Muslim wants to block chapel construction in Peshawar University
ICC Note:
Muslim students claim that building a church in a secular university in Pakistan would trigger “sectarianism,” but what they are really claiming is that Pakistan is an Islamic country and Christians are not welcome. In fact, the only ones who would perpetrate sectarian violence are the Muslim students, not the church. These Muslims are blaming the victim for being attacked, when the real responsibility rests on the attacker.
AsiaNews (1/12/07) A Muslim student has petitioned High Court to stop the construction of a church inside a secular university in Peshawar. Masood Khan claims that building a church in the university would trigger sectarian anger.
The petition was presented by the students attorney, Khurshid Khan. In it, Khan claims that having a church in the university was un-Islamic and would fan sectarianism. For this reason construction should stop at once.
For anonymous court sources, it is very likely that the request will be heeded. However, if this happens, a confrontation between the judiciary and the executive branch of the government might follow.
In fact, it was North-West Frontier Province Chief Minister Akram Durrani who laid the foundation stone for the construction of the church at a ceremony last December 19.
