Interfaith issues were now a priority for the Lambeth Conference, said the Bishop of Southwark, Tom Butler, in comparison to the 1998 event when the issue was ‘theoretical’.“It is right on the agenda because we live in a multi-faith environment,” he said.
The Primate of the Church of Pakistan, Alexander Malik, said that it was now a “dialogue of life”.
“Many feel it is a betrayal of mission and evangelism. It is not,” he said, arguing that such dialogue is an excellent way of “expressing the love of God that is found in Jesus Christ.”
He blamed a small minority of extremists for wrecking interfaith relations in Pakistan, but called for international protest at the blasphemy laws which have been used to persecute minorities in the country.
Bishop Malik’s comments came as a major new report was released claiming that persecution of Christians in Pakistan was severe despite reforms.
The report by Bradford academic, Professor Shaun Gregory, ‘The Christian Minority in Pakistan’ found that while attempts had been made to improve the situation of Christians and other minorities, under the rule of President Musharraff, these had largely failed due to opposition by Islamist and conservative forces in Pakistan.
The report found that Christians are subject to violence, intimidation, forced marriage and child kidnapping. It also said that Christians have been forced from their homes and their places of worship had been desecrated or destroyed.
The Bishops in Canterbury devoted a day of their two-week conference to reflecting on relationships with other faiths.
They looked at two documents, ‘Generous Love’ which sets out an Anglican approach to interfaith concerns, and Archbishop William’s recent response to the Muslim call for dialogue, ‘A Common Word’.
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