Evangelicals ask authorities to protect Christian minority in Pakistan

The churches of Córdoba (Spain) united on Sunday to protest against the persecution of Christians in Pakistan. A terrorist attacked against Christians celebrating Easter on Sunday 27 March killed more than 70 people.

Many joined the call made by the regional evangelical council to meet after the worship services to ask the authorities to protect the “fundamental human right of professing a religion freely, without having to sacrifice their lives or affect their other freedoms.”

The pastor of the evangelical church located in the Lahore square of the city of Córdoba, Esteban Muñoz de Morales, opened the event.

In the name of all evangelical Christians he called everyone to “take action, unanimously and with clarity, against terrorism and in favour of the Christian minorities in Pakistan and in all the surrounding countries.” These believers, he said, are “victims of a systematic terrorist extermination.” “The international community should break its silence”, he added.

After a minute of silence, a violin played a melody of Schindler’s List (by John Williams) and the hymn Amazing Grace (John Newton).

Two members of other churches read Bible passages and said “prayer is still the most powerful tool of the believer.”

THE MEDIA SHOULD NOT HIDE INFORMATION

Director of Open Doors Spain, Ted Blake, provided some information of the state of the persecuted church in different countries. He emphasised the gathering was not against a religion, but “against totalitarianism and the intransigence of some sectors” which aim to exclude others. According to the organisation, there have been reports of at least 2,400 Christian churches attacked across the world last year.

Pastor Ángel Bea read the manifesto of the Evangelical Council of Córdoba, saying that “the Christian victims in terrorist attacks like the one in Lahore were killed because of their faith, not for other reasons.

“The media should not ignore or hide this basic information.” The “genocide”, he said, “should not be minimised.”

GOVERNMENT: “SOLIDARITY WITH RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION VICTIMS”

The subdelegate of the Spanish government in Córdoba attended the gathering. Juan José Primo Jurado mentioned some totalitarianisms in the last century and said jihadism is the regime that needs to be fought in this century. He also expressed his solidarity with the victims of religious persecution.

The event closed when children threw 72 balloons, to honour the victims of the Lahore attacks.