I’m sure that many have heard of this horrific situation in Pakistan. A full story can be found here, but the quick summary is this: an eleven year old Christian girl with Downs Syndrome was seen holding a burned copy of Noorani Qaida, a religious textbook used to teach the Koran to children. After some neighbors reported this to a cleric, the child and her mother were arrested.
They are in danger of facing the death penalty. Even if they escape that, they will never return home again, and many of their Christian neighbors have fled. All of them are among the poorest of the poor in Pakistan. They are oppressed, downtrodden, and live in fear of their Muslim neighbors and religious authorities.
This is sick. This is religion at its worst. This kind of intolerance discloses a belief in a malevolent, evil deity whose primary intention as Ruler of the Universe is to wipe out anyone who dares to disagree with whatever that deity’s followers have determined to be absolute truth.
I’m not laying all the blame on Muslim clerics here, although there is plenty to be had. Christians have a track record of enthusiastic participation in such acts of hateful intolerance as well. As a Christian cleric, I am happy to speak out when I see those with whom I claim a faith connection live out of intolerant and hateful acts.
I want to know where the Muslims are who will speak out against this. I really want to know.
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