Church in the Middle East
Pakistani Catholic bishop says Islamic radicals are aiming for him
Bishop Coutts says he will not stop reaching out to Muslims, despite death threats
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Bishop Joseph Coutts

Konigstein, Germany, Feb 28, 2007 / 10:59 am (CNA).- Bishop Joseph Coutts, the Bishop of Faisalabad says that he is in the sites of Muslim extremists due to his continued efforts to establish inter-religious dialogue in his country. The bishop said that the increase in Muslim radical groups, coupled with his attempts to improve relations between Catholics and Muslims in Pakistan, have brought about numerous death threats since December.

Speaking recently with the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, Bishop Coutts said he would not let himself be intimidated and that he would persist “with inter religious activities, in favour of social harmony and religious peace in the country.”

“We have experienced the violence of certain extremist Muslim groups, a violence that did not exist formerly,” the bishop lamented. “This is for us a new phenomenon that does not go out from the population in general, but from the promotion of this way of thinking within extremist groups.”

According to the AP, Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz acknowledged the extremist problems his country faces and issued a call yesterday for Pakistanis to stand up to the groups. “One of the big challenges faced by Pakistan today is extremism and terrorism,'' Aziz said in an address in Islamabad.  “If you want progress and development, do not support the extremist forces.”

In Pakistan, a country with 150 million inhabitants, Catholics are only a small minority of 1.5 million.

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Subscriber comments:
Published by: Pete Perez-Donnelly
Houston,TX.,U.S.A. 03/05/2007 11:45 AM EST
For any U.S.American
Christian&Jew to vote
for Barack Hussein Obama"is Insanity!
OBama's Father&also his Step-Father are Muslims. Obama's Mother is an Atheist.
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Published by: David
Baltimore, MD USA 03/05/2007 08:51 AM EST
Pray for the conversion of the Middle East in your next Rosary intention.
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Published by: M. Lyons
Perth, WA, Australia 03/01/2007 03:13 AM EST
Muslims enjoy the privilage of freely practicing their faith in the Western world, but they do not allow minorities the same freedom in Islamic countries.
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Published by: Jim
Port Orange/FL/USA 02/28/2007 08:15 PM EST
I can only echo Jack's sentiments and words. Today is a day for prayer and fasting and for us to pray unceasingly. Get out your rosaries for Mary assures us that through the Rosary, wars can be diverted and lives can be saved. Mary Queen of Angels pray for us and support your son, Bishop Joseph Coutts in Persia, who is following Jesus despite the incredible worldly pressures against him.
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Published by: Jack
USA 02/28/2007 02:00 PM EST
All I have to say is what the message of The Lady of All Nations (Mary the Mother of God) said to the visionary, Ida Peerdeman about a "strange war" taking place (international terroriam)in the East as She pointed to it seeing stars falling from the sky. Fifty years later or so, we dreadfully are living it.

At Fatima, the Miracle of the Sun is very significant to these times. The sun has a huge nuclear reactor in its core. The sun is a gigantic ball of hydrogen that produces helium" acording to Dr. Courtenay Bartholomew, M.D. He's a medical doctor and authored six books on Mariology and appreaed in several Marian videos. He's also been a guest speaker at Marian conferecnes worldwide.

Today Iran is said to be making nuclear bombs. Mary mentioned the "annilihation of many nations" at Fatima. Such a bomb can do this.

Let's connect the gold star on the helm of her gown when She appeared at Fatima. It can be connected to Esther in the Old Testament. That name means star. She saved her people, the Jewish people from being killed by a ruthless Persian official through prayer an fasting. Today, we see Iran (Persia) posing a potential threat to the world and the Jewish people once again.

Let's just pray for this to not happen.

Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!
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