Catholic leaders in Pakistan condemned a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque in the capital, warning that attacks on places of worship threaten interreligious harmony and national peace.
On the morning of Feb. 6, a suicide bomber shot at security personnel before entering the mosque in Islamabad and detonating an explosive vest.
At least 31 people were killed and 169 others hospitalized. Authorities said the death toll could rise. The Islamic State – Khorasan Province, active in Afghanistan and Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack.
In a message sent to Vatican’s Fides News Agency, Archbishop Joseph Arshad of Rawalpindi-Islamabad denounced the assault in strong terms.
“Attacks on places of worship are an attack on interreligious harmony and efforts toward peace: this cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. Terrorism has no religion, and such elements that aim to divide society must be stopped,” he said.
As families mourned the victims, the archbishop expressed solidarity with the Shiite community and described the bombing as “the attack on innocent civilians is a heinous crime against humanity.”
He added that “all believers in Pakistan, regardless of their religion, must remain united to protect religious values and social harmony.”
He offered condolences and prayers to the victims’ families and assured them that “the Christian community in Pakistan stands with them.”
The archbishop also voiced confidence in the federal government and its institutions and called for those responsible to be brought to justice swiftly.
Addressing the broader public, he said: “Let us show patience, unity, and mutual respect, and spread the message of peace and tolerance instead of hatred, so that such tragic incidents will not be repeated in the future.”
Father Qaisar Feroz, OFM Cap, spokesman for the Pakistani Bishops’ Conference, echoed the condemnation.
“The attack on the place of worship fills us all with great concern. It was carried out in revenge and is intended to send a message to the establishment: The Taliban and terrorists remain powerful and influential,” he told Fides.
“We Christians clearly affirm that the loss of innocent lives cannot be justified by any religious ideology. These attacks, regardless of the community they affect, lead us to draw closer together and support one another in combating extremism and violence and fulfilling our important responsibility to promote peace and fraternity in Pakistan.”
