St Joseph's alumni rekindle bond with school after Peshawar church attack

Former and current students pay tribute to the blast victims, show solidarity with community.

KARACHI:

For St Joseph's Convent School alumni and journalist Zubeida Mustafa, the first thought that came to mind after she heard about the Peshawar church blast was about her school and the entire Christian community her school linked her to.

"Though Peshawar is not in Karachi and I myself was out of Pakistan, when I heard about the Peshawar, my mind and thoughts went back to SJC," she admitted before a gathering of former and current students of the missionary school. "So, here I stand today, to offer condolences for this event. It is a sad state of affairs that today we have failed to provide peace and security to our children. To the young children, I apologise, for we have failed them."

There was pin-drop silence in the Big Hall of the school on Friday morning as students, nuns and teachers gathered to listen to their alumni shed light on the Peshawar church attack. Condemning the brutal attack, the students of SJC paid tribute to the victims and expressed their solidarity with the Christian community.

Mustafa recalled that she left the school 65 years ago but still holds high the values it implanted in her. "This place taught us to respect human life and other beliefs. Showing respect to others and tolerance for others was what we learnt here. Above all else to create an environment and a society this is secular and democratic to the core." For Mustafa, the Christian community is not a minority. "They belong to mainstream Pakistan," she said. "Everyone should tolerate the other. Live and let live for a better tomorrow."

Another alumni artist Niilofer Farrukh, who left the school 40 years ago, also condemned all kinds of injustices against the community. "This is the place that taught me to become a mother who instils values of tolerance in my son." Farrukh advised shunning intolerance in the society the moment it grows. "These prejudices just cannot continue. We must speak out by believing in the system that has educated us."

Another journalist Shanaz Ramzi agreed that there is a need to step out and condemn these acts targeting not only Christians but Shias as well. "These criminals are animals and we need to fight them," she said. "We need to unite against all this."

Ramzi recalled the time when she as a student used to offer Mass service and would rejoice Christmas celebrations with her Christian friends. "Trust me, we are better off with tolerance and brotherhood."

Later, a current student of the school, Amna Pathan, read out a speech in which she gave a chronological order of the contributions that the Christian community has made for education and health services in the country, even long before Pakistan was born. Christians form hardly 1.6 per cent of the entire population but the services they offer are remarkable, she said. "It is high time that Christians are recognised as Pakistani because destiny has fused in us the sand of this soil."

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5^th, 2013.