The difference between a Christian martyr and an “Islamist martyr”, can’t be greater:
The bishops of Pakistan appealed to Pope Benedict to officially recognize Shahbaz Bhatti, a Catholic official in the country who was recently assassinated, as a martyr.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Pakistan, which met from March 20 – 25 in Multan, unanimously decided to make a formal request to the Vatican to name Bhatti as a “martyr and patron of religious freedom.”
The 42-year old Bhatti – a leading voice for religious freedom and peace in Pakistan – served as federal minister for religious minorities. He was shot to death by three masked men on March 2 as he left his mother’s home in Islamabad by car.
Al-Qaida and the Punjab-based Pakistani Taliban Movement claimed responsibility for Bhatti’s killing, according to the AP.
I really hope so.
I hope so too. He was a good man – too good to educate his murderers that peace and tolerance was the only solution to ending their strife and path into darkness.
I agree. That’s why I am not very optimistic about these guys becoming democrating, freedom-loving, human rights-respecting countries. They actually live in tribes and act like pre-historic guys. It’s so disgusting…
Claudia, it is such a sad truth. The ME will *never* see democracy until it recognizes secular rule of law under equality as opposed to the Sharia practised now. Mr. Bhatti was such a good man. He would have served an international council honourably and with grace but he was cut short. I despise Islam.
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