Christians condemn Gujarat massacre

Published March 18, 2002

QUETTA, March 17: A large number of Christians staged a demonstration here on Sunday in protest against the killings of Muslims in Gujarat and other parts of India.

The demonstration was organized by various Christian social and student organizations, including the Christian Social Welfare Association, the Christian Students Movement, the Pakistan Christian Welfare Organization and the Coordination Council of Christian Societies, Balochistan.

The demonstrators were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the Indian government for the killings of Muslims in Gujarat.

Speaking to the protesters, the chairman of the council, William Barkat, condemned the massive killings of Muslims in India, saying that the members of the Indian terrorist organizations were brutally killings Muslims, including men, women and youths, in the presence of the state machinery.

“Criminal silence of the so-called civilized world over these killings is a shameful act,” he said, adding that even the United Nations and human rights’ organizations had not taken any notice of the massacre.

Mr Barkat said that earlier, fanatic Hindu organizations had attacked and killed hundreds of Christians and destroyed several churches in India.

He demanded that the Indian terrorist organizations that were involved in the killings be banned.

He appealed to the UN, the United States, human rights’ organizations and all the peace-loving forces to put pressure on the Indian leadership for banning the extremist organizations.

Others speakers denounced the attitude of the Indian leadership towards the killings of the Muslims in Gujarat and other cities. They demanded that security of all minorities in India be ensured.