Cardinal Keith
Patrick O’Brien, the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, made the comments
in a message which will be read out at a peace concert and rally in London on
Saturday 10th March, commemorating the first anniversary of Mr
Bhatti’s death.
In his message
the cardinal praised Mr Bhatti’s human rights work and drew attention to the
Pope’s admiration for his commitment to social
justice. He said:
“Shahbaz Bhatti was a truly remarkable hero whose legacy must live on in our own
lives.
“The call of
religious freedom was one he made his own and anyone who cares about the dignity
of the human person will listen to his words.” He also said:
“Pope Benedict XVI has paid tribute to what he described as Shahbaz Bhatti’s
‘untiring battle for the rights of minorities [that] ended in his tragic
death’.”
Mr Bhatti,
Pakistan ’s first federal
minister for minority affairs, was shot dead while travelling to work in
Islamabad . The cabinet-rank
politician and Catholic was killed after campaigning on behalf of Asia Bibi,
Pakistan ’s first woman to be
sentenced to death under the blasphemy laws.
In his message,
the cardinal drew attention to the last interview Mr Bhatti made before his
death, in which he spoke of the death threats he had received for campaigning
against the blasphemy laws and about his own faith.
Mr Bhatti said:
“I want to share that I believe in Jesus Christ, who has given his own life for
us. I know what is the meaning of [the] cross, and I am following the cross, and
I am ready to die for a cause.”
Reflecting on
his words, Cardinal O’Brien said: “His witness is a remarkable one that has
lessons for us all.
“First of all,
he embraces the cross – the centre of the Christian Faith – and he was faithful
to the example of Jesus Christ, following in his
steps. Secondly he is
prepared to live out that faith, standing up not just for the Christian
community but for all religious minorities who experience persecution on the
pretext of blasphemy.”
Cardinal O’Brien has spoken out frequently in defence of religious freedom,
drawing on his travels to many parts of the world where Christians are
oppressed and persecuted.
He highlighted the plight
of Christians in Pakistan
at the March 2011 launch of Persecuted and Forgotten? A Report on Christians
oppressed for their Faith, produced by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in
Need.
The March 10th peace rally and concert commemorating the
life and work of Mr Bhatti – where the cardinal’s statement will be read out – will
call for changes to Pakistan ’s
blasphemy laws, which impose sentences including execution and life
imprisonment for offences against Islam.
The peace rally, organised by the British Pakistani Christian
Association in conjunction Aid to the Church in Need and others, will start at
11am with a protest outside the Pakistan High Commission, Lowndes Square , London .
Following the submission of a petition to 10 Downing Street at 2pm there will be a
concert in Trafalgar Square
starting at 3pm.
Further details on the protest can be found by clicking the link below:
http://britishpakistanichristian.blogspot.com/2011/11/protest-march-and-trafalgar-square.html
No comments:
Post a Comment