[Members] PCUSA MIssionaries Eyewitness account: Lahore after assassination of Benazir Bhutto

[Rev. Christian D Boyd]

On this Third Day of Christmas, when we remember in our prayer the Holy
Innocents, I thought the following letter from two of our missionaries in
Pakistan was appropriate to share. Marianne and Bob are doing updates via
the Presbyterian Outlook website.

 

>>>> 

 

>From Marianne Vermeer and Robert Johnson are Presbyterian mission
co-workers, serving at Forman College in Lahore, Pakistan. Forman was
founded by Presbyterian missionaries and is currently supported by the
PC(USA)  mission funds and a number of missionaries, all who are also
working with and serving the Christian minority. For more info on the
college, go to: http://www.fccollege.edu.pk/aboutfcc_mission.php

 

 

12/27/2007

 

As I am sure you are hearing, all of Pakistan's major cities are
experiencing violent demonstrations right now. The "good" news (if you can
call it that) is that it is not pervasive, and seems to be limited to
certain always-tense areas. The PPP - Benazir's party - has mobilized across
the southern province of Sindh, and some cities, notably Hyderabad, are
virtually cut-off from the rest of Pakistan by blocked roads, fires and
marching mobs. 

         In Lahore, there have been a few deaths, and some neighborhoods are
on fire, but it is limited in scope. As I suspected at the outset, this was
the work of the Islamicists, with al-Qaeda taking the "credit" for the
assassination. The Islamicists have hated Benazir since she became PM the
first time, and had vowed to kill her if she tried to reenter politics. An
aside of interest is that the person they say carried out the shooting and
suicide mission was a member of the outlawed group that responsible for the
attack on a church, and a Christian school in 2002.

         If there is any country on the face of the earth that didn't need
this, Pakistan is it. Now, the question is can Pakistan keep from imploding
due to political in-fighting. This sounds like an academic question: it is
not. Of the 160,000,000 people in this land, a tiny, tiny minority are
infected by a blasphemous religious bloodlust. Everyone else pays the price.


         Last summer, we sent a letter that quoted a man, interviewed during
the Red Mosque siege (its a thrill a minute here in Pakistan!). He said:
"What about the kiddies? The little children? Shouldn't we be looking out
for them? All I can say is - God help Pakistan!" The children here are
paying the price yet. Please, please please, have our sisters and brothers
who read the Outlook remember this nation in fervent prayer. Pray that the
Prince of Peace may reign in this troubled land. Please.

 

12/28/2007

Daylight has come to Pakistan, as has calm. Grief, shock and anger over
Benazir Bhutto's assassination, however, are still with us. It appears that
the wave of rage that washed over some areas in the night subsided fairly
early. The three day mourning period for Benazir has begun, and with it, an
uneasy truce. However, the potential for violence remains high, so high that
the city of Karachi (a PPP stronghold) is under virtual lockdown today, with
flights in and out of that city suspended for the day.

         Here in Lahore, there were small, but violent demonstrations. There
were reports in the local papers today of beatings of police officers, and
burning of buildings (especially banks), cars, homes and political
billboards. We understand that some of this was close by, but things were
actually quieter than we have heard in a long time (Lahore comes alive at
about six p.m., and perks along until 2-3 a.m.).

         The future is pretty cloudy right now. Some are saying that
Benazir's death also marks the death of the political process in the
country. The feeling is that if the Taleban/al-Qaeda have now dedicated
themselves to controlling who can and can't participate in the political
process, fear will rule in the country (as in Afghanistan). Others wonder
who or what will take Benazir's place at the helm of the PPP, or if that
party will even survive if there are no Bhuttos to head it. This also means
that, at the moment, the only large opposition party that has a head is the
PML-N, which is headed by another former Prime Minister (who was no more
successful than Bhutto), Nawaz Sharif.

         Benazir will have been buried by the time most of you read this.
With her body will be interred the last few years of prosperity and
(relative) peace that has enabled Pakistan to progress up until this year.
The next few months will determine what manner of future Pakistan will have.
Cast with the fortunes of the nation, naturally, come those of the Christian
community and institutions (like Forman Christian College) as well. Please
pray for peace, stability, and humaneness in this place.

 

 

 

Rev. Christian Dominic Boyd

 

Pastor, New Creation PC(USA) in O'Fallon, IL

& Staff, Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy

Mob: 618.292.8583

www.NewCreationPC.org

Enriching our community 
through vibrant, Christ-centered relationships...
one life at a time.

(2 Cor 5:17)

 

"God is personal, not private. . . so is discipleship in Christ"

 

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