Press release
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, has issued a strong plea for leaders to protect the position of minority religious communities across the world.
The call came at a memorial service in Southwark Cathedral today (Saturday 10th November 2001) in memory of 14 Christians in Bahawalpur who were murdered while worshipping in church two weeks ago. In a reflection given during the service Dr Carey said that those in authority had a responsibility to protect the rights of minority communities:
"All those in leadership positions have an absolute duty not only to protect the rights of religious minorities to live and worship in peace, but also to promote real understanding, peace and dialogue. Tolerance should be only the starting point. We must move on; we must build bridges, not walls.
"We should remember that the position of Muslims in Britain is also that of a minority faith sometimes beset with the hostility caused by intolerance, ignorance and suspicion."
Full text
The full text of Dr Carey's reflection (not a sermon) follows:
My brothers and sisters, it is a privilege for me to stand with you here today. This is a sad day; a day to mourn; a day to bring our grief and also our fear before God. That Christians who belong to our own church - those in communion with the Anglican family - should have been murdered while at worship came as terrible news, and today it is right that we should mourn their loss and pray for those who are bereaved.
Ever since I first heard the terrible news of the massacre in Bahawalpur, those who died and those who have been bereaved have been very much in my prayers. And my prayers have also been for all Christians in Pakistan, at such a testing time. I want them to know that they are in our hearts.
Christian communities in many parts of the world find themselves fearful, having to witness to their faith in dangerous and difficult circumstances. We should remember that the position of Muslims in Britain is also that of a minority faith sometimes beset with the hostility caused by intolerance, ignorance and suspicion.
Recent events have caused considerable anxiety about the very possibility of Christians and Muslims living together in harmony. Although I understand that anxiety, we cannot let fear and mistrust determine how we live together.
All those in leadership positions have an absolute duty not only to protect the rights of religious minorities to live and worship in peace, but also to promote real understanding, peace and dialogue. Tolerance should be only the starting point. We must move on; we must build bridges, not walls.
I am not without hope, however, and I would like to say just a brief word about my recent visit to two Muslim countries where Christian communities are in a minority but are free to worship. Surrounded by Muslims, these churches continue in their faith and serve the communities that are built up around the Christian message.
While I was in Bahrain, I, along with Bahraini government officials, attended the laying of a foundation stone at a Syrian Orthodox Church. In Qatar I found deep appreciation of the Christian Communities and the part they play in strengthening the community.
Everywhere I went, I found clear determination by Christians and Muslims to live together in dialogue and in mutual respect. All of the Muslims I met in both countries condemned, without hesitation and without reservation, the killings in Pakistan the week before.
It is vital for us all to proclaim that Christians and Muslims are not at war with each other; and I must tell you of the profound gratitude from both Muslims and Christians in that region for that assurance. So I was eager to accept the invitation to share that message on Al Jazeera television, which reaches some 90 million people across that region.
Indeed, it reaches right to those at the heart of the current conflict.
If we are to make sure that our message of peace, dialogue and mutual respect is more than just empty words, we need to work together to make sure it becomes a reality. As Christians, we believe that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God. And that gives us the hope and courage we need to enter into proper, honest and unflinching dialogue with those of other faiths.
And there is already a great deal of goodwill from Muslims with whom we share parts of our religious heritage. I experienced that goodwill this week and I know that we can build on it in the weeks and months which lie ahead. We need to listen to one another and work together to break down the barriers of hostility and suspicion that can exist.
I have visited Pakistan... I know the difficulties which the Church faces there.. But I also remember well the depths of faith and hope which I met. I am sure that now, more than ever, here is the opportunity for us to show the strength of our faith and the hope and love which is at its heart.