CHRISTIAN MUSLIM RELATIONS: CAN THEY PEACEFULLY CO-EXIST

"The ongoing anger of Muslim world over the unfortunate incidence of ‘desecration of Holy Koran’ at Guantanamo Bay, has created a very uncertain situation for Pakistani Christians.”

He said that on 25th May Mr. Atta Ul Haq Qasmi, a columnist had openly expressed his resentment that no Christian leader had condemned the “desecration” of the Holy Koran as reported by Newsweek."

“After the establishment of a strong and powerful Islamic Empire, this ‘treaty’ was broken by the Muslims,” he said. “The kingdom of Najran was conquered and the Christian of Najran were dislocated and rehabilitated in the areas that are in present day Iraq and Kuwait. This was the first set back in the relationship between Christian and Muslims.

“After that the conquest of the ‘Holy Land’ that was then under the domain of a weak Byzantine empire and further conquest of Muslims towards north, taking Christian dominated present day Syria. Destruction of Churches, desecration of places held Holy by the Christians. Forced conversions, broken treaties and humiliating conditions set forth by the Muslim conquers further enhanced the hatred between the two faiths. The demise of Roman Empire in North Africa (That was a Christian empire in 7th and 8th century AD) and the conquest of Spain, kept adding to the hate between Christian and Muslim world. Coming back to Roman Empire in Asia Minor and its conquest by Muslims saw all but few historical Churches under Islamic rule.

“Even today the churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation are in modern Turkey. This conquest of all holy places of Christian world and heavy taxation on Christian Pilgrims to the Holy Land resulted in ‘Crusades’ from the 10th Century AD to the 18th Century AD. Though Muslims were driven out of Spain in 1492, the Ottoman Empire gained control of Mediterranean Sea and conquered large territories in Europe.”

The Bishop stated that under the Ottoman Empire, the most prestigious church of Saint Sofia built by Constantine the Great was turned into Mosque and then a museum.

“This Church still remains in the hands of Muslim Turkey,” he continued. “The Ottoman Empire finally stated to retreat in Europe while the European Colonial rule was establishing in Africa, Asia, America and Australia. At the same time Ottoman Empire had started shrinking and most of its territories in North Africa were taken over by the European Colonial powers. The then ‘Christian Empires’, including Russia, started conquering all Muslim-ruled land including India."
CHRISTIAN MUSLIM RELATIONS: CAN THEY PEACEFULLY CO-EXIST