IRF Roundtable Chair Pakistan Anila Ali Condemns Attack on Christian Priest
Anila Ali, Pakistan Chair of IRF Roundtable, has vehemently condemned the attack on the Christian clerics in Peshawar on Sunday, January 31st, 2022.
“As a Pakistani American, I am very concerned at the escalation of violence against Christians in Pakistan. Pakistanis have a constitutional right to practice their religion freely and Christians should never have to feel unsafe when going to pray at a church. I know how important religious freedom is to Muslim Americas - it allows us to practice their religion freely,” said Anila Ali.
The International Religious Freedom Roundtable Chair Pakistan demanded the Pakistan government to provide more security to the Christian community.
“An attack on the Christian community should be seen as an attack on all of Pakistan. The founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, assured the minorities: ‘You are free to go to your temples. You are free to go to your mosques or any other place of worship in the state of Pakistan.’ We urge the Government of Pakistan and Prime Minister Imran Khan to do more to protect the Christian community. Religious persecution is on the rise in Pakistan and it is of grave concern to us. This heinous attack and killing requires an urgent reckoning with Islamic extremism as the enemy within,” Ali added.
We send prayers to the grieving family of Pastor William Siraj and assure the Pakistani Christian community of our support.
