Stories of coexistence: ‘We live together, we grieve together’

“Christian education teaches non-violence. Christians cannot take anyone’s life under any circumstances.”

LAHORE:

After the suicide attacks at two Youhanabad churches last Sunday, an announcement was heard in the main bazaar calling on the ‘faithful’ to rush to the Lahore General Hospital where blood donations were needed for the injured.

It came from a mosque in Nishter Colony, an adjacent neighbourhood, says Ilyas Gill, brother of former nazim Tariq Javed Tariq who spent the day managing rescue efforts at the Christ Church.

He says the announcement was made by Rana Khalid Qadri, a former naib nazim.

He says Qadri’s announcement was before the start of violent riots during which two people were burnt. However, voices of compassion gave way to calls for retribution after the news of the lynching incident spread. “Later on, we heard at least three announcements provoking ‘Muslims’ to avenge the killings,” he says.

“The rioters do not represent us. Christian education teaches non-violence. A Christian cannot take anyone’s life under any circumstances,” he says.

This Friday, he says, a joint meeting of representatives of Muslim and Christian communities was held to discuss measures to prevent any untoward incident.

Youhanabad is home also to Muslims, most of whom have businesses in the area.

Some of them also joined the rescue effort after the blast. Rana Zahid, a dairy shop owner, says he had closed his shop on hearing the blast and rushed to the site to join the rescue workers. “We are community. Their loss is our loss,” he says.

Sadiq Shaikh and his cousin Muhammad Ramazan, kitchenware merchants, were shot and killed by the attackers outside their shop opposite the Christ Church.

“They were unloading merchandise from a rickshaw when the attack took place,” says Sadiq’s brother Shaikh Shaukat Ali. He was sitting underneath a banner put up in front of the Church that reads: “Muslim community of Youhanabad grieves the loss of life and property suffered by their Christian brethren.”

Ali says the shop remained closed for three days and was re-opened on Thursday. Till Saturday, Ali and his nephews were busy removing wares damaged in the blast. “These can no longer be sold,” he says.

Malik Javed, who has a general store next to Sadiq’s shop, says he remained unhurt in the attack as he had gone to the back of the store to refill a sugar jar.

“God saved me,” is Javed’s first response to the residents visiting him and expressing their best wishes.

Umar Farooq, a Chungi Amar Sidhu resident, runs construction material business in Youhanabad. He says he had reopened the shop on Thursday. “Most of my customers are my friends as well. I have known them for several years,” he says. Youhanabad’s Muslim community includes several Pakhtun families, some of whom are third generation residents in the neighbourhood. Irfanullah, who works at his uncle Alaouddin’s store, says he was good friends with Yousaf Goga, who died preventing the attackers from entering Christ Church. “Goga was the former president of our traders’ association. All men from our family attended his funeral and accompanied the body for burial,” he says.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2015.