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The Cross A
fading symbol in Pakistan
http://pakistanchristian.tv/news/2010-01-06_A_fading_symbol.cfm
Karachi, Pakistan: January
06, 2010, (PCTV Newsdesk)
News source: Zeresh John
www.dawn.com
During the development of Karachi's
infrastructure, a large Catholic Goan community was
established by the British and the Irish before
World War II ...
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The cross is the most widely recognised religious
symbol of Christianity. Down the years, the emblem
has faded from the public eye, rarely seen in the
humdrum of everyday life in Pakistan. Born and
raised a devout Protestant Christian and a part of
the country’s largest religious minority, the
increasing invisibility of the cross, despite its
ascent about two decades ago, seems unsettling to
me.
There was a time in Pakistan when it was common to
see cross pendants around the necks of people on the
streets. But now, that sight has been reduced to a
rare glimpse in Karachi’s Bohri Bazaar, only when
Christmas is around the corner. The decreasing
visibility of the cross here underscores the
challenges the Christian community is facing.
Indeed, in view of recent anti-Christian violence,
there is an even smaller fraction of people who hang
a cross on the rearview mirrors of their cars or
display their religious identity on the entrance
doors of their homes — a sight that was previously
common. The cross seems to be fast disappearing from
local jewelry shops too. When inquired about this
change, Pakistani Christians voice concerns about
their security and dubiously ponder their future.
“Not many people come to buy them anymore. We have
some samples, but they are rarely requested,” says
the owner of a small jewelry shop in Saddar.
Churches once adorned with decorative lights on
festive occasions are now accompanied by security
guards and metal detectors. Christian processions
through the streets of Karachi before sunrise on
Easter and at midnight on Christmas have altogether
stopped. Images of the cross are now only seen at
few and far between photo exhibitions of churches or
historical landmarks of the country in elite and
well cloistered galleries.
Photographer Stephan Andrew admits to lesser
opportunities now than before to photograph the
cross in Pakistan. For his first solo exhibition two
months ago, Andrew had just one photograph capturing
the Christian presence in the country - an image of
the monument in St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
“Christians are hesitant to display their religious
identity now. It is believed that if you are a
Christian, you are either associated with the
Americans or are a foreigner,” Andrew adds.
Salman Chand, a Karachi-based banker who is a part
of the youthful social scene, says he doesn’t wear a
cross for different reasons: “I’m not too keen on
putting my faith on display, only because I feel the
cross is sacred and sometimes conflicts with my
lifestyle. I don’t wear a cross only because I don’t
want it to be disrespected or associated with things
that my religion does not preach.”
Despite such reservations, young Christians do long
for some acknowledgement of their faith in
Pakistan’s public sphere. Andrew recounts a recent
visit to Karachi’s Empress Market, where he came
across some roadside shops selling cross pendants on
black thread. “Perhaps it is more style than any
sort of religious declaration, but seeing those
crosses felt good. It just shows how some part of
Pakistan is still very liberal and forthcoming,” he
explains.
Indeed, many Pakistani Christians continue to value
the symbolism of the cross. Guitarist, composer and
music producer, Shallum Xavier, who wears a cross
pendant around his neck in all his music videos,
says that he does not wear it to represent his
faith, but because of what it signifies: the
crucifixion of Jesus Christ. “I wear the cross
because of my memories from my childhood. It is more
of a personal thing. A big part of it is because of
my love for Jesus Christ,” says the pop celebrity.
Meanwhile, Nabeel Dean, a senior sales and marketing
manager in an insurance company, points out that it
is not just the Christians who are scared of
professing their identity in Pakistan. “People from
other castes are generally keeping a low profile
also. With sectarian violence on the rise and
internal clashes between various political parties,
caste and religion automatically become explosive
subjects. You never know what will offend who,” he
says.
Better days
In the years after Partition, Pakistani Christians
used to have no qualms displaying their identity.
The community’s confidence and self assurance was at
its peak between the 1950s and 1970s, when Pakistani
Christians were respected members of society. They
were patriotic citizens and qualified professionals,
contributing as educationists, doctors, lawyers,
businessmen, and even popular radio jockeys. Back
then, Pakistani society encouraged a dynamic mix of
cultures, nationalities and religions. This
congenial respect for diversity gave birth to
acceptance for all minorities.
Before Xavier and other contemporary Christian pop
icons, including the legendary drummer Gumby, had to
justify their regard for the cross, the sound of
religious harmony was heard loud and clear across
Pakistan. In the late 1970s, the Benjamin Sisters, a
singing group comprising three sisters – Nerissa,
Beena and Shabana – achieved immense popularity in
both Pakistan and neighboring India in what began to
be referred to as the Benjamin Sisters Phenomenon.
In fact, the Benjamin Sisters symbolised what
Jinnah’s Pakistan was supposed to be, singing
patriotic national songs such as ‘Is parcham kay
saye tale hum ek hai.’
The mass migration
However, General Ziaul Haq’s wave of Islamisation in
the 1980s brought about a stark change in Pakistan’s
social and political scenarios. The nation’s
Christians, one of the most highly regarded
minorities, bore the brunt of this social
transformation. Those who were affluent emigrated,
leaving behind a majority of Pakistani Christians to
make their peace with being regarded as second-class
citizens in their own country.
“The mass migration of Christians in the eighties
explains the absence of the cross today,” says
Minerva Rebecca, a human resources manager in a
non-profit organisation. “There’s nobody around to
wear it anymore.” She also points out that the
Christians who remain in Pakistan are socially
marginalised and disenfranchised, and therefore not
confident enough to display their religious
identity. “They’re not part of higher social strata
for them to be seen at gatherings where the cross
may be noticed.”
