In expansive Pakistan, Christians struggle to find space for cemeteries

In this tiny village where most homes don’t have windows and meals are cooked over fire pits, Christians are used to feeling like second-class citizens.

Christians say they earn less than $2 a day working in the sugarcane fields. They must shop at the sparsely stocked Christian-run rice and vegetable store. They are not allowed to draw water from wells tapped for Muslim neighbors. Now, in what many consider to be a final indignity, they and other Pakistani Christians are struggling to bury their dead.

“There is discrimination, and that is very much clear and obvious to all of us who live in this country,” said Nizar Masih, 65, a farmer who, like many Pakistani Christians, has a surname that refers to the Messiah.

Christians in Pakistan have been targets of what human rights activists call an unprecedented wave of violence against religious minorities, including Shiites, Ahmadis, Sikhs and Hindus. Thousands of members of religious minority groups have been killed over the past five years. But the Christians’ dwindling burial space is an example of a less dramatic but more persistent battle they say takes place behind the bloody headlines: a daily struggle for what might seem to be basic rights.

Last month, the Christians thought they had found a solution: A local Muslim landowner gave them use of a two-acre plot. But when about 50 Christian villagers began grading the site on Sept. 2, they were quickly met by 500 angry Muslim neighbors.

The Muslims approached “eyeball-to-eyeball,” said villager Waris Masih, 32, and accused them of disturbing ancient Islamic grave sites.

“The Christians tried to dishonor our faith and bring harm to our graveyard,” said Muhammad Khalil, 45, a Muslim farmer.

Wasif Iqbal,whose family owns the land, insists there are no known graves on the site. Even so, by the next morning, 53 Christians had been charged with blasphemy, a crime punishable by death in Pakistan. Eight villagers, including a 12-year-old boy, were jailed while the others remained free on bond. The charges were dropped a week later, but the Christian villagers are now back to cramming bodies into the existing cemetery.

Maria S wrote:
http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2014/10/reza-aslan-on-what-the-new-atheists-get-wrong.html

I agree with this part, where he says:


"I think the principle fallacy of not just to the so-called New Atheists, but I think of a lot of critics of religion, is that they believe that people derive their values, their morals, from their religion. That, as every scholar of religion in the world will tell you, is false.

Maria S wrote:
But in general, most Muslims/Groups just don't pick "Christian countries" to plan extensively and fly airplanes to cause devastation..if they did, Christian countries like Iceland, Bolivia, Monaco or even the Vatican would have suffered attacks. Everyone knows, it's about countries perceived as "geo-political and economic powers"..esp. one superpower..which generates passions for it's political and military support (occupation in some cases).  On the personal side, Pres. Bush was among the most "religious Christian" Presidents who openly kissed and hands with some powerful Muslims-Rulers. Are the Muslim rulers any less religious or brutal in their own regimes. *Christians can't even carry a Bible publicly in Saudi Arabia- there is no religious freedom..unlike Iraq, Jordan, Syria..where Christians can freely worship. 

It's always interesting to see these personal-international dynamics cloaked in religion.

Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:Here is my new theory.

Christianity and Islam were born in the desert.. Also, there were so few trees and firewood to cremate them.  So when people died it was easy to bury them.

Now that gas and electricity can be used to do the job.

Did Maria ji know the new rule passed by the Association of churches (or christians) in Madras that Christian cemetaries that are older than 200 years can be REUSED to bury the dead? The Kilpauk Christian cemetary is almost full and was the reason for this decision - some 5 years ago.

confuzzled dude wrote:

I think it all boils down to the modus operandi of government/authority of a country. If they are impartial then the country would be fine which is why I express my doubts about current Indian govt. If you take a look at Iraq, there were nearly 2 million Christians in Iraq before the war and in 10 years time they're down to what, a couple of hundred thousands?!

Maria S wrote:
And people who were shy  (or did not want to be drenched) to show up..are on social media..writing poetry comparing her to Goddesses, Kannagi..you name it Tamil historical figures!  People can laugh at her and her supporters...there is no doubt she is some force to reckon with!