Prominent religious leaders and Promoters of Interfaith harmony and Peace from different religions warmly welcomed the German delegation and they shared the impacts, challenges, opportunities and how they are promoting peace and interfaith harmony among the people of different religions in Pakistan.
German delegation from MISSIO Germany Fr. Dirk Bingerner, Mr. Milan Lciv, Ms. Katja Voges, Ms. Sabrina Wiesen and Mr. Tomek Welke visited Peace Center Lahore on 8th November,2023. Fr. James Channan OP Director Peace Center Mr. Asher Nazir Executive Secretary and Madam Neelum Nisari Program Manager Peace Center warmly welcomed to Fr. Dirk Bingerner, Mr. Milan Lciv, Ms. Katja Voges, Ms. Sabrina Wiesen and Mr. Tomek Welke with interfaith leaders from Muslim, Christian, Hindu and Sikh. Mr. Asher Nazir Executive Secretary Peace Center invited Fr. James Channan OP welcome note and introduction of German guests. Fr. James Channan OP Director Peace Center warmly welcomed all honorable guests and he shared their introduction. With it he welcomed all interfaith leaders from different religions who are working for the promotion of Peace and Interfaith harmony with the Peace Center in Pakistan.
Fr. James Channan OP said that I am very happy that the German Delegation from MISSIO Germany came to the Peace Center to know our achievements, impacts, challenges and opportunities regarding peace and interfaith harmony among the religions in Pakistan. He said that the Peace Center has a strong connection with the people of different religions as Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Chrisitan in Pakistan through different peace and interfaith activities. We are working with many interfaith organizations, universities, colleges, lawyers, and Government of Pakistan at National and Provincial level. He said that this Peace Center was built by the Dominican Order, Pakistan and it was inaugurated by His Eminence, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President PCID, on 28th November, 2010 during his visit to Pakistan. That time I was the Prior Vice Provincial of the Ibn-e-Mariam, Dominican Order, Pakistan. He said that the building of the Peace Center was completed with the generous grants of MISSIO and other donors. In our Peace Center we organize conferences, seminars, training and workshops mainly to promote harmony and peace among the believers of different religions in Pakistan but our special focus is between Christians and Muslims.
Fr. James Channan OP shared that our focus is also on Christian Faith Formation for Christian youth, parents and families. It is of prime importance to know about the truths of our Christian faith and dogmas as we live among the country of Muslim majority. We also organize special seminars and workshops to discuss the issues of forced conversions, forced marriages, misuse of blasphemy laws
and other discriminatory laws in Pakistan. We discuss how to counter religious terrorism and religiously motivated violence such as in the Jaranwala incident. He shared that at times of natural calamities for example COVID-19 and floods Peace Center helped hundreds of families and offered them relief goods, warm clothes, food items and hygiene kits. He said that Christian Muslim dialogue is of prime importance in Pakistan. It helps us to build bridges of trust, respect and acceptance of one another, Many Muslim religious leaders as Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, Grand Imam of Badshahi Mosque, Mufti Ashiq Hussain, Allama Zubair Abid, Prof, Mehmood Guznavi, Dr, Badar Munir, Sohail Ahmad Raza, Allama Asim Makhdoom, Allama Nau Bahar Shaw, Advocate Ishtiaq Chaudry, Allama Badar Munir, Allama Asghar Arif Chisti, Maulana Qasim Ali Qasmi and Sohail Ahmad Raza are working with Peace Center to create a positive thinking among the people of different religions in Pakistan.
Mufti Ashiq Hussain shared in his views that with Fr. James Channan OP we are working with many like-minded organizations, different community groups in many cities, villages at grass-root level through our interfaith groups and religious leaders for the promotion of peace and interfaith harmony. He said Fr. James Channan OP is promoting love and tolerance through his peace activities according to Jesus Christ teaching love to other people. He is Global ambassador of Peace because he is not only working for Pakistani people, he is working for World peace. Fr. James Channan OP has received appreciation awards from five continents of the World. President of Pakistan and Governor of Punjab has given appreciation and National Peace Awards to Fr. James Channan OP for his wonderful services for the promotion of Peace and Interfaith harmony. Always in different incidents of Christians as Shamam and Shahzad incident in Kasur, Joseph Colony Lahore, incident of Jaranwala where 86 Christians houses and 25 Churches burnt Fr. James Channan OP raised his voice with us for Justice and as Muslim religious leaders we stand with truth and for their justice equality we worked with him and still we are working and we have to face many challenges. We are promoters of love, peace and interfaith harmony and through our actions and different activities with Peace Center we are playing a role of connector not divider among the religions.
Sardar Skindar Singh said I am happy that today the German Delegation is with us in the Peace Center and Fr. James Channan gave me the opportunity to attend this meeting. I am thankful to Fr. James Channan OP he is a great man and he devoted his life for the promotion of love, peace and interfaith harmony among the religions. I salute and appreciate Fr. James Channan OP for his great services to promote peace and interfaith harmony.
Always I honor Fr. James Channan OP he is a great man because he is working for a noble cause and he is uniting the people under one roof of the Peace Center. He is giving the message of Peace and Interfaith harmony to the people of different religions and for this mission we are working with him in Pakistan. We are working for the rights of minorities and fundamental rights as a citizen of Pakistan. This is our country and as interfaith religious leaders we are playing a positive role in the development of Pakistan.
