[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 23 (Thursday, February 27, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E345]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            REGARDING PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN PAKISTAN

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                         HON. GARY L. ACKERMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 27, 1997

  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak out against 
religious intolerance in Pakistan. Earlier this month, tens of 
thousands of Muslims angered by the alleged desecration of a Koran, and 
incited by local Muslim leaders, burned thousands of homes of Christian 
villagers, along with a hospital, a school, a Catholic church, and a 
dormitory. While this event by itself is despicable, the conduct of the 
local police in this affair is unforgivable. According to reports, 
local police actually told residents to leave their homes because they 
could not protect them from the mobs. Yet it took only a small army 
unit to halt the rampage, which destroyed shops and homes, and restore 
order to the village.
  This is only the latest incident in what the Christian Voice of 
Pakistan reports is ongoing persecution of Christians by Muslims in 
Pakistan. The State Department's ``Human Rights Report on Pakistan'' 
points out that ``Discriminatory religious legislation has encouraged 
an atmosphere of religious intolerance.'' In fact, section 295(c) of 
the Penal Code stipulates the death penalty for blaspheming the Prophet 
Mohammed. This provision has been used by Muslims to intimidate 
religious minorities in Pakistan.
  I met yesterday with the Pakistani Charge d'Affaires to ask the 
Pakistani Government to launch an immediate investigation of the 
incident with particular emphasis on the role of the local police, and 
to repeal those portions of the Penal Code which give license to 
Muslims to persecute Christians and other religious minorities.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in calling on Pakistani 
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to speak out against religious 
discrimination and to work to create a climate of tolerance and 
religious harmony in Pakistan.

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