Pakistan: Muslims Help Christian Neighbors Rebuild Church

 

image: http://images.christianpost.com/full/97816/pakistani-muslims.jpg
(Photo: BBC News video screencap)

Muslim farmers in a Punjabi town in Pakistan building church for the local Christian community, in a video posted on June 13, 2016.

In an act of solidarity, Muslims in Pakistan are helping their Christian neighbors rebuild a church that was destroyed by monsoon rains. 

 

According to The Christian Post, the Muslims in the village of Khaksabad said they are helping their Christian neighbors in order to build peaceful relationships.

 

"After local riots we are trying to bring people together even more," villager Ijaz Farooq told BBC News in an interview posted on Monday, referring to riots which took place in the nearby village of Gojra in 2009 and targeted Christians.

 

"We have increased our activity so we don't have to face something like that. By building this church we want to show that we are united as a community," he added.

 

Christians often face persecution from Muslims in Pakistan where blasphemy laws seek to catch Christians insulting Islam.

 

However, as the recent act of solidarity has shown, some Muslims in the country are seeking resolution of the conflict.

 

"Since my childhood we have all lived together in this one place. We live with love [and] attend each other's weddings and festivals," said Faryal Masih, a Christian villager. “We are together in times of happiness and grief. I pray that we never have to go through what happened in Gojra ever,” she continued.