Pastor Dr. Majeed Abel said that today I am happy because in this conference I am looking to those personalities which are in action and they are working for the promotion of peacebuilding and social cohesion in this society and they belong from Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Muslims. Pakistan is a Islamic Republic State and Islam is a religion of State and in Pakistan majority of the people are Muslims and Christians, Hindus and Sikhs are in minority. In Pakistan majority and minority are not safe because we see that terrorist attack happen in anywhere so Mosque, Church, Temple is not safe and we hire security for the protection of people when we pray in Church, Mosque and Temple. Always I honor and appreciate Fr. James Channan OP because that personality has a good worth national and international level and people listen his voice and give him respect because he is a model of peace for us and all the people of different religions in Pakistan.
Allama Zubair Abid shared that in the Peace Center people of different religions come with one heart and with harmony together with one another and they get opportunity to promote love, respect, tolerance, peace and Interfaith harmony among the religions. Everybody Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh feel that is our Peace Center because no discrimination no fanaticism is here among the religions. Everybody loves other people as human beings and they respect one another and this is a good exercise and example to others and I think this is a great impact of Peace Center. The Peace Center changed the lives of people in a positive way and this is not a short process. For this work we need more people and more time because this is a long-term process. To work for the promotion of peace and interfaith harmony in Pakistan is not easy. This is a challenging task but we are working with Fr. James Channan OP under his supervision as Peace force. He is working for humanity not working for anyone religion he loves and respects to people of all religions and for his services he has received appreciation awards from five continents of the World. As interfaith leaders we are so happy and welcome to all of you that today you are with us. You want to know how we are working and what our strengths, opportunities and challenges are. In Pakistan we have many problems and our minorities are facing many issues but we worked and competed together in the incidents of Jaranwala, Joseph Colony Lahore, Shama and Shahzad incident in Kasur, reconciliation in Mental Hospital Lahore. Fr. James Channan OP still is caring for the children of Shama and Shahzad for their food, shelter and education. Peace Center helps the people in flood, heavy rains, natural disaster and emergency situations without the difference of religion, color and faith.
Allama Dr. Badar Munir shared that in Pakistan we have people of different religions, culture and faith and they are living peacefully and they have all fundamental rights according to the Pakistani constitution. I am happy that MISSIO Germany is working for the people of all religions, not for only Christian community. I congratulate all guests of MISSIO Germany. We need together as human beings to work for humanity because this is a prior need of time. In the world we are looking at many countries fighting as Israel and Palestine, Russia and Ukraine are in war situations so we need to work for world peace. We are promoting peace and interfaith harmony at different forums with Fr. James Channan OP. In UCH Hospital Lahore he renovated the emergency ward and nursing rooms. He established a beautiful Peace Center in Lahore; Pakistan and he is uniting the people of different religions and together through the platform of Peace Center we are working for peacebuilding and social cohesion in the society.
MS. Neelam Nisari shared in her view that if we want to promote peace and interfaith harmony in our society then we should accept others and listen to others. We should talk to everyone to know each other for better understanding and strong relationships among the people of different religions.
MS. Noreen Haroon said that in Pakistan 97% are Muslims and 3% are other minorities such as Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and others. In Pakistan all the people of different religions know that the Peace Center is working for Peace and Interfaith harmony. We should give respect to the people of other religions and with honor we should give space. Fr. James Channan OP is organizing national and international events in the Peace Center especially International Women’s Day, International Day of Peace, Christian Faith Formation programs and religious festivals, Breast Cancer Awareness program. Faith is a very important thing for all religions and as Christian minority we are facing the problem of forced marriages, forced conversion and religious violence in our societies. Youth is the future of a nation. We should involve our interfaith youth and we give them an education of peace, love and tolerance and acceptance for the people of other religions.
Rev. Emmanuel Khokar said I know Fr. James Channan OP and his work of peacebuilding among the people of different religions in the World. I am working with Fr. James Channan OP from many years and together we have attended many national and international conferences and events from Pakistan as Doha International Peace Conference. As promoters of peace and love we are giving our contribution to unite the religions and we are giving the education of peace not hate the people of other religions. The Peace Center plays an effective role in changing the minds of people and growing the seed of love in our heart and this is great work for humanity.
Pastor Amjad Nimat said together we are working with the Peace Center and whenever we face discrimination and religious violence by the name of religion then we stand against negative thinking and we raise our voices for justice and equal rights for minorities. In the Jaranwala incident with Fr. James Channan OP as promoters of peace and interfaith harmony Christian, Hindu, Sikh and Muslim we were together and all of us demand justice for the Christian of Jaranwala. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Chief Minister of Punjab, Chief of Army staff and Chief Justice of Pakistan have said that they will take decisive action against those involved in the Jaranwala incident. He said that Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad visited Jaranwala with many interfaith religious leaders and he has said that Islam is a religion of peace, explicitly forbidding the burning of sacred places or religious artefacts. He said the teachings of respect and humanity were central to the Islamic faith, and the Constitution of Pakistan guaranteed the rights of all minorities. He called upon the government to take decisive action against those involved in the Jaranwala incident. We are waiting and we want to see justice with the Christians of Jaranwala incident. He underlined the need for accountability to ensure that such heinous acts were not repeated.
Fr. Dirk Bingerner from MISSIO Germany said that I am thankful to all of you for this beautiful and wonderful honor. Pakistan is a very beautiful country and here we saw different cultures, faith, people of different religions and they all warmly welcomed in churches and Mosques. Today I am very much happy to meet you all in Peace Center Lahore because you are from the religions of Muslims, Christian, Hindu and Sikh and you are promoters of Peace and Interfaith harmony in Pakistan. When I was coming to Pakistan in my mind, I had many questions about the minorities of Pakistan like Christians, Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan. After listening and meeting all of you I am happy that you belong from different religions but together with unity you are promoting peace and Interfaith harmony along with one another and you are living with peace and harmony. You are all lovers of Peace and humanity.
Reported by:
Asher Nazir
Executive Secretary
Peace Center