Since the mass migration of Christians in the 1980s,
the only overt display of the cross in the 1990s
could be seen when one tuned in to catch a cricket
match. Yousuf Youhana, the third Pakistani batsmen
to score more than 6,000 runs in Test cricket, made
the sign of the cross after completing every
century. It was a proud moment for Pakistan, the
green and white of the flag represented truly with
both a Christian and a Hindu (Danish Kaneria)
playing for the national team on the field.
In 2005, however, Pakistani Christians across the
country, who prayed fervently for Youhana during
every cricket match, were disappointed following his
conversion to Islam. Confused by rumours and
controversies surrounding his conversion, young
Christian boys who looked up to Youhana for
inspiration felt let down.
“He was my role model,” says Eleazar Mikhail, a
student at the St. Patrick’s High School. “Everyone
is subjected to discrimination at some point in
their lives, whether it’s about religion or the way
you look. I used to think if Yousuf Youhana didn’t
succumb to the pressure, neither would I.”
Owing to these setbacks, Pakistani Christians are
now trying to find a footing in society. Most are
reduced to menial labour. And many are frequently
subjected to forced conversions or accused of
desecrating the Quran.
Bahadur Khan, who sweeps the streets of Karachi’s
PECHS area early every morning, admits to facing
hardships being a Christian in Pakistan. “I had to
change my name from Pervaiz Masih to land this job –
what does that tell you?” he asks. “I am not proud
to do it, but I have a family to feed.”
In the evenings, however, when the sweeper is off
duty, he looks forward to a cup of tea with friends
from the Christian community in Mehmoodabad, where
he lives. He finds the transition back to his faith
a comforting one: “With my friends, I will always be
Pervaiz Masih,” he adds cheerfully.
The law of the land
To a large extent, Masih’s insecurities about being
openly Christian in Pakistan can be traced back to a
single piece of legislature. Since the 1980s,
Christians have increasingly become victims of
humiliation and persecution through false
allegations made under the notorious blasphemy law.
Unfortunately, the Pakistani Penal Code (PPC)
provides little guidance on what exactly constitutes
blasphemy.
The law, a remnant of the 1860 British colonial
criminal law, was revised in 1986 by General Haq in
accordance with the Sharia. It was revised again in
1992 when the death penalty was made mandatory for
convicted blasphemers under the democratically
elected government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
In its earlier incarnation, the law applied equally
to all religions. But in the revised version, the
death penalty only applies to those who blaspheme
against Islam. According to a 2001 US State
Department report titled ‘International Religious
Freedom,’ 55 to 60 Christians have been charged with
blasphemy each year. Currently, more than a hundred
accused are languishing in Pakistani jails, awaiting
trial.
Admittedly, the number of arrests under the
blasphemy law has decreased since former Prime
Minister Benazir Bhutto approved two PPC amendments
designed to reduce the abuse of Section 295-C.
General Pervez Musharraf too suggested mild changes
to the blasphemy law in April 2000, but withdrew his
recommendations the following month. As a result,
the law remains largely intact.
Following his visit to riot-hit Gojra in August
2009, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani hinted at
changing the blasphemy law in a bid to facilitate
‘religious harmony’ in the country. Moreover, there
is increasing acknowledgement that the blasphemy law
is usually invoked in cases of political vendetta or
rivalry or land disputes. Human rights activists
continue to campaign for the law to be completely
repealed.
A proud legacy
The current position of Pakistan’s Christians is a
sharp departure from their subcontinental legacy.
Karachi and Rawalpindi saw the first churches in
Pakistan when Christianity was introduced to the
region by the British rulers of India in the late
eighteenth century. St. Patrick’s Cathedral in
Karachi is considered to be Pakistan's largest
church and is the most prominent Christian landmark
in the country.
Most Christians who came to Pakistan were resident
officers of the British Army and the government.
During the development of Karachi’s infrastructure,
a large Catholic Goan community was established by
the British and the Irish before World War II.
Christians, in Sindh and Punjab particularly, had
been active pre-independence in their support for
Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s Muslim League. Encouraged by
the Quaid’s promise of complete equality of
citizenship, they rendered their services as
journalists and propagandists to the movement.
In fact, Christians did their best to contribute in
a positive way to society. For that reason, the
cross in Pakistan has been mainly associated with
education, healthcare and philanthropy.
A large portion of Pakistan’s elite owe their
success to a solid educational grounding at St.
Patrick's High School and St. Joseph's Convent
School in Karachi and the Forman Christian College
and St. Anthony’s High School in Lahore. Similarly,
the Holy Family Hospital and the Marie Adelaide
Leprosy Centre in Karachi and the Lady Reading
Hospital in Peshawar were founded at a time when few
healthcare facilities existed in Pakistan. All
Christian institutions across the country portray a
strong sense of nation building, rendering
invaluable services to the people of Pakistan
irrespective of caste, creed, and colour.
Being both, a Christian and Pakistani
In the context of current unrest within Pakistan, as
religious fundamentalism has grown beyond
proportions, Pakistani Christians find themselves in
the midst of a grave situation. The increasing
frequency and brutality of religious riots anger
them, yet they remain optimistic about a system they
hope will make things better. That hope is inspired
by the very symbol that is shunned by Pakistanis –
the cross, a symbol of strength, perseverance and
endurance for Christians.
“One day we hope to see a Pakistan which will not
differentiate between caste and creed as was
promised by the Quaid,” says Jennifer Marshall, an
ESL trainer in Karachi. “We are hopeful because the
cross symbolises salvation for us.”
Meanwhile, constant and repeated demands for the
repeal of the blasphemy law prove that Pakistani
Christians are adamant to fight to keep the cross
visible in their country.
News source: Zeresh John
www.dawn.com |
