condolences to the victims of terrorism :| RIP ...
Doesn't every mosque also has guards outside it? How many mosques and shrines have been attacked and how many churches? All life is sacred. Loss of every life is devastating. This travesty is no more or no less painful than all the other terrorist attacks in the country. Of course, you are as much a Pakistani as the next person. this tragedy is no more outrageous than attacks on hazaras or shias or on sufi shrines, just because victims are christians. Terrorism is terrorism, period. It doesn't distinguish between its victims.
i could understand the pain which your piece is reflecting. but, i would really like to remind you of those hundreds of other people who called themselves muslims being killed in this of terrorism. the point that we really have to we suold all try to understand is that it's not about being muslim or christian,etc. its just about being a pakistani. there is a lot to be discussed on this issue; however, we should be united and firm against the enemies of our country without nourishing the essence of discrimination coz united we stand, divided we fall. :)
Dear sister,
I understand your agony and respect your views. As a Muslim Pakistani I never felt Christians less Pakistani than me. You are very much Pakistanis and we all feel shocked on the heinous attacks in Peshawar. Lubna, please remember that we as Pakistanis are equal in treatment by the terrorists. I hope you have not forgotten Meena Bazar blasts in Peshawar, so this terrorism is killings us all. I pray that present rulers would do enough for the safety of common Pakistani.
sister, the whole pf pakistan feels your pain. We mourn and feel guilty at not being able to protect our brothers. you and all other minorities are more Pakistani than the majority god bless you!
@Christian: Sorry about your loss. It's the whole nation's loss as well. To me they have killed Pakistanis and no one else.
Lubna, you are absolutely as Pakistani as the rest of us are. There's is no scumbag on earth who can take this right from you. Never!
I have always wondered what went through the minds of non-muslims who decided to stay back in the region we call pakistan today when the state was expressly created with a religious identity. What were they thinking?
Dear Miss Lubna,
I do not have words to translate my pain and anxiety here regarding this unfortunate incident. Do not consider yourself segregated in this cause, we the so called majority are also suffering the same pain, in fact we should be on same page as far as recognition of our common enemy is concerned. You must not forget that we Muslims have not been left unhurt as wel.We are all Pakistanies and salute your (Christain's) services and sincerity for Pakistan.
But pakistani means muslims that's why the problem in pakistan.they don't wants to give importance on minorities.
Lubna, come to India. Christians are among the most successful and well-to-do in India.
You are, and always will be Pakistanis. Do not let terrorists ever make you feel otherwise. Ever. Know that sane Pakistanis (and we are not in short supply) stand with the Christian community.
even though terrorists have no religion and target both muslims and Christians, please accept my sincere condolences. Us muslims have failed to protect you. we should have done a better job.
"Sacrifice" or out right murder?! The Christians did not make a decision to "sacrifice" themselves to prove anything. This is barbaric and should be condemned as such.
I am sorry. Pakistan is sorry. We failed you as we failed other Pakistanis of different faith. We are cowards, we lack conviction and are scared of the hate spewing mullahs and their gun totting thugs.
Jinnah's Pakistan is long dead.
Lubna, you and the millions of other Pakistani Christians make Pakistan a much more rich and diverse place. We are grateful that you are part of our national family. I pray that one day, Jinnah's dream is realized and the state and society treats you as equal citizens. It can certainly happen. Forget the Indian commenting brigade and the Pakistani cynics who will say it won't.
I am so sorry to see this happening as it has been a long time coming. Unlike you Lubna I did grow up in a more tolerant Pakistan where some of my classmates and school friends were Christian/Shia/Ahmedi. Not that any of us really paid a whole lot of heed. I would like to share an incident with your readers to illustrate the point that Christians of Pakistan are Pakistani. A Christian classmate and old school friend was getting married after graduating from college in the US to a Caucasian American and when I went for his wedding I realized his father had traveled from Pakistan for the occasion. It came as a surprise to me that although he had been staying with his son for a few days he had never gone out or eaten any american food. so I decided we should go grab a pizza that evening. His son thought he would not enjoy it as he had previously refused to go out with his own son. Upon inquiring, the Dad (May God rest his soul in peace) told me that since I was a Muslim he could trust me to not inadvertently have him eat pork or have alcohol in his drink. He felt that as a Pakistani christian who had never eaten pork and he was not going to start now. As a footnote he came back to Pakistan and gave a glowing report to my bereft parents (this was in the days of snail mail and 10 year waits for land line telephone connections). that helped my parents bear with our long parting. We are or used to be Pakistani Muslims Christians Hindus. all that has happened in the meantime is to demean and defame the glorious national pride in exchange for murder, mayhem and atrocities committed in the name of religion.
Love you lubna. I have so many christian friends, my heart goes out to the bereaved and may Allah bless the departed souls (ameen)
The people who carried out attacks in Peshawar were not humans but scavengers who wanted to suck the marrow out of an already crippled nation. I was enrolled in a missionary school and my adolescent and teenage school years were the most fond memories that I can recall. There is no such things such as a minority, the very word should be erased from this world. We want law and order in our country as already a lot blood of the innocent has been spilled. Its time we fight these scavengers, Taliban, whatever one would like to call them.
Sure we are. But we are not muslim. There is a huge difference.
We are one nation. We have been divided by petty usurpers of power and "preachers" spreading ignorance and hate. All Pakistanis should be equal and have equal rights. Enough is enough. Pakistan Zindabad.
Definitely the Christens are First Class Citizens just like every Pakistani is. I went to Christen school and I am proud the school thought me Civility, Goodness of Islam, the skills to Get Ahead as well as Good Citizenship. Pakistanies getting killed in Church, Masjids, Schools, Madresssas, as well as on the streets. We stand with the Christen Communities as is with those who get killed daily in Pakistan. Forgive us Our Lord for ou sins. Ameen.
I know sister Lubna it has hurt you a lot and not even myself but any other patriotic muslim and pakistani can never fill the gape that is born inside ur heart ... But I being a muslim is pakistani and you being a non muslim (Christian) too is a pakistani.. this is our country and you all are the assets of this countries because in my sight you all the very precious for us and without you all we are nothing.... This could be the conspiracy of creating animosity among us but we together have to got to detect a real black sheep....... and we need to get assembled and united for the prosperity of this country.....
"The Christians who died in Peshawar are martyrs of the nation and their blood will always be a sign of sacrifices the Christians have given for this land." I do feel your pain and recognise the emotional turmoil you are going thru.. But on a more practical note, why do you call this murder of churchgoers as a sacrifice for Pakistan? Did they attend church to become martyrs?
Liked what you said................. and liked the way you said it